Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition most notable for accompanying behaviors that can move from high moods to very low moods. According to Stanford School of Medicine, bipolar disorder currently affects 2.2 million people in the United States alone, with 80 percent experiencing multiple manic episodes. Another 15 percent commit suicide. This is because of the high moods, or mania, in which the bipolar individual can exhibit hyperactivity, spontaneity, impulsive or compulsive behaviors and nonchalance. Meanwhile, the low moods, or...
Several other treatments are also commonly used to treat acute mania, as well as two general classes of medication to treat psychosis. Mania occurs in patients with bipolar I disorder, and symptoms include a period of little sl...
The course of bipolar I tends to be lifelong, although there are typically symptom-free periods. There are six subtypes of bipolar I disorder, each distinguished by the nature of the most recent mood episode. In each of the sub...
Treatment includes medication and psychotherapy. Early-onset bipolar is the name for bipolar that appears in childhood or adolescence. Symptoms may be more severe for early-onset bipolar than for adult-onset bipolar. This life-...
Certain antipsychotics can help alleviate some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Usually, the dose of the antipsychotic determines if the medication will be helpful in helping bipolar individuals. The most popular antipsycho...
Clinicians rely on self-reports from patients who may give inaccurate, vague or exaggerated descriptions of their symptoms. Many diagnoses are similar, and symptoms often overlap among diagnoses. Individuals with bipolar disord...
According to the American Psychological Association, persons with bipolar disorder have periods of mania and depression. These mood shifts can be mixed, may be rapid or last for months, and can disrupt a person's functioning....
In fact, though, only about 2.6 percent of American adults suffer from the disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A good way to begin considering whether you or a loved one has bipolar disorder is to be...
Bipolar I is unique in that it is characterized by moods that swing between clinical depression and states of over-excitement and euphoria, called mania. Manic symptoms are easy to mistake for a drug-induced high in which the ...
Hypomania is less severe than mania and typically occurs in those diagnosed with bipolar II. Mania is often associated with bipolar I. To meet the criterion for a manic episode, at least three symptoms must be present for a min...
For example, a patient with bipolar disorder I has more manic than depressive episodes, while a patient with bipolar disorder II has more depressive episodes. Extreme symptoms can occur when the patient has severe depression or...
Bipolar disorder, historically known as manic depression, is a serious and chronic condition that involves extreme shifts of mood, energy and functioning that typically profoundly affects a patient for a lifetime. The National ...
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, a psychiatrist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., states that the occurrence of bipolar disorder in children is nearly the same as in adults, approximately 1 percent of that population. It is impor...
People with anxiety disorder can also suffer from bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder can, likewise, experience periods of anxiety. The disorders have varying symptoms, but they are treatable with medication and ther...
Bipolar disorder is one of extremes, consisting of a depressive episode followed by a manic episode, or vice versa. Frequently, as a manic episode begins to build, a person with bipolar disorder will first have a milder form of...
Fortunately, bipolar disease can be treated so that symptoms are successfully managed--and you can also take steps to make dealing with bipolar disorder a little easier on yourself.
It is during the most extreme of these moods episodes that a person may experience psychotic symptoms. Psychoses manifest most frequently in bipolar disorder as auditory hallucinations (sounds or voices that are not present in ...
Bipolar disorder is a condition in which someone experiences severe highs, lows and intense shifts within their mental state. Typically, those afflicted with bipolar disorder ride a wave of emotions that range from energizing a...
Bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed, so it's important to differentiate the symptoms from other disorders such a clinical depression. A bipolar disorder is marked, first of all, by extreme moods swings. In other words, ...
A feeling of being "high on life" is typical of a manic episode. When you're experiencing mania, you'll likely need little sleep, your energy level will be high and you'll feel euphoric. However, you'll probably also experienc...
Zyprexa, an atypical anti-psychotic drug, relieves symptoms associated with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disease. While it can take several weeks before you notice a difference, Zyprexa helps with symptom...
