Bipolar Disorder Is No Laughing Matter

You've probably heard it a hundred times: "Boy, I feel really bipolar today." However, bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, and using the phrase "bipolar" like this out of context, so that it just means something like "unstable" person, can be very hurtful to people who actually have the condition. In this article, I will discuss what the condition actually is, and why the misuse of the term is hurtful.

What Bipolar Disorder Actually Is

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes people to have periods of high mood, called mania or hypomania and periods of low mood, called depression. For most people with the condition, these mood episodes occur less than four times per year, and they can last several months.

Bipolar disorder is mostly a genetic disorder, and virtually everyone with the disorder has some history of it in the family. It is currently incurable, but can be managed using medication and therapy.

Even with current treatments, however, bipolar disorder can be very debilitating. Unemployment rates are very high among people with the condition, as episodes can damage functioning. Manic episodes often require hospitalization, and living with the condition is a lifelong struggle.

Why Some Uses of "Bipolar" Are Hurtful

Often, the word "bipolar" is used simply to mean "unstable". Just today, I found an article referring to President Karzai of Afghanistan as being "bipolar" because of his shifts in policy. Other times it refers to whenever someone feels moody, and it is often directed at women.

However, using the term in this way trivializes the illness, treating the condition as though it is a laughing matter. Bipolar disorder is not something that just happens when someone is in a strange mood. It is something that greatly impacts people's lives. Having something that impacts people so greatly treated as a joke trivializes the experiences of those living with the condition.

Moreover, "bipolar" isn't just used trivially. It is used as a term of abuse. When people call other people "bipolar", they are intending it as an insult. However, when a disease is used to insult other people, the implication is that there is something bad about people who actually have the disease. By using the term as an insult, it insults not only the person being targeted, but all bipolar people as well.

Conclusion

Please be careful when using the term "bipolar" outside of its normal context. The stigma that the mentally ill face is very difficult, and using the term either trivially or insultingly both underestimates the seriousness of the condition and treats all bipolar people as objects of ridicule. There is no need to insult and mock millions of people just to get a laugh.

Daniel W. Bader, Ph.D. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1997, and now works as the webmaster and primary author of the site Bipolar Today, where he provides information, news and blog posts about bipolar disorder. Articles include discussions of bipolar disorder in popular culture, such as a recent article about the television show "Homeland" called Bipolar Disorder in the Mainstream: "Homeland" (Spoiler Alert).

Original article

Bipolar - What Are The Myths Surrounding It?

What is bipolar disorder and what are the myths surrounding it? Bipolar is also known as manic depression and individuals who are said to be affected by it suffer from extreme shifts in mood, thinking and energy and tend to swing between one extreme to the other. Most individuals have mood swings and tend it get over it maybe in a couple of hours or a couple of days. But in this condition these mood swings last over a week and in some extreme cases last over a month.

If left untreated bipolar tend to affect the day to day activities of an individual as extreme swings in mood makes concentrating on a particular task difficult. There are several myths about this condition and the most common one is that it cannot be treated. The fact is that it can be treated but it takes time and a lot of effort from the individual and also from his family and friends.

The disorder may start during the teenage years of an individual and continue well into his or her adult life. The symptoms are usually wrongly diagnosed and most people who suffer from it are not even aware that they have a problem and that it needs to be addressed.

The symptoms of this condition are different in each individual and vary as per the frequency, pattern and severity of the mood swings. While some individuals may experience these mood swings of either mania or depression on a daily basis there are others who could have these symptoms maybe once every month.

There are usually fours types of moods in bipolar disorder and these are known as

ManiaHypomaniaDepressionMixed episodes.

Most people consider the manic phase of bipolar as good as there is high energy, creativity and a sense of euphoria connected with it. People in this phase are hyperactive and feel powerful and great. This phase if left uncontrolled causes some extreme behavior and you can tend to act reckless and violent.

In bipolar depression most individuals are said to suffer from what is known in medical terms as psychotic depression. In this phase you tend to lose perspective between the real and unreal and live a delusion filled existence. This seriously impacts both personal and professional life of the individual concerned.

Bipolar disorders can be classified as:

Bipolar I disorder,Bipolar II disorder andCyclothymiacs.

The treatment is a long drawn process and you might have to take psychiatrist help to help weed out the problem completely. Understanding the problem and the factors that cause it is half the battle won and the other half can be won through medication and abundance of love from family and friends.

Original article

Knitting Up "The Raveled Sleave of Care" - Sleep and Bipolar Disorder

Sleep. I, for one, am a huge fan. I love that feeling of drifting off, right before my consciousness checks out, and I adore that well-rested feeling I have when I first open my eyes after a productively-slept night. [Those nights are becoming fewer and farther between as I age, but that's just another one of those little amusements that come from slowly leaving behind those days when anyone would call me "young lady"--except for my ancient Uncle Herbie, who calls any woman under 92 a "young lady," so I can't really count him--can I? My mother, with another of her pearls, used to say that getting old is lousy--but it's better than the alternative, and, as always, mother knows best.]

Sleep disregulation is one of the hallmark of mood disorders, and, if it's on the side of the inability to sleep, often one of its tortures.

I can recall the days--oh-so-fondly--when sleep came--early and often, like Chicagoans vote. Then, of course, the key was fighting it. Remember those college nights of coffee and No-Doz? I do--and somehow I was always asleep by 3:30 anyway, head on the book on my desk, still holding the M&Ms that were requisite for any all-nighter.

As appealing as it sounded then to just rev your motor and go, reduced need for sleep is actually bad news. For a person with bipolar, it's often one of the first signs of impending trouble, as not needing your shut-eye is a hallmark of mania.

And that seems clear enough--you can't rest, you know you're speeding up. But what is fascinating is that current research seems to indicate that the inverse is true, as well. That means that simply not sleeping enough can actually help precipitate a manic episode.

In another one of those scientific article titles that I love due to their profoundly uncreative nature, Colombo et al, in the 1999 volume of Psychiatry Research entitled (here we go) "Rate of switch from depression into mania after therapeutic sleep deprivation in bipolar depression" (pretty great, right? You might have some idea of what's coming now, no?) actually found that a small but significant percentage of bipolar people, when treated to a night of total sleep deprivation, switched into a manic episode.

Fascinating, right?

In an article entitled "Sleep and circadian rhythms in bipolar disorder: Seeking synchrony, harmony, and regulation" in the July 2008 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry, Allison Harvey studied the impact of disordered mood on sleep--and, interestingly enough, the impact of sleep on disordered mood. Her model suggests that individuals with bipolar have "a bidirectional relationship between daytime affect regulation and nighttime sleep such that an escalating vicious circle of disturbance in affect regulation during the day interferes with nighttime sleep/circadian functioning, and the effects of sleep deprivation contribute to difficulty in affect regulation the following day."

So you're starting an episode, you can't sleep. And now, as if that weren't bad enough, you can't sleep?--You might be starting an episode Great, right? So now what?

Well, here's where those with bipolar need to be really proactive about taking the sleep matter into their own hands.

And it's where sleep hygiene [and I love that phrase, it makes me think of those great those fifth grade hygiene classes, but now everyone is slightly drowsy] becomes vital. My guess is that you've heard it all before--but now really stick to it. You know--use your bedroom only for sleeping, no napping, get out of bed if you can't sleep for more than 20 minutes, no TV in bed, make sure you get enough exposure to natural light.

And then there's the "when all that fails" ideas, and if you are a bipolar sufferer who knows that lack of sleep is both causative of and indicative of a manic episode, you probably need to at least look into these ideas, if you don't know something else that works for you [and I don't mean drugs or alcohol]:

1. Under your doctor's careful watch you might try melatonin, which has some research showing it can help sleep during a hypomanic episode.

2. There's something called "dark therapy" which is cautiously being recommended for those tending toward mania with difficulty sleeping. It exposes the person to complete darkness for an extended period of time, hoping that this will help reset the body's sleep/wake cycle.

3. If your doctor sees it as useful, there are a variety of sedating medications used for difficulty sleeping, especially in a pre-manic phase--benzodiazepines, anti-histamines, sedating anti-depressants. There are some downsides, but they must be weighed against how crucial it is not to set off an episode by suffering sleep deprivation.

4. There's a new therapy called Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy. It's a type of psychotherapy unique to bipolar disorder, with a focus on assisting people in maintaining regulated routines, sleep included.

The Bard himself recognized that sleep is what "knits up the ravelled sleeve of care," it is "balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast."

Without it we all start to come unravelled--when the bipolar disordered person lacks it, she is set on a dangerous course.

Candida Abrahamson is a Chicago-area mediator, counselor, and hypnotherapist with a country-wide practice via phone sessions. Find out more about Candida and her work on her website at http://candidaabrahamsonphd.com/. To read Candida's in-depth writing on a variety of topics, check out her blog at http://candidaabrahamson.wordpress.com/.

Original article

Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Yesterday and Today

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression. These episodes are associated with unusual shifts in mood and energy. Early onset bipolar disorder, which starts during childhood or during the teen years, may be more severe than forms that first appear in older teens and adults. Some evidence suggests that young people with the illness may have more frequent mood switches, be sick more often, and have more mixed episodes (both manic and depressive symptoms).

Yesterday
Few experts believed that bipolar disorder could occur in childhood.Depression and manic-depressive illness weren't considered brain illnesses, and distinct treatments for each illness did not exist.Researchers could not distinguish between severe irritability and manic-depressive illness in children, which would make it possible to develop more effective treatments for each.

Today
A large, nationally representative survey shows that at least half of all cases start before age 25.
Some medications have been approved for treating manic-depressive illness in children and teens, and psychotherapies, such as family focused therapy, also appear to be effective in helping children to manage their symptoms.
Children with manic-depressive illness can have co-occurring disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, or other mental disorders, in addition to bipolar disorder. Scientists and doctors now know that, while having co-occurring disorders can hinder treatment response, treating bipolar disorder can have positive effects on treatment outcomes and recovery from co-occurring disorders as well. Studies focusing on conditions that frequently co-occur and how they affect one another may lead to more targeted screening tools and interventions.
Imaging studies are beginning to reveal brain activity patterns and connections associated with specific traits associated with children who have bipolar disorder, such as mood instability and difficulty interpreting social or emotional cues.
Genetic research reveals genetic similarities among bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Such studies point to possible common pathways that give rise to these disorders but also highlight limitations in focusing on specific diagnoses in research. This issue has spurred a new NIMH initiative-the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project -to make sense of research findings that don't fit neatly into current diagnostic categories.

Early onset bipolar disorder can be diagnosed and treated. With effective treatment, children and adolescents can lead productive lives into adulthood. If mental illness is suspected, it is important to meet with a mental health professional for proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Written by Richard Kneip, Ph.D
Director, Great Lakes Psychology Group in Clarkston, MI

Great Lakes Psychology Group offers professional counseling in Clarkston and Lake Orion, Michigan

Original article

Of Bipolar Disorder, The Hippocampus, and The Exercise Fiend

My mother highly valued intelligence, and her way of putting down someone she saw as sub-par in the smarts department was saying, "He's no brain surgeon, I'll tell you that." But I, literally, am no brain surgeon, so to discuss this latest research I have to do one of those "let's start at the very beginning" Julie Andrews routines.

So, you've got a brain. So far, so good. And the brain has what is known as a limbic system. The limbic system is a set of structures that make up the inside of the cortex, which, in turn, is the tissue that is just outside [I know this is getting to be like "The House That Jack Built," but hang in there for just a few more moments] the cerebrum, which basically heads up your central nervous system. The limbic system is crucial in the experience of emotion--and memory, too, by the way.

Ok, one of those structures in the limbic system [and this is where I really wanted to get to] is known as the hippocampus. Essentially, it's part of the brain's mood center. And it's negatively impacted by stress, including the stress of bipolar episodes.

For years, brain autopsies on people with bipolar illness showed decreased density in the hippocampus. Additionally, a freshly published study entitled "Hippocampal Interneurons in Bipolar Disorder," published in the 2011 volume of the Archives of General Psychiatry compared brains of those with bipolar disorder to those of healthy control subjects. The abstract results are too wonderfully arcane to deprive you of, so here goes: "the bipolar disorder group showed reduced volume of the nonpyramidal cell layers, reduced somal volume in cornu ammonis sector 2/3, reduced number of somatostatin- and parvalbumin-positive neurons, and reduced messenger RNA levels for somatostatin, parvalbumin, and glutamic acid decarboxylase 1." Got it?

What they're really saying is that the hippocampus functions differently--and less well--in bipolar patients, partially due to reduced volume.

That being the case, it becomes of primary importance, if you're suffering from bipolar disorder, to take care of those hippocampal cells, and prevent whatever volume loss possible.

Despite our rather disheartening knowledge that there is brain atrophy in the bipolar nervous system, there is much cause for hope. A 2007 article showed that taking lithium increased volume in the paralimbic regions of the brain, and it has since been demonstrated that consistent treatment with adequate doses of antidepressants increases hippocampal volume, as well.

And, medication aside, we now get to return to one of my favorite topics, which is, as I've mentioned in other articles, exercise. Just to be clear--I firmly believe that bipolar disorder needs to be treated with a strict medicine regime, rigorously adhered to. I'm not a proponent of going all-natural, or organic, with such a serious illness.

However, in addition to whatever medicine your doctor has prescribed, exercise also holds much promise for not just slowing the shrinkage of the hippocampus cells-but actually reversing the process.

Numerous studies have found that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week will slow hippocampus volume loss in the elderly, thus working against age-related memory loss. A research study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science entitled "Exercise Training Increases Size of Hippocampus and Improves Memory" found that the exercise impacted hippocampal volume so positively that it was the equivalent or reversing age-related volume loss by 1-2 years.

Schizophrenia is associated with hippocampal shrinkage to an even greater extent than bipolar disorder. Yet in a study of control-sample healthy men and men with schizophrenia entitled "Hippocampal Plasticity in Response to Exercise in Schizophrenia" in the February 2010 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, authors Frank-Gerald Pajonk et al found that cycling for 30 minutes 3 times per week increased hippocampal volume--for both groups, even the schizophrenics.

I may be no brain surgeon, but I can understand from the research that exercise will slow and even reverse illness-associated loss of brain volume--and, brain surgeon or no, I can get that that's a pretty great thing.

Candida Abrahamson is a Chicago-area mediator, counselor, and hypnotherapist with a country-wide practice via phone sessions. Find out more about Candida and her work on her website at http://candidaabrahamsonphd.com/. To read Candida's in-depth writing on a variety of topics, check out her blog at http://candidaabrahamson.wordpress.com/.

Original article

Flying, Then Crying: Life In The Bipolar Cycle

I mean, sure, if you asked me would I want to sleep only 3 hours a night without feeling tired, finish my first novel in 10 ten days, start training for a half Iron Man with no ill effects, and ramp up my personality until I was the scintillating center of every social moment, I'd definitely consider answering in the affirmative. Really, who wouldn't? (Maybe Snow White's little friend Dopey, I suppose, but I don't take answers to hypothetical questions from cartoon dwarves--everyone must have their standards.)

But as surely as night follows day, research and experience show that, for a bipolar person, a manic or hypomanic episode, improperly treated and managed, will be followed by a depressive one, and, from what I've seen, it's simply not worth it. For this illness, following prescribed treatment is essential, as much as you may not like it, as much as it may be unpleasant, as much as you feel you lose. Because if you don't follow treatment, you surely lose more.

I work with one superlative psychiatrist who tells our patients, "If you don't have mood stability, you don't have anything. Anything."

He responds to their protests, "But I feel great," "But I need the energy to...," "But I miss my personality," with a blank stare, and a Herman Munster-like repeat of the same words he's just spoken, that are his own personal mantra: "If you don't have mood stability, you don't have anything." He's the unmovable object--and with him, often even my most treatment resistant patients can start to improve.

For the sad truth of bipolar disorder is the following: Depression is by far the dominant disordered mood state. In fact, the ratio of time spent in depressive episodes to time spent in manic or hypomanic ones is basically an unhappy three to one.

In an incredibly un-subtly titled article, called--I really couldn't make this up--"Three Times More Days Depressed Than Manic or Hypomanic in Both Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder," RW Kupka et all from the Altrecht Institute for Mental Health Care in The Netherlands share the research behind the unpleasant facts. [If you'd like to check it out, it's in the August 2007 edition of Bipolar Disorders. Read it for yourself if you don't believe it--it's important that you, if you are suffering from bipolar and are attached to your "highs," understand what every "high" brings in its wake. And if you don't like that one, I've got a 2002 study by Judd et all in the Archives of General Psychiatry with the exact same statistic on bipolar I--but the claim that in bipolar II it's a ratio of 1:40. It's gets ugly. Still wish you could wish it this information away, and believe you'll live a life of full-time highs? Just take a look anywhere, in any research journal, or, heck, take a look on the web, head off to about.com if that's where you find your in-depth information on topic (and, yes, we've all done it, just like we've all--and this is embarrassing--used Wikipedia at one point or another). I dare you, because there you'll find the exact same facts.]

I'm sorry--I really am--but it's a truth worth holding on to when you pine for your high, because you're just setting yourself up a far-longer low.

To add bad news on to worse, the more cycles you go through, the more likely you are to cycle again. In a term borrowed from epilepsy, this is called kindling, wherein episodes--without treatment--both increase in frequency and worsen in degree over time.

I have more than a handful of patients who have either gone off their medication--sometimes more than once--and an even larger number who continue to mourn their "highs."

But you allow yourself to experience your mania to the serious detriment of your emotional outlook.

Recall the mantra? "If you don't have mood stability, you don't have anything."

Candida Abrahamson is a Chicago-area mediator, counselor, and hypnotherapist with a country-wide practice via phone sessions. Find out more about Candida and her work on her website at http://candidaabrahamsonphd.com/. To read Candida's in-depth writing on a variety of topics, check out her blog at http://candidaabrahamson.wordpress.com/.

Original article

Recognizing Bipolar Symptoms

Historically known as manic depressive disorder, Bipolar disorder or Bipolar Affective disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that defines a distinct category of mood disorders. It is normally comprised of single or multiple episodes of cognitive, energy, and mood levels that are considered abnormal while episodes of depression may or may not be present. One way or the other, bipolar disorder is a mental illness that is extremely debilitating. Interestingly enough, it can be masked by manic periods of extreme energy and productivity.

Unless it is diagnosed early and treatment begins as soon as possible, the person suffering with bipolar disorder will be dealing with a greatly reduced quality of life. Therefore, it is important to recognize the different bipolar symptoms in order to diagnose the disorder properly and begin treatment immediately. The following information will help you to identify these symptoms early on.

Document any manic episodes that you notice - one of the primary characteristics of bipolar disorder is the constant cycling of depression and manic episodes. This mania is normally characterized by:

o illusions of grandeur or self-importance
o inability to sleep
o rapid working pace
o unusually high energy levels
o urges to talk continually

Look for drastic or erratic changes in moods - these changes can occur rapidly and last briefly, for a couple of days, or for up to several weeks. It just depends on the severity of the disorder. When the changes are consistently quick in nature, this is usually a sign of what is known as rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Watch for the signs of depression - bipolar symptoms typically present themselves more clearly in women than in men during the depression stages of the disorder. Look for:

o fatigue
o loss of appetite
o loss of motivation (e.g. with hygiene and self-care)
o need for excessive sleep
o unexplained weight gain or loss

Watch for the signs of suicidal intentions or thoughts - one of the bipolar symptoms that you want to be aware of is discussions about suicide. Attempts at suicide are much more common among individuals suffering with bipolar disorder than what it is for the normal population. Don't take anything for granted where this is concerned, even if the comment the person makes about suicide appears to be in jest or just made in passing. Make a note of the remark and be concerned.

On a closing note, here are a few tips and warnings that you should take into consideration. First and foremost, bipolar symptoms can be treated by administering certain medications. Regular dosage will be critical with these medications so you should consider purchasing a pill dispenser for yourself or the afflicted loved one. Along with medication, therapeutic counseling conducted in conjunction with the medications is normally beneficial.

You should be aware of dangerous and reckless behavior that occurs during the different manic states of bipolar disorder. This is vital if you want to prevent the individual from doing long-term harm to themselves or creating a life-threatening situation. For more information, you should read additional articles containing information on bipolar symptoms and the disorder.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on Autism please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

Original article

What Are the Causes of Bipolar Disorder? Links to Genetics

Bipolar Disorder & Genetics

Bipolar disorder tends to run in families, as such researchers are looking for specific genes that may increase a person's chance of developing the illness. Genes are the "building blocks" of heredity. They help control how the body and brain work and grow. Genes are contained inside a person's cells that are passed down from parents to children.

Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are four to six times more likely to develop the illness, compared with children who do not have a family history of the illness. However, most children with a family history of manic-depression will not develop the bipolar.

Advances in technology have aided researches to go more in depth of Genetic connection. The research is now much quicker and more far-reaching than in the past. One example is the launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database. This database, will allow scientists to link visible signs of bipolar with the genes that may influence them. With the aid of this database, researchers have found that most people with bipolar had:

Missed work because of their illnessOther illnesses at the same time, especially alcohol and/or substance abuse and panic disordersBeen treated or hospitalized for bipolar.

The researchers also identified certain traits that appeared to run in families, including:

History of psychiatric hospitalizationCo-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)Age at first manic episodeNumber and frequency of manic episodes

Traits found in this study, may help researches find the genes that cause bipolar disorder some day. However, genes are not the only risk factor for manic-depression. Studies of identical twins have shown that the twin of a person with bipolar illness does not always develop the disorder. This is important because identical twins share all of the same genes. The study results suggest factors besides genes are also at work. Rather, it is likely that many different genes and a person's environment are involved. However, scientists do not yet fully understand how these factors interact to cause bipolar.

A recent study in germany suggests that rare sponteous mutations are a vital contributor to risk for bipolar as other brain related physicatric diseases, such as schizophrenia. The study also concluded that there is a strong association of rare de novo copy-number-variants or (CNV's) with bipolar. The rare de novo CNV's infuence the age of when bipolar disorder begins. The same instances were found in schizophrenia earlier studies. Although unclear the role of CNVs in bipolar disorder, the study suggests mood disorders could be evident for de novo mutations.

Educate your self on the causes, symptoms, signs, treatment centers, types of Bipolar Disorder Here at Bipolar Disorder Assist. Medications, free resources for financial aid, housing programs, 12 step programs, free education and therapy, legal information, help for children, adults, parents with children, care for supporters/caretakers, even ways to earn extra income, how to successfully apply for SSDI and SSI. Visit us today at BipolarDisorderassist.com

Original article

Bipolar Disorder Symtoms From Depression To Mania

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

People who suffer from bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that can occur at any time during the illness, these periods are called "mood episodes." There are several ranges which encompass bipolar disorder 'mood episodes' each with their own symptoms. A manic state, or episode, includes an extreme high, over excitement, later we will discuss what effects have in this state. A depressive state or episode, the sufferer will experience (extreme depression, not to be confused with a bad day that all humans experience) generally leads to extreme sadness or hopeless state is called a depressive episode. In other instances, a mixed state causes will include symptoms of both mania and depression. Suffers with bipolar disorder a few traits include becoming explosive and irritable during a mood episode.

Manic or Depressed states can last a week, two weeks, also long periods of time where they remain in the episode for months. Mood episodes cause extreme changes in energy, ability to function, activity levels, sleep, are generally present. A well detailed treatment plan that varies with each patient, will include proper therapy and medication, having this long episodes are uncommon.

A person may be having an episode of if he or she has a number of manic or depressive symptoms for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least one or two weeks. Symptoms can become so severe that the person cannot function normally at work, school, or home. It is important to learn the signs of bipolar disorder so you may take action, and a depressive or manic state of bipolar can be avoided. Below we will go in detail of the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

As discussed earlier, each type of episode will have different signs, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are generally used in a bipolar depression episode. Both states experience mood along with behavior changes.

In mania or a manic episodes symptoms include:

Mood Changes

• Along period of feeling "high," or an overly happy or outgoing mood

• Extremely irritable mood, agitation, feeling "jumpy" or "wired."

Behavioral Changes

• Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, having racing thoughts

• Being easily distracted

• Unable to keep focus

• Increasing goal-directed activities, such as taking on new projects

• Being restless, pacing

• Insomnia

• Unrealistic goals

• Behaving impulsively and taking part in a lot of pleasurable, high-risk behaviors, such as spending sprees, impulsive sex, and impulsive business investments.

Depression Symptoms:

Mood Changes

• A long period of feeling worried or empty

• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex.

Behavioral Changes

• Feeling tired or "slowed down"

• Trouble concentrating, remembering, and decision making

• Being restless or irritable

• Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits

• Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide.

Educate your self on the causes, symptoms, signs, treatment centers, types of Bipolar Disorder at Here at Bipolar Disorder Assist. Medications, free resources for financial aid, housing programs, 12 step programs, free education and therapy, legal information, help for children, adults, parents with children, care for supporters/caretakers, even ways to earn extra income, how to successfully apply for SSDI and SSI. Visit us today at BipolarDisorderassist.com

Original article

How Bipolar Chat Rooms Can Help You Cope

In some form or another, chat rooms have been around on the Internet since its inception. Loosely defined, a chat room is a site on the Internet where people of like interest can meet virtually and interact with each other. Mostly, people use these rooms for fun and as a form of enjoyment and relaxation. But, they can be used for more serious purposes as well. A perfect example is the way that many bipolar patients use them in their day to day lives.

The primary way that most bipolar patients use these rooms is as an alternative to a support group. Even though bipolar support groups have become more prevalent in the last decade or so, there are many communities that lack them. And, even in the areas where these groups do exist, often the locations are too hard to get to or otherwise inconvenient. As a result, many have turned to using bipolar chat rooms to help themselves.

At present, bipolar disease cannot be cured. But, one very effective way of treating the disease is talk therapy - either in groups or individually. Some bipolar chat rooms have put together systems that closely simulate real life group therapy sessions. And, while these group chat sessions should not replace group therapy with a professional, they are an excellent means of giving people support between the visits to their personal care physician.

Another excellent use of these chat rooms is to share research among the participants. For example, you may be about to start a new drug for your condition. By interacting with others in the room, you can find out if it has helped them. You can also find out any reactions or side effects to the drugs that they may have experienced.

Unfortunately, not all bipolar chat rooms are equal. Some such rooms have been set up by marketers or businesses whose main purpose is to promote their products. Other rooms, have been created by people with good intentions but are poorly monitored and moderated. As a result, you will probably find them of limited use.

One of the best ways to find a good chat room is to seek out non-profit bipolar organizations and see if they have chat rooms for their members. If you do manage to find a good one, you will probably find that it is extremely helpful in giving you the right kinds of support that you need.

You can find additional information on bipolar subjects such as bipolar support groups and natural antidepressants at our website.

Original article

How to Explain Bipolar Disorder to Children

Bipolar disorder is a difficult thing to explain to anyone, let alone to one's children. However, as your children become older, it is important to let them know what is going on. After all, much of the behavior associated with the disorder might seem very strange to a child, and they might take some of it to be their own fault, if they don't know what is happening. In discussing bipolar disorder with children, there are a few things to take into account: when to tell them, how to tell them, and what to emphasize.

When to Tell Children

Children under the age of five probably won't be able to understand anything that you say to them about bipolar disorder, anyway. The best thing that you can do at that age is to tell them occasionally that you "aren't feeling well" or are "sick" when you need to take some time off or in the hospital.

However, after the age of five, children usually have enough emotional awareness that you can be more specific about the condition. You can tell them not only that you have bipolar disorder but also about the symptoms and other specifics of the disorder itself.

How to Tell Children

Mostly, you'll want to focus on explaining bipolar disorder to children in an age-appropriate way. When children are under ten, you can simply say, "I have a sickness called 'bipolar'. It makes me sad sometimes and really happy at other times. When I'm sad, sometimes I need to just go sleep."

When children are over ten, however, they are capable of understanding a lot more, and it world providing them with some "psychoeductation" or simply instruction about the disorder itself. One of the best ways of doing this is to enroll in family therapy that includes psychoeducation as a component. There are also many introductory books on bipolar disorder that you can provide to your children.

What to Emphasize

One of the most important things to emphasize when explaining bipolar to your children is that your moods are not their fault. So, for instance, if you are depressed, it is not the child's fault that you are depressed. Similarly, if you are angry, it is not the child's fault that you are angry. Children take their parents' emotions incredibly personally, so emphasizing this can prevent a lot of long-term harm.

Conclusion

Discussing bipolar disorder with your children can be difficult, but it can be done in phases. When they are young children, simply focus on age-appropriate ideas like "happy" and "sad". Later, when they are adolescents, you can provide them with more specific information about the disorder. In all cases, make sure that your children understand that your episodes are not their own fault.

Daniel W Bader, Ph.D. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1997 and now runs a website offering news, information and opinion about the condition called Bipolar Today. He has a page there that discusses the list of bipolar disorder symptoms.

Original article