Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms and Causes

Posted by Beating my Anxiety on September 29th, 2017

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness where a person suffers from periods of depression and periods of elevated mood. They have extreme mood swings and can cause disruption in regular life. It is a brain disorder that causes unusual shift in energy and activity levels. This condition was previously known as manic depression and the elevated mood known as called mania or hypomania. While observed symptoms are the primary way to diagnose bipolar disorder, recent research studies are allowing psychiatrists to use MRI scans to try to find better, definite markers. Through MRIs, the psychiatrists can see specific structural differences in the brain that medication has made in patients. You can go for proper Bipolar Disorder Test.

Bipolar Depression Symptoms

Every person in day today life has ups and downs and most of them do not affect their job, school performance or damage relationships. But the symptoms in bipolar disorder can disrupt daily life as the peaks and valleys of ups and down are more severe. The symptoms are

•          High or irritated mood
•          Elevated self-esteem or grandiosity 
•          Reduced sleep 
•          Being easily distracted 
•          Depression
•          Erratic behavior
•          Think about death or suicide

These Bipolar Symptoms Women or some of them can last for more than two weeks and this is the surest sign to take action.Recognizing the symptoms is the first steps to getting better and controlling the mood swings.

Causes

The causes of bipolar disorder are genetic, neurochemicals or environmental factors. It has appeared in studies that half the people diagnosed with bipolar disorder have a family member with mood disorder, such as depression. It is a biological disorder that occurs in a specific area of the brain due to dysfunction of certain neurotransmitters. Chemicals may involve neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, serotonin, etc. It is triggered by stress and social circumstances. Environmental factors like a life event, habits like alcohol, substance abuse like cocaine and excessive doses of over the counter drugs can trigger bipolar disorder. Medications used to treat depression can cause maniac episode.

Treatment

 Medications for bipolar disorder are mood stabilizers which control manic episodes. Lithium and Valproic acid are used for maintaining remission of manic symptoms. Antipsychotic medication like Olanzapine, Clozapine can control psychotic episodes. In addition to medication other approaches are psychotherapy which recommends cognitive behavioral therapy to identify unhealthy, negative beliefs. Mood swings are managed by controlling stress, sleeping well and avoiding caffeine. Lifestyle changes can also help in keeping bipolar disorder symptoms under control. A simple exercise for thirty minutes daily is enough to keep a person fit or doing yoga will keep the mood swings at bay. Sleeping well and listening to music before going to bed will relax body and mind.

Beyond treatment from the doctor, leading a healthy lifestyle and surrounding oneself with positive thoughts and understanding people can help to stay on track. Bipolar is not curable and understanding that will help in comingterms with the situation. With good coping skills and a solid support system, the symptoms of bipolar are manageable. Medication can also work well. Believe and understand that people struggling with bipolar are not flawed or broken, their brain just works differently!