From high to low, from euphoria to depression, from recklessness to listlessness — all symptoms associated with bipolar disorders, — an acute and disabling mental illness. Bipolar disorders are also known as manic-depressions or manic-depressive illnesses. Manic behavior is one extreme of this disorder and depression is the other. Bipolar disorders often start in adolescence or early adulthood and may continue throughout a person’s life. The causes of bipolar disorders are elusive, and there’s no cure.
The signs of a bipolar disorder may persist for weeks or months, causing great disturbances in the lives of those affected as well as their friends and their families. Bipolar disorder can be controlled with medications and other therapies, but if left untreated, the condition worsens.
A family history of depression appears to exist in 80 to 90 percent of cases of bipolar disorders. People with bipolar disorders often don’t recognize how impaired they are when experiencing a mood episode and how greatly the disorder is affecting their lives and the lives of others around them. Friends, family and primary care physicians are all important in recognizing possible signs of bipolar disorder, and in urging a person to seek professional help.
Bipolar disorders can be classified into four different types, Bipolar I and Bipolar II, Cyclothymic Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Psychological health experts separate the condition into these four types because the symptoms of bipolar disorder show up differently in different people. When doctors know what type a person has, they can tailor treatment to that person’s specific needs.
Bipolar disorders can affect both men and women. In many people, the first symptoms show up in their early twenties. However, research has shown that the first episodes of bipolar disorder may start occurring earlier. The condition often shows up in teenage years, and even very young children can display symptoms.
If a family member or friend shows signs of bipolar disorder, one should encourage that person to seek the care of a psychiatrist immediately.
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A Guide To Bipolar Disorder
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Bipolar disorder or manic depression is a psychological illness which manifests as having extreme changes in mood, behavior and thought. A person’s mood can change from mania to depression in a short period of time. These mood swings from highs to lows can last for...
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Teen Bipolar Disorder
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Children and teenagers with bipolar disorders can have manic or depressive symptoms. Some children may mostly have depression and others a combination of manic and depressive symptoms. Highs are usually combined with alternative lows. Bipolar disorders usually begin in childhood and during the teenage years,...
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Symptom of Bipolar Disorder
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A person with bipolar disorder usually goes through spells of mania followed by spells of depression. These periods of happiness and sadness are not normal bouts of happiness and sadness that everyone experiences from time to time. Instead, these episodes are intense and may be...
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Bipolar Disorder Treatment
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Most people with bipolar disorder can be helped – but a psychiatrist or psychologist should first diagnose the disorder. Failure to diagnose and treat this disorder can prove fatal. Sometimes undiagnosed bipolar disorder patient end up in a psychiatric hospital or residential treatment centers and...
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Bipolar Tests
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The key to a successful treatment of a bipolar disorder is the right diagnosis. Diagnosis may not be so easy because its symptoms are episodic. Thus, a comprehensive history is needed. Though it is a psychological illness, an exhaustive medical history and physical exam are...
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Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder
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The first step in overcoming social anxiety disorder is to learn as much as you can about it. This helps you to recognize the cause of your problems and increases the speed of your recovery, since you are able to recognize and respond to your...
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Bipolar Symptoms
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Bipolar disorder is an illness where a person experiences extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior. He may feel manic for an instant and depressed the next. In manic episodes, there is a distinct period of abnormally elevated or irritable mood lasting at least...
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Cause of Social Anxiety Disorder
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There is no clear mandate on the exact cause of social anxiety disorder. There are many assumptions about it, which include a combination of a person’s genetic make up, early childhood and adolescent experiences. It could be caused by a person’s genetic predisposition. And just...
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Attention Deficit Disorder
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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), as the name suggests, is a health problem that is characterized by reduced attention span and minimal concentration abilities in persons. The symptoms of ADD are visible in the early stages of childhood. In rare cases, injuries to the head or...
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A Guide To Depression
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Depression can happen to anyone at any time. It is a medical condition that, if treated, can be managed or cured. A depressed person lacks interest in most activities that were once enjoyed, and lacks energy throughout the day. Most of the time, a depressed...