Bipolar Disorders

What is Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (previously known as manic-depressive disease or manic depression) is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings, energy levels, thought patterns, and behaviour. These fluctuations might linger for hours, days, weeks, or months, interfering with your ability to do daily duties.

There are several kinds of bipolar illness, all of which feature major mood swings known as hypomanic/manic and depressed episodes. People with bipolar illness, on the other hand, are not constantly in a hypomanic/manic or depressed state. They also have periods of normal mood, referred to as euthymia.

Types of Bipolar Disorders

• Bipolar I: The most frequent of the four forms is Bipolar I disorder. Bipolar I is characterised by one or more manic episodes, with or without depression periods. Mania must be severe enough to necessitate hospitalisation and last at least a week.
• Bipolar II: Bipolar II disorder is distinguished by the alternation of less severe hypomanic and depressed episodes.
• Cyclothymia syndrome: Cyclothymic disorder, also known as cyclothymia, is characterised by frequent mood swings between depressed and hypomanic states that last for more than two years. The manic and depressed periods do not match the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder episodes. There may be times of normal mood, but they endure no more than eight weeks.
• Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) Bipolar Disorder: When the symptoms do not match into the other three categories but nevertheless entail bouts of extraordinary manic mood, bipolar disorder not otherwise defined is present.

Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorders

Symptoms of Bipolar I

Manic Episodes

A manic episode is defined as a period of at least one week during which a person is unusually high-spirited or irritated most of the day on most days, has more energy than normal, and exhibits at least three of the following behavioural changes:

• • • Reduced sleep requirement (e.g., feeling energised despite getting substantially less sleep than normal)
    • increased or accelerated speaking
    • When speaking, uncontrollable racing thoughts or rapidly changing ideas or topics
    • Distractibility
    • heightened activity (e.g., restlessness, working on several projects at once)
    • Increased risk-taking behaviour (e.g., reckless driving, spending sprees)

These actions must differ from the person’s regular conduct and be obvious to friends and family. The symptoms must be severe enough to interfere with job, family, and social activities and duties.

Hypomanic Episodes

A hypomanic episode is characterized by less severe manic symptoms that need to last only four days in a row rather than a week. Hypomanic symptoms do not lead to the major problems in daily functioning that manic symptoms commonly cause.

Major Depressive Episodes

A major depressive episode lasts at least two weeks and includes at least five of the following symptoms (including at least one of the first two):

• • • Deep grief or despair
    • Loss of interest in previously appreciated activities Feelings of worthlessness or shame
    • Fatigue
    • Sleeping more or sleeping less
    • Appetite increase or decrease
    • Pacing, for example, or delayed speech or movement
    • Concentration problems
    • Suicidal or dying thoughts on a regular basis

Symptoms of Bipolar II Disorders

During a two-week period, a person with bipolar illness will have five or more symptoms, with at least one of them being 1) sad mood most of the day nearly every day or 2) lack of interest or pleasure. Other diagnostic symptoms include:

• Deep grief or despair
• Loss of interest in previously appreciated activities Feelings of worthlessness or shame
• Fatigue
• Sleeping more or sleeping less
• Appetite increase or decrease
• Pacing, for example, or delayed speech or movement
• Concentration problems
• Suicidal or dying thoughts on a regular basis

Symptoms of Cyclothymia:

Depressive symptoms:

• irritation
• aggressiveness
• Hypersomnia or insomnia (sleeping too much)
• alterations in appetite, weight loss or growth, weariness or lack of energy
• poor sexual desire and performance
• inattention, loss of focus, or forgetfulness emotions of despair, worthlessness, or shame
• unidentified physical symptoms

Manic Symptoms:

• very high self-esteem
• excessive talking or speaking very quickly, sometimes so quickly that others have difficulty understanding what the individual is saying rushing thoughts (muddled and disorganized)
• a lack of concentration
• agitation and hyperactivity
• heightened anxiety
• surviving for days with little or no sleep (without feeling tired)
• argumentative/hypersexuality
• reckless or rash actions

Symptoms of Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) Bipolar Disorder:

• The individual has had alternating manic or depressed symptoms, but the episodes were too brief to fulfil the inclusion requirements.
• The individual has experienced both hypomania and depression, but the bouts are too brief to be classified as cyclothymic disorder.
• The individual may have experienced many instances of hypomania but no periods of depression.

Causes of Bipolar Disorders

Nobody knows what causes bipolar disorder. According to research, a combination of circumstances may raise your chances of acquiring it. Physical, environmental, and social factors are all potential causes of bipolar disorders. Overall, the following factors are believed to have a significant role in origins of bipolar disorders.

• Childhood Trauma: Some specialists feel that enduring a lot of emotional anguish as a youngster might lead to the development of bipolar illness. This might be due to the fact that childhood trauma and distress can have a significant impact on your capacity to control your emotions. This can include things like:

• • • • Neglect
      • Abuse, whether sexual, physical, or emotional
      • traumatic occurrences
      • Loss of a close relative, such as a parent or caregiver

• Stressful Life Events: You may be able to trace the onset of your symptoms back to stressful events or situations in your life. Some individuals believe that stress might cause a mood swing. It may also aggravate or make symptoms more difficult to manage. Stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
• • • • A broken relationship
      • Poverty and financial concerns
      • Having a traumatic experience
      • Loss of a close relative Being assaulted, tormented, or harassed, especially racism
      • Are you feeling lonely or isolated?
      • There is a lot of change or uncertainty.
      • Feeling pressed for time when working, studying, or seeking for job
      • Weddings and holidays are examples of major occasions.
• Brain Chemistry: Evidence suggests that some psychiatric drugs that work on neurotransmitters can be used to treat bipolar symptoms. These are your brain’s ‘messenger chemicals.’ This shows that bipolar disorder may be related to neurotransmitter functioning issues. While some evidence confirms this, no one is certain how these neurotransmitters function. And we don’t know if these issues are a cause or an effect of bipolar illness.
• Genetic Links : If you have bipolar disorder, you are more likely to have a family member who has bipolar moods and symptoms. However, they may not have an official diagnosis. This shows that bipolar disease can be handed down through families genetically. However, this does not imply that there is a single ‘bipolar gene.’ Family ties are likely to be even more complicated. For example, studies believe that social variables might potentially induce symptoms of bipolar disease. And family members might have an impact on your surroundings as you get older.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorders

In the long run, bipolar disorder talking treatments can enable you to:

• Understand, make sense of, or discover the significance of your bipolar illness
• Consider the impact of bipolar illness on your life. Recognize early warning signs and symptoms.
• Create coping techniques for early symptoms, triggers, and episodes.
• Create a crisis plan.
• Make objectives and plans to keep healthy.

Cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT): Examines how your feelings, ideas, and behaviour interact with one another and how you might modify these patterns.

Interpersonal counselling: It focuses on your interpersonal interactions. Examines how your relationships influence your ideas, feelings, and behaviour, as well as how your connections influence your relationships.

Behavioural Couples counselling: Recognizes and attempts to overcome emotional difficulties between spouses.

Individual psychoeducation: Involves a quick intervention to assist you in identifying triggers, recognising warning signals, and developing coping techniques.

Psychoeducation in groups: Working with a group of people with similar experiences. The goal is to increase information about bipolar illness and self-management. A certified therapist leads it.