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What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive disorder) is an illness that causes extreme mood changes that alternate between manic episodes of abnormally high energy and the extreme lows of depression.

Bipolar disorder may cause behavior so severe that you may not be able to function at work, in family or social situations, or in relationships with others. Some people with bipolar disorder become suicidal.

What causes bipolar disorder?
The cause of bipolar disorder is not completely understood, but the disorder runs in families and may also be affected by your living environment or family situation. An imbalance of chemicals in the brain is another possible cause.

What are the symptoms?
During a manic episode, you may be abnormally happy, energetic, or irritable for a week or more. You may spend a lot of money, get involved in dangerous activities, and sleep very little. After a manic episode, you may return to normal, but your mood may swing in the opposite direction to feelings of sadness, depression, and hopelessness. When you are depressed, you may have trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions; have changes in your eating and sleeping habits; and lose interest in things you once enjoyed.

The mood changes of bipolar disorder can be mild or extreme. They may develop gradually over several days or weeks, or come on suddenly within minutes or hours. The manic or depressive episodes may only last a few hours or for several months.

How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
Because it has many phases and symptoms, bipolar disorder is complex and hard to diagnose. There are no lab tests for bipolar disorder; instead your doctor or therapist will ask detailed questions about what kind of symptoms you have and how long they last. In order to be diagnosed as bipolar, you must have had a manic episode lasting at least a week (less if you had to be hospitalized). During this time, you must have had three or more specific symptoms of mania, such as needing less sleep, being more talkative, behaving wildly or irresponsibly in activities that could have serious outcomes, or feeling as if your thoughts are racing.

Your urine and blood may be tested to rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms.

How is it treated?
Bipolar disorder is mainly treated with medications to manage manic episodes and periods of depression. Your doctor may try several medications before finding the right combination to manage your symptoms long-term. Medications include mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Antidepressants are used carefully for episodes of depression, because they cause some people to cycle into a manic phase.

Counseling for you and your and family is also an important treatment for bipolar disorder.

People with extreme cases of mania may be hospitalized to protect them from risky behaviors, such as driving recklessly or having delusions. During a severe bout of depression, hospitalization may be necessary to prevent the person from committing suicide.

2007-11-29 05:04:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Well, first thing I thought was "forever." But I was also unmedicated with Bipolar, if that tells you anything about my state of mind at the time.

The actual diagnosis for me now means "hope" and "a life." If you're truly suffering from Bipolar disorder, you want out of the awful cycle. It's okay during the highs (well, until you realize you've spent 2,000$ in a couple minutes), but when you crash--man, you CRASH. It sucks, and if you have BD, I'm sure you understand.

It means that without medication, you're probably not very safe--to yourself and other people. It also means, though, that WITH medication, you are, and that's nice. It means that you can slow yourself down, figure yourself out with a clear view of reality, and make realistic goals and complete them. Ah...I'm getting all giddy towards my medication now. I love it, it's my best friend. Seriously, now I can LIVE.

Now, I'm sure there are more technical answers, like "it means you cycle between extreme highs and lows of mood blah blah blah..." but this is what it meant for me. I already KNEW about the moods and the symptoms, I was living in them. The symptoms were not what Bipolar meant for me. The releif that I felt when diagnosed WAS.

2007-11-29 05:05:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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