Whats bipolar???

Question

I only asked because every body on Yahoo is asking about they love somebody who is bipolar and crap like that...so I was just wondering what it meant....Thank you>?

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition that used to be known as manic-depression. It is signified by extreme mood swings - mania, during which the person can be totally euphoric, feel like they are on top of the world, spend incredulous amounts of money without thinking of the consequences. During mania, the person can also be very talkative, energetic, not need sleep. It can spiral to being very dangerous when the person begins to become excessive in their spending, gambling, even promiscuity. Then, there is the other side to it - depression. A bipolar person can fall into a deep depression and not want to do anything, just sleep, feels very sad, loses interest in activities. Sometimes, when in the depressive state, a bipolar person may even consider suicide.

In between mania and depression, a person can still have regular moods...they are not always either/or...

Usually, bipolar can be treated with medications such as lithium, some anti-convulsant medications and anti-depression medications. If these do not work for the person, then electro-convulsant therapy may be suggested (my brother had this option and it worked for him).

Answer 2

Bipolar is unfortunately, an overused diagnosis.

It is, however, an actual condition (P.C. called Bipolar Mood Disorder) whereby the sufferer has EXTREME mood swings from euphoric highs to devastating lows.

In mania (the euphoric stage) they are feeling invulnerable and usually exhibit strange, and usually dangerous behavior...during these phases some patients exhibit uncontainable rage (usually brought on by trying to deal with the inner turmoil that accompanies this phase...for me even mild mania was horrible, while able to kind of control it...it woud be like trying to follow 10 conversations on 10 different subjects all at once...I ended up confused and frustrated a LOT)


On the other end of the spectrum the depression is usually deep and profound, finding no joy in anything. Different from simply "having the blues" there is no light at the end of the tunnel through this stage. People can tell you to "cheer up" or "get over it", most people through this phase would LOVE nothing better than to be able to take this advice, it's almost like it's simply not comprehensible.

The condition could have a number of causes, brain injury, unbalanced seretonin levels within the brain seem to be the most common causes. Depending on the cause (if it can be determined) and the physiology of the person, there are a number of treatments that can/are used for treatment, lithium therapy seeming to be the most effective. As a Bipolar patient I've had perscribed Desyrel (horrible...don't recommend...zoned me out, I have completely lost the 5 years I was on it...*poof*...no memory), ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy)...(again...I would hesitate to recommend this...too many bad effects from this one for me), Prozac (or Zoloft...sister drugs) this worked for quite some time, Lithium...never actually perscribed this, so I can't speak to it's efficiency. Most imperative though is GOOD therapy, a clinical psychiatrist/therapist, strong family/friends network to help through the rough patches and to enjoy your sucesses through the smoother ones.

If there's anything actually specific about the condition, feel free to get int touch with me off here and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Answer 3

OK, so it's a mood disorder and a serious mental illness. It has a strong genetic component, but appears to be triggered environmentally. There are no diagnostic tests for it, just psychiatric evaluation. Most sufferers are not diagnosed until middle age, and it takes an average of around 8-10 years to get a correct diagnosis. Historically, figures suggested it affects about 0.8% of the population at some point, which makes it about half as common as schizophrenia. In recent years, bipolar disorder has become an 'in' diagnosis, and many more people are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. As with ADHD, this fad may well pass with time, although for the moment many celebrities appear to be 'popularising' it.

It is characterised by episodes of severe clinical depression and mania or hypomania (for definitions of those, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_diagnostic_criteria_for_bipolar_disorder ). The extreme end of mania often turns into psychosis, complete with hallucinations and delusions. During manic phases, the person's judgement and perception of reality is severely compromised, leading to risky actions with potentially damaging consequences (financially, sexually and relationship-wise). Untreated, episodes generally worsen over time due to an effect known as kindling. Untreated Bipolar sufferers are at a very high risk of suicide: 20-25% attempt it, and 15% succeed.

The cycles in bipolar disorder are much longer than people generally believe. Anyone whose mood changes from minute to minute is very unlikely to be bipolar. Bipolar 1 is characterised by mood episodes lasting many months, while Bipolar 2 has episodes in the region of weeks to months. Rapid and ultra-rapid cycling bipolar disorder is rare, and cycles last days to weeks.

There are many drugs available to treat the symptoms of bipolar (there is no cure). These are either anti-convulsants or anti-psychotics (personally I take both), and the most well known of these is Lithium. These drugs are heavy duty psychiatric medications and are not to be taken lightly, and most if not all of them have a range of side effects including lethargy, photosensitivity, cognitive impairment (dumb as a box of rocks), weight gain, hormone problems, hair loss and blood problems. These side effects have to be weighed against the benefits of mood stabilisation. Most patients will go through a number of different drugs before finding one that works for them.

Answer 4

Also known as Manic-Depression

For people with bipolar disorder, life can be an emotional roller coaster. It can have intense highs and crippling lows. But treatments are available to help control these extreme mood swings. Although there is no cure, with proper treatment, people diagnosed with bipolar disorder can live normal lives.Usually Treated with medication to balance out the chemicals that go haywire so to say,also therapy is helpful

Answer 5

Biplar refers to a psychological condition in which the individual expresses him/herself through periods of either extreme mania or extreme depressive behavior.

Bipolar is a new term for a treatable disorder previously referred to as Manic-Depressive disorder.

People who are "bipolar" has period where they are extremely energetic, lively, and "unstoppably" - they might even be so far gone as to be "out-of-control". Then, without a warning, the person shuts down and becomes extremely silent, withdrawn, and depressed. They may shut themselves in a room for days.

Then the cycle start all over again - the next time you see them they are this great energetic person, then depressed, they energetic, then depressed, etc, etc.....

They continue to cycle through this Manic-Depressed state. Drugs can be used to stabilize a chemical imbalance in the brain so they can live in an "in-between" state.

It's a lot more common a disorder than you'd think - a lot of actor/actresses are bipolar - check it out. http://www.mental-health-today.com/bp/famous_people.htm

Answer 6

its when a person is manic depressive, this person will from extreme highs to extreme lows. when in extreme highs they are overly happy, and when in extreme lows a person may not get out of bed for days, stop eating and thoughts of suicide, etc. go to wikipedia.com and search for bipolar to learn more

Answer 7

It is a condition where emotions and moods swing from one extreme to the next. Instability/Inability of emotional control which can be treated with medication. (mood enhancers, anti-depressants, or anti-psychotic meds.)

Answer 8

Manic-depressive illness.

Answer 9

it's when a person has depression and experience lots of mood swings

Answer 10

This should help answer your question. Hope this helps.


Mrs Librarian