Bipolar Disorder Health Video

Mania, depression, recklessness and listlessness are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterized by mood instability that can be serious and disabling. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depression or manic-depressive illness. Learn about bipolar disorder including possible causes, symptoms, and treatment in this video.

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Contact a doctor if you experience suicidal thoughts
Contact a doctor if you experience hyperactivity, racing thoughts, recklessness
Depression can be a serious a medical condition

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello. My name is Dr. Susan McGladerry. I'm the medical director from the FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to give you some information on bipolar disorder and manic depression. This is characterized by periods of excitability or mania alternating with periods of depression. The mood swings between mania and depression can be very sudden or abrupt. This condition affects men and women equally and it usually appears first between the ages of 15 and 25 years. The exact cause is not known, but it does occur more often when there is a previous family history. Bipolar disorder is the result of disturbances in the areas of the brain that regulate mood. What are the symptoms? During manic periods, patients are overly impulsive and energetic, they have an exaggerated sense of self, and in the depressed phase they have overwhelming feelings of anxiety, low self worth, and suicidal thoughts. The manic phase may last from days to months and may include an elevated mood, racing thoughts, hyperactivity, and increased energy. There may also be lack of self control and dangerous or reckless behavior. In the depressed phase, there are usually very serious symptoms of major depression, persistent sadness, fatigue, listlessness, and thoughts of self harm or even suicide. How is the diagnosis of bipolar disorder made? Your doctor will need to talk to you in detail and also make an evaluation to exclude medical disorders like thyroid disease. What about the treatment if you have bipolar disorder? There are various medications available that can control the symptoms, they're effective for treating both the manic and the depressive phases, and they're also helpful in preventing future symptoms and future relapses. One of the very important things about bipolar disorder is that there is a high risk of suicide in both phases of the disease. You should call your healthcare provider emergency number right away if you're having any thoughts of death or suicide.

Bipolar Disorder Health Video

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