Can anybody tell me more about bipolar disorder?

Question

I was watching Oprah the other day and I saw that segment about singer Sinead O'Connor. They said that she is suffering from bipolar disorder. I want to know more about the disease and how it affects people. I love Sinead O'Connor and her song "Nothing Compares to You'.

Answer 1

Bipolar disorder is a type of dual disorder that is also called manic depression. It is characterized by extreme mood swings like from a really elated state to a very dejected state. People with bipolar disorder are easily irritated, overly spontaneous and are quickly distracted. They also develop a poor judgment, increase their sexual drives and even start to abuse alcohol and drugs. People with bipolar disorder sometimes lose the ability to think rationally and they usually welcome the thought of ending their lives.

P.S. I love that song too and I heard Sinead's getting better.

Answer 2

Bi Pololar disorder is an alteration in brain chemistry that causes wide fluctions in mood from extreme euphoria to depression so sever that affected person may take to their bed and dream sweet thoughts of death. Imagine a clock with a huge pendulem swinging back in forth. Imagine that when the pendulem is pointing directly downward that this is a normal response by the brain to external stimulus. As the pendulem swings upward to the left the person feels good, then better with more energy, more expressive... and as the pendulem reaches the top they may have difficulty sleeping, focusing, staying on track because the brain is working overtime. They may speak so fast and move so much that it is difficult to keep up with them. Then the pendulem begins to drop and the symptoms reverse till they reach the norm again. Then as the pendulem begins to rise upward to the other side. The person feels bad, somewhat gloomy, tired. and as the pendulem conties to rise to the top of that side, they become totally miserable, apathetic and severe depression kicks in. They often can't do the simplest of tasks and feel like things will never get better. They are stuck in a helpless, hopeless state. Not all cases reach these extremes but they are the hallmark of symptoms. This disorder is not curable but it is treatable. Treatment may have to be adjusted from time to time due to the brain not responding to the current treatment once it has been used for a period of time. The affected person should always seek proffessional help and those that love this person should also seek counciling so that they will be better able to cope with the massive swings and personality changes and so that they may better understand how to be of help to the person with the disorder.

Answer 3

You have to understand. It does not only affects the people inflicted with it, it affects the people in their life as well.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that bipolar disorder affects more than 2 million American adults. That's just over 1% of the population.

Who gets bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder affects people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Are women more affected than men?
Bipolar disorder affects both sexes in equal numbers, according to the NIMH. But gender can play a role in how the illness first appears and whether it is correctly diagnosed. In men, the first bipolar episode tends to be a manic one, but women usually start with a depressive episode. As a result, many women with bipolar disorder are mistakenly given a diagnosis of clinical, or "unipolar," depression—a condition more common in women than men.

At what age does bipolar disorder usually appear?
Bipolar disorder usually starts to affect people in their late teens or early twenties. But there can be a huge range: Some people show symptoms in early childhood. Others may not have their first manic or depressive episode until they're in their forties or fifties.

Does bipolar disorder require medication?
Yes. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong chronic illness. It cannot be controlled on your own without medication. Unfortunately, recent studies suggest that between 30% and 50% of people with bipolar disorder are currently going without treatment.

Are people with bipolar disorder more at risk for suicide?
Bipolar disorder is a manageable and treatable condition, and many people with the illness live long and productive lives. If left untreated, though, it can be life-threatening. Experts estimate that between 15% and 19% of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide. People with bipolar disorder are much more likely to commit suicide during an episode of depression than during a manic episode.

Can someone with bipolar disorder lead a normal life?
Absolutely. With proper treatment, bipolar disorder can be effectively managed. Many well-known and accomplished public figures—from Beethoven to Winston Churchill—have led successful lives despite having bipolar disorder.
e people in thier life as well.

Answer 4

It's more commonly called "manic depression." Too high highs and too low lows. The lows can get to a point where the person is suicidal, so a person suffering from this disorder will often require medication(s) of which there are many choices.

Answer 5

This site here tell you all there is to know about bipolar disorder. good luck, best wishes.

http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/bipolar-disorder?utm_medium=ask&utm_source=smart&utm_campaign=article_toc&utm_term=Bipolar+disorder+symptoms&ask_return=Bipolar+disorder#symptoms

Answer 6

Get rid of delusions and your bipolar will go away. It worked for me. Reading the Bible helps too. Doctors just want to give pills and not talk people out of their delusions. Bunch of crooks.

Answer 7

I have Bipolar disorder, and it is vary bad it makes you vary vary vary sad, and it makes you want to kill yourself, and i have try ed to kill my self before by drinking bleach and rat poison, and anything i could my hands no, if you have it get help, and get god like i have, pleas you will not be sorry by doing so.

Answer 8

they have different mood swings, called ups and downs, on the ups its almost like a natural high, they are bouncy and cant sit still and are always happy, on the downs they have a depression come over them and are always sad. fortunately, they do have a medication for it.

Answer 9

Bipolar disorder, is a serious brain disorder. Also known as manic-depressive illness, it is a mental illness involving episodes of serious mania and depression. The person's mood usually swings from overly "high" and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between.
Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. It is often not recognized as an illness and people who have it may suffer needlessly for years or even decades.

Effective treatments are available that greatly alleviate the suffering caused by bipolar disorder and can usually prevent its devastating complications. These include marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide.

Facts about bipolar disorder:

Manic-depressive illness has a devastating impact on many people.
At least 2 million Americans suffer from manic-depressive illness. For those afflicted with the illness, it is extremely distressing and disruptive.
Like other serious illnesses, bipolar disorder is also hard on spouses, family members, friends, and employers.
Family members of people with bipolar disorder often have to cope with serious behavioral problems (such as wild spending sprees) and the lasting consequences of these behaviors.
Bipolar disorder tends to run in families and is believed to be inherited in many cases. Despite vigorous research efforts, a specific genetic defect associated with the disease has not yet been detected.
Bipolar illness has been diagnosed in children under age 12, although it is not common in this age bracket. It can be confused with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, so careful diagnosis is necessary.
Most people with manic-depressive illness can be helped with treatment.
Signs and Symptoms
Bipolar disorder involves cycles of mania and depression.
Signs and symptoms of mania include discrete periods of:
Increased energy, activity, restlessness, racing thoughts, and rapid talking
Excessive "high" or euphoric feelings
Extreme irritability and distractibility
Decreased need for sleep
Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers
Uncharacteristically poor judgment
A sustained period of behavior that is different than usual
Increased sexual drive
Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
Denial that anything is wrong
Signs and symptoms of depression include discrete periods of:
Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary activities, including sex
Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Restlessness or irritability
Sleep disturbances
Loss of appetite and weight, or weight gain
Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical disease
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in manic-depressive illness as a spectrum or continuous range. At one end is severe depression, which shades into moderate depression; then come mild and brief mood disturbances that many people call "the blues", then normal mood, then hypomania (a mild form of mania), and then mania.

Recognition of the various mood states is essential so that the person who has manic-depressive illness can obtain effective treatment and avoid the harmful consequences of the disease, which include destruction of personal relationships, loss of employment, and suicide.

Manic-depressive illness is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even physicians.

An early sign of manic-depressive illness may be hypomania--a state in which the person shows a high level of energy, excessive moodiness or irritability and impulsive or reckless behavior.

Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it. Thus even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings the individual often will deny that anything is wrong.

In its early stages bipolar disorder may masquerade as a problem other than mental illness. For example, it may first appear as alcohol or drug abuse, or poor school or work performance.

If left untreated, bipolar disorder tends to worsen and the person experiences episodes of full-fledged mania and clinical depression.

Descriptions offered by patients themselves offer valuable insights into the various mood states associated with bipolar disorder:

Depression: I doubt completely my ability to do anything well. It seems as though my mind has slowed down and burned out to the point of being virtually useless... [I am] haunt[ed].. . with the total, the desperate hopelessness of it all... Others say, "It's only temporary, it will pass, you will get over it," but of course they haven't any idea of how I feel, although they are certain they do. If I can't feel, move, think or care, then what on earth is the point?



Hypomania: At first when I'm high, it's tremendous...ideas are fast...like shooting stars you follow until brighter ones appear... All shyness disappears, the right words and gestures are suddenly there...uninteresting people, things become intensely interesting. Sensuality is pervasive, the desire to seduce and be seduced is irresistible. Your marrow is infused with unbelievable feelings of ease,power, well-being, omnipotence, euphoria... you can do anything...but, somewhere this changes.


Mania: The fast ideas become too fast and there are far too many...overwhelming confusion replaces clarity... you stop keeping up with it--memory goes. Infectious humor ceases to amuse. Your friends become frightened...everything is now against the grain..you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and traped.



Treatment
Almost all people with bipolar disorder--even those with the most severe forms--can obtain substantial stabilization of their mood swings.

One medication, lithium, is usually very effective in controlling mania and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.

More recently, the mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants carbamazepine and valproate have also been found useful especially in more refractory bipolar episodes. Often these medications are combined with lithium for maximum effect.

Some scientists have theorized that the anticonvulsant medications work because they have an effect on kindling, a process in which the brain becomes increasingly sensitive to stress and eventually begins to show episodes of abnormal activity even in the absence of a stressor. It is thought that lithium acts to block the early stages of this kindling process and that carbamazepine and valproate act later. Valproate has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of acute mania.

Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder are generally treated with lithium, but carbamazepine and valproate are also used.

The high potency benzodiazepines; clonazepam and lorazepam may be helpful adjuncts for insomnia.

Thyroid augmentation may also be of value.

For depression, several types of antidepressants can be useful when combined with lithium, carbamazepine or valproate.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is often helpful in the treatment of severe depression and/or mixed mania that does not respond to medications.

As an adjunct to medications, psychotherapy is often helpful in providing support, education, and guidance to the patient and his or her family.

Constructing a life chart of mood symptoms, medications, and life events may help the health care professional to treat the illness optimally.

Because manic-depressive illness is recurrent, long-term preventive (prophylactic) treatment is highly recommended and almost always indicated.

Some people with untreated bipolar disorder have repeated depressions and only an occasional episode of hypomania (bipolar II). In the other extreme, mania may be the main problem and depression may occur only infrequently. In fact, symptoms of mania and depression may be mixed together in a single bipolar state.

This information has been excerpted from material developed by the National Institute for Mental Health.