Posts Tagged ‘Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder’

Finding the Right Bipolar Medication for You

While your diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder may leave you feeling relieved on one hand because you finally know what is wrong, but more worried on the other, know that you are on the right path. Once your doctor or therapist has diagnosed your disorder, you can gain the knowledge you need to learn to deal with your disorder. Along with suggesting some lifestyle changes, your doctor may start you on a regimen of medicine to help control your symptoms.

There are several medicines available to help Bipolar Disorder, but in order for them to be effective, they must be taken exactly as your doctor prescribes. Here are some of the Bipolar medications your doctor may prescribe. The first medication used to treat Bipolar Disorder, and still prescribed today, is Lithium.

First used in the 1950′s, Lithium was not actually approved for use in Bipolar disorder until the 1970′s. Once your doctor prescribes Lithium, it will probably take about one week to start working and may take up to three weeks before you feel the full benefits. Along with its mood stabilizing abilities, Lithium users may also experience hair loss, thyroid problems and swelling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medicines to help with the side effects of this Bipolar medicine.

Another type of Bipolar medicine often prescribed to help stabilize moods includes medicines originally formulated as anticonvulsants. These include drugs such as Depakote or Tegretol. Like Lithium, these drugs may also take up to three weeks to completely control your Bipolar symptoms.

Reported side effects include mild stomach cramps, hair loss, and sleepiness or grogginess during the day. The higher your medication dose, the more problems you may have with daytime sleepiness. Users of these medicines often report turning to coffee to help counteract this side effect.

A newer class of drugs now being used to treat the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder is called the psychotropic medicines. There are several drugs in this class that will help reduce chance of experiencing a manic phase and may even bring about a remission in your symptoms. The Bipolar medicine in this class offers a lower risk of weight gain as well as a lower risk of developing diabetes than some other treatments.

One note of caution about most Bipolar medications – they can be very dangerous to pregnant women. If you are a woman who wants to become pregnant or has just become pregnant, tell your doctor. He or she can help you to assess the risks to you and your baby and together you can decide how to progress with your treatment.

There are many types of Bipolar medicine on the market today. While some may produce desirable results in one patient, they may not help another. Some may find the side effects of one medicine intolerable while they do not affect another. Only by working together with your doctor and therapist you can find a medication that best suites you and best controls your symptoms.

Signs Of Bipolar Disorder In Children – How To Deal With It

Recently, children who are as young as six years old have now been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. There are doctors who think that this is a fair assessment of many children, while others think that this is exaggerated. It is a discussion which causes controversy, but is not so amusing for those who know of a child with possible Bipolar Disorder. All aspects of the disorder need to be looked at to be understood.

Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in children is difficult as they exhibit symptoms which are typical of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperacitivity Disorder), or may be regarded as the usual wild ways of a child’s behaviour. Young children have been known to cycle fast, that is they can easily go from being in a depressed state to a manic phase, and back again. This can also happen within days or weeks, and very quickly.

With little or any warning at all, suicide attempts in children can happen on the spur of the moment and heard of in news today. In adults, suicide is usually well thought out when depression is long term. It is imperative that children are diagnosed successfully so that they can be given the correct treatment as soon as possible.

Children usually present in mania with Bipolar disorder. Younger children will experience this in forms of hallucinations that are both auditory and visual. It may be difficult to distinguish this as a child can have an active imagination. The hallucinations are usually extremely disturbing and more threatening than that imagined by a healthy child.

Teenagers usually experience similar symptoms to adults when they have Bipolar Disorder. Teens nowadays have the influence of alcohol and drugs which complicate matters more. The practice of using alcohol and street drugs is known as “self-medicating”, like adults do, which can often mask the actual symptoms found in this disorder. To rule out Bipolar Disorder in children, it is always best to consider this is as the cause when drugs are involved.

Teenagers are not adults, but minors so there is a difference when they have Bipolar Disorder. They are more reluctant to seek help for their problems, or to believe that any psychiatric help is of use to them, and are opposed to any authoritive figure who thinks so.

To cut down on the confusion, it is best to speak to the teachers of a child, to see how well the child does day-to-day. This can compared with how different a child is in their home environment. If more people are aware of the symptoms found in Bipolar Disorder in children, it would prevent it being masqueraded as another type of disorder or behaviour, and a child could be helped.

It is important to get a second opinion, as doctors differ on their opinions on Bipolar Disorder in children. This can help a family as when they have received a second opinion, they can then proceed on the best course of action for their child. Having a second opinion is more informative to clarify any questions which may come after the first consultation, so that the parents can weigh up the opinions of two doctors. When you know your child more, you are able to assess what sounds more accurate, and ultimately, it is the parent or guardian who decides what would be best for their child. It is better to get the correct diagnosis and treatment for any child with Bipolar Disorder, and a parent must accept that what the doctor has told them is true. They can then go ahead and help the child to get better, by finding out all they know on Bipolar disorder so as to get the best therapy for their child’s health. Most important of all, your child needs to understand that they have your utmost love and support; that your feelings for them haven’t changed.

Resources For Bipolar Support

One of the hardest mental health disorders to deal with in the psychological world is bipolar disorder. What makes this disease even more difficult is that there are many different types of bipolar disorder that each has their own signs and symptoms. Making the initial diagnosis of bipolar is often a difficult process, but narrowing it down to what form can be even harder. As bad as that sounds there are a multitude of services available to help not only those who suffer from this disorder but also their friends and family.

Of all the ways to get support for bipolar disorder the first and best step is to seek out help from a mental health professional. This is true for those who believe they have this disease or for the friends and family of those who are close to someone they feel may need help. A mental health expert can guide those who have this condition to the treatment that will work best for them. Before this can happen the person with the possible bipolar disorder must be examined and tested in order to get an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

There are many treatment options available for those who suffer from bipolar disorder. Because every one single instance of this disease is unique it sometimes takes a combination of treatments to help those who suffer from it. The wide range of treatments includes prescription medications, individual counseling and therapy, and support groups for those with bipolar disorder and their families. The first step of any bipolar therapy is to control the symptoms. This is normally done with medications. Counseling is the next step which helps people who have bipolar disorder learn how to cope with their illness. This involves recognizing the symptoms and strategies to deal with them. Bipolar support groups make dealing with this frightening condition much easier for its sufferers.

There are a whole variety of resources available for those who are seeking bipolar support. Doing a simple search of the internet will reveal a multitude of websites and other resources that can help people learn how to take effective action against this condition. Family and friends of those who have bipolar disorder can also use the internet to help them understand what their loved one is going through and how best they can help.

If therapy is currently being used ask your therapist for a list of bipolar support groups in your area. They should have this information available and can give you valuable information about which support group may work best for you.