Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

The Best Antidepressants for Bipolar

The treatment of bipolar disease with coexisting depression can be complicated due to the fact that all antidepressants have tendencies to cause mania and induce mixed states and/or mood cycling. This can cause deterioration of the long-term...

Characteristics of Soft Bipolar

Characteristics of soft bipolar--included in the Bipolar Disorder II family--are recognized as a part of the bipolar spectrum disorder. Outlined by psychiatrist Dr. Arnold Lieber, the inclusion acknowledges what patients and psychiatrists have...

How Is Bipolar Treated?

Bipolar disorder does not have a cure, but effective treatments to manage the disorder exist. The most effective treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of medications and therapy.

Bipolar II Symptoms in Women

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by episodes of depression and euphoric or dysphoric hypomania, according to psychiatrist Dr. Arnold Lieber. Hypomania is less severe than the mania seen in Bipolar I disorder, and is more common in women than...

ADHD Medications for Kids With Bipolar

Symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD often overlap, and it is not unusual for these conditions to co-exist. Approximately 20 percent of children with ADHD are bipolar, and around two-thirds of children with bipolar disorder may have ADHD,...

L-Tryptophan for Help With Sleep

Sleep disorders affect about 25 percent of the population, according to a 2010 survey in ACEPSI. These debilitating conditions affect both genders and all ages. Prescription medications can readily treat sleep disorders, but such drugs often cause...

Meds for Bipolar Side Effects

Bipolar disorder occurs when symptoms of mania or hypomania manifest in an individual. These can include racing thoughts, elevated mood, aggressiveness, delusions and paranoia. Bipolar disorder can also be complicated by comorbid diseases such as...

What Is Bipolar Disorder NOS?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association includes Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) as one of several classifications that fall under the bipolar disorder...

About the Causes and Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes symptoms of both mania and depression in patients. As classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, symptoms of bipolar disorder must last for at least 2 weeks...

Bipolar Manic Depression in Children

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mood disorder that affects children and adults. Patients with bipolar disorder exhibit mood swings between mania (highs) and depression (lows). Treatment options include medication and therapy, though...

Fish Oil & Folic Acid Bipolar Diet

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, causes debilitating mood swings that range from manic highs to depressive lows. Lithium, benzodiazepines and atypical anti-psychotics are standard prescription medication to manage symptoms....

First Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, a serious mental illness characterized by dramatic mood swings, usually starts in late adolescence or early adulthood. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder fluctuate between mania and depression, and back again. Between...

DHA & Depression

Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, has been suggested as a treatment for depression. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid needed for cognitive function. It is found in fish oil supplements and cold-water fatty fish, along with eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA,...

Algorithm to Treat Bipolar Mania

A treatment algorithm is a set of instructions and guidelines developed by a group of physicians, medical practitioners and academicians. The algorithm is derived from clinical trials, medical literature and collective clinical experience. They...

What Are the Treatments for Hypomanic Episodes?

Hypomania is part of the spectrum of bipolar disorders. Bipolar disorder is characterized by fluctuations between periods of depression and periods of unusually elevated mood, which are sometimes called manic episodes. People experiencing a manic...

ADHD & Manic Depression

People who suffer from bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder often suffer from more than one mental health disorder. As many as 20 percent of people who suffer from attention-deficit...

3 Ways to Understand Bipolar Disorder

Formerly known as manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder is often characterized by mood swings. These mood swings can shift between agitated action and extreme depression, sometimes within a short period of time. Some of the risks of bipolar...

Bipolar Disorder Triggers

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects mood and behaviors. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that this condition is a lifelong brain disorder that may have periods of remission in symptoms, but there is no cure....

Healthy Diet for Bipolar & Depression

Bipolar disorder and depression are both serious mental health conditions that can be treated or managed with prescription medication, psychotherapy or a combined approach. Eating a balanced and healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing...

Bipolar Disorder: Also Called Manic-Depressive Illness

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the...

Bipolar Disorder Treatments & Medications

Bipolar disorder is a mental disease that causes both depression and mania symptoms in patients. According to the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, diagnosis of bipolar disorder is done with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental...