Posts Tagged ‘Facts’

Bipolar Mood Disorder – Important Facts Patients Must Know

It is important to learn about any bipolar mood disorder even more if there is a case in the family as the chief causes linked with the condition are genetic; some scientists are divided in their opinion about the disorder being caused due to environmental factors, but it is yet to be established. Even if there is no family history of persons diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder, it is important to educate the patient and family members in order to have a loyal, support group that is attentive to the patient’s needs and can provide an emotional prop through hard times.

The first and foremost thing people need to know about bipolar disorder is that it affects the emotional and mental equilibrium of the patient; this means, the person is likely to suffer intense and sudden mood swings. One minute the individual diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder will be happy and the next, he’ll be extremely sad and then swing back to ecstatic again!

Many a time family may notice this change but not give it due importance attributing it to adolescent pangs or new-life changes at the onset of adulthood, since this is the period when the disorder mostly manifests itself. However, detection of the disorder is important at the early stages for timely control and proper treatment to take place after accurate diagnosis has been established.

Due to the extreme and frequent mood swings, patients diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder tend to lose focus on one topic and their mind flits from one thought to another, with the result that they are unable to make good decisions and can end up harming themselves and loved ones.

Many bipolar disorder patients thus, tend to isolate themselves as they are embarrassed about what they will due since many do not have control over their emotions and can be easily overwhelmed by sudden mood swings; but patient care and counseling that this is the wrong way to go about setting things right will help them realize their condition, its limitations and the need to seek ready help.

Denial and aggression are two common reactions of a patient diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder and many may not even be open to considering medical treatment, which is essential in testing, classifying and controlling the extent of the illness – but keeping family and friends in the know is extremely important for coming to terms with the problem.

Even if initially patients find it hard to admit to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with the help of a good therapist, they can inform and educate family and friends about their condition; this will help make their immediate support circle more aware of their needs as they will better understand the situation i.e. why the individual is talking incessantly, getting depressed, considering suicide or attempting it or even at the risk of substance abuse.

It is a known fact that 1 out of 5 bipolar disorder patients commit suicide and therefore, to prevent these persons with a clinically established tendency towards self-harm and destruction, there is an added need to control their symptoms.

It is necessary to emphasize on the need for acknowledging, diagnosing, testing and regularly evaluating the patient for manic-depressive tendencies so that timely clinical therapy and medication can be combined to control their level of bipolar disorder and help them lead as normal a life as possible for them.

14 Basic Bipolar Disorder Facts Everybody Must Know

In the absence of research and development many medical ailments were earlier treated as incurable mammoths. Bipolar Disorder is one among them.

Earlier the individuals suffering with this kind of disorder was often regarded as a ‘very moody person’ or in extreme cases the family wrote them off saying that they have become insane. Later on the scientists made us realize that this disorder is a – Manic Depression, also known by the name of – Bipolar Disorder.

Though this disease is not new, along with the name many other things regarding this disease are quite new like the help we can lend to such patients. As its effects can be very wide spread and deadly, the treatment is as crucial.

Some basic facts regarding Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression are as follows:

1. As the name is withdrawn rightly, the disorder has two key phases – mania and depression. All the symptoms, ailments and effects of this disorder primarily belong to these two aspects.

2. This disorder is found equally among men and women.

3. Out of the world’s total population, around 1% suffers with the bipolar disorder.

4. Mania is found in two main divisions: hypo mania & full-blown mania.

5. Hypomania is a state where the individual possesses quite intense energy & is able to yield unusually high productivity. Ones who remain until this stage turn out to be great salesmen and high powered businessmen. Yet, the danger remains as many of the hypo-maniacs are just of the verge of being full blown maniacs.

6. The full-blown maniacs’ actions are rather devastating. Individuals suffering with bipolar disorder often become subject to the full-blown mania where they start making unnecessary moves in their business. Their actions yield far more losses than benefits, they themselves are never able to note this.

7. Patients of bipolar disorder almost never consider the results of their actions. They would spend money just like anything unconsciously. The money that they might have saved for some basic necessity for home or business, they might land up pending it in something just not required. They would sign the cheques irrespective of the fact that there is money in the account or not.

8. Such patients often become too generous and gift away their treasured items or things that they just can not afford to give away. Though, later they also regret their actions.

9. In an acute manic state the bipolar disorder can be characterized by overly gregariousness of the individual. They become extra ordinarily outgoing and do not realize whether their company is good or bad. This could be quite dangerous as getting in tough with some unwanted and unethical people can also land up in several irreversible problems such as sexual exploits, henceforth pregnancy, sexual diseases, or hampered relationships.

10. In extreme cases the disease suffering with bipolar disorder lands up in a phase of psychosis. This is the time when the patient has bizarre thoughts, like delusions and hallucinations. At this time the patient looses the senses of his/her immediate environment and is not able to make out the difference between realism & hallucinations. So he /she become so vulnerable that they can not even save themselves from natural calamities.

11. Often the mania cases land up to a phase of depression. Such individuals seclude themselves from their loved ones & acquaintances and many a times become bed-ridden for days together. Their sleep, appetite, energy level, etc. everything gets deeply effected.

12. One of the major dangers in bipolar disorder when the person goes in to depression is that they become suicidal. Hence, when the patient is in the phase of depression he/she must be guarded thoroughly.

13. Many adults & teenagers try to cope up with their bipolar disorder with other prolonged diseases like alcohol and drugs. Such cases are medically termed as – dual diagnosis. Such addictions complicate the patients’ condition and make thee treatment rather more difficult. However, with the changing scenario of our society this has almost become a common factor.

14. While individuals dealing with bipolar disorder have a lot many problems to handle, they can be optimistic due to the fact that several ways have been worked out for them to get cured and get a hold on themselves, like medications, therapies, routines, etc.

Latest Bipolar Disorder Facts Revealed By Medical Science

Bipolar affective disorder is also referred to as manic-depression disorder, which is a form of a mental illness wherein the patient displays sudden and intense mood swings that are uncontrollable and can be dangerous for the individual as well as those around him/her. It can begin with the patient feeling happy, cause the person to feel utterly depressed the next moment and swing back to a cheerful mood within minutes; it can also stay for months in a mood cycling motion of manic-depressive or mixed episodes.

Timely diagnosis and clinical therapy is very important to educate patient and family besides any bigger support group around the individual about the condition, the ways in which it can manifest itself, the danger to the person and how best to control and treat it.

Best treatment options for bipolar affective disorder include regular therapy, combined with medication and teaching the patient more about the disorder and tools that are effective in controlling it, including reading a handbook on the subject and learning how to use a workbook on bipolar disorder.

Among the latest in the line of many new medications to treat bipolar affective disorder are Aripiprazole or Abilify, atypical anti-psychotic that has been approved for treatment of manic and mixed bipolar disorder episodes since 2004, which benefits the patient by shutting down the brain’s dopamine receptors so they behave more normally and thus, result in mood stabilization and the popular, Celexa. The latter is mainly an antidepressant that has been used by medical experts for a long time but witnessed more beneficial value over the last few years when treating patients with bipolar affective disorder.

Other effective and latest medication in the market for treating bipolar disorder includes Geodon, also an anti-psychotic that is a mood stabilizer with no fear of weight gain, working much like Zyprexa that has a few minor side effects of which weight gain is fortunately, not one; Wellbutrin, (may also be packaged as Zyban) are other helpful medication used initially as an anti-smoking drug but which has shown marked benefit for bipolar patients. To its advantage is the fact that patients using Wellbutrin can effectively manage weight as it neither induces weigh gain or loss!

Even though bipolar disorder cannot be cured completely, with timely diagnosis, proper counseling and the benefit of new-age medicines, much of the mental health of the patient can be improved as research is constantly being conducted to improve and upgrade the benefits of each drug proven effective in controlling bipolar affective disorder – so do consult a doctor and the psychiatrist before undertaking any sort of medication for bipolar disorder treatment.