The mood changes associated with bipolar disorder can occur rapidly and are often severe. However, a patient can help prevent relapses by following a proper action plan. The mood changes related to this disorder drastically contrast each other. Some of the changes in mood can even add to the quality of life for the individual with bipolar disorder.
Depression
The mood changes related to the depression side of bipolar disorder often leave patients feeling empty and unable to care about their activities or that of those around them. Instead of feeling sad or hurt, people with this disorder at times tend to feel unaffected by occurrences in life, according to the book “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder.” Such feelings sometimes are accompanied by anxiety. People suffering from bipolar disorder also tend to feel overwhelmed by normal daily tasks and feel that accomplishments are pointless. Regrets, failures and setbacks are constantly ruminated in the mind affected by bipolar disorder, further reinforcing the negative state of mood.
Mania
While people often perceive manic behaviors as rude and obnoxious, the manic state typically results in a desirable mood, as the pessimistic mood virtually disappears. The manic state often leads to brilliant ideas and renewed interest in tasks such as shopping. People in a manic state are also more likely to associate with other people, as they are no longer hindered by anxiety and depression.
Sleep and Rest
Proper sleep and rest may help patients with bipolar disorder reduce the mood changes that occur. In the article "Temporal Relation Between Sleep and Mood in Patients with Bipolar Disorder," the authors report that sleep and rest disturbances associate with changes in mood among a group of patients with bipolar disorder. These mood changes were noticed the day after the sleep and/or bed rest disturbances occurred. The most significant changes were noticed with disturbances of three or more hours.
Gender Differences
Regarding gender and bipolar disorder, men and women tend to differ in their experiences of mood changes. According to an article in the “Journal of Psychiatric Research,” one difference appears to relate to the menstrual cycle, as women were found to experience greater mood changes during this time. Women with bipolar disorder in this study also tended to feel depressed more often than men.
Professional Treatment
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with bipolar disorder manage their mood-related symptoms. With this form of treatment, a therapist provides the patient with tools to help restructure thought patterns and effectively manage problems. According to “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder,” patients already may posses the coping tools, yet the emotional turmoil of the disorder sometimes causes the patient to forget them. The therapist serves as a guide through the thought process, for example, to help the patient realize solutions to problems that lead to shifts in mood.
References
- “Bipolar Disorders”; Temporal Relation Between Sleep and Mood in Patients with Bipolar Disorder; Michael Bauer, M.D.,Ph.D. Paul Grof, Natalie Rasgon, Tom Bschor, Tasha Glenn and Peter C. Whybrow; March 15, 2006
- “Journal of Psychiatric Research”; Sex Specific Self-Reported Mood Changes by Patients With Bipolar Disorder; Natalie Rasgon, Michael Bauer, Paul Grof, Laszlo Gyulai, Shana Elman, Tasha Glenn and Peter C. Whybrow; January 2005
- “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder”; Monica Ramírez Basco and A. John Rush; 2005
