Bipolar disorder is a type of lifelong mental illness that causes extreme shifts in the mood of the person. These extreme shifts in mood can be very debilitating for the affected person and the people around that person, which is why treatment should be sought. If you or your loved one is suffering from any of the bipolar disorder symptoms, then we are here to help!

What is a Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental and mood disorder that is characterized by two extreme mood episodes that arise in the affected person. Affected people have at least one episode of mania or hypomania and some affected people also go through the depressive episode. During intervals of different episodes, these people tend to feel intense shifts in their moods, thought processes, and energy levels that govern their behavior. There is also a neutral mood episode called Euthymia, where they feel normal levels of mood and energy.

Previously, it used to be known as “Manic Depression”. The psychiatric community deviated from this name because of the negative connotation attached to the word “Manic”, which is deeply rooted in the word “Maniac”. This was also done to avoid confusion with the other depressive episode mental disorder called Major Depressive Disorder, another name for clinical depression.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar disorder symptoms can be classified according to two different episodes: manic and depressive.

Manic

Mania or the less extreme hypomania is all about happiness and high energy levels. People in mania tend to be:

• Overexcited
• Abnormally jumpy
• Euphoric
• Exuding elevated self-confidence
• Unusually talkative
• Easily distracted
• Bad at decision-making
• Insomniac or have little sleep
• Restless
• Elevated sex drive

Depressive

Depressive symptoms are more noticeable and hinder the affected person’s day-to-day activities. These can also affect your social life, work, and even your life at home. The depressive signs of bipolar disorder can be further characterized by:

• Loss of interest in anything
• Perpetual sadness
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Suicidal thoughts
• Fatigue
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Excessive guilt
• Hard time concentrating

Other Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

In addition to the usual symptoms described above, bipolar disorder has some unusual symptoms that are present in some of its extreme cases. These can range from psychosis, which is a break from reality, anger issues, and irritability during the depressive episode – especially in children, anxious distress, and melancholy.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms and Depression

A lot of mental health experts can make the mistake of misdiagnosing bipolar disorder as Major Depressive Disorder, which is also called Unipolar Depression. As Bipolar-2 is the milder version of bipolar disorder and its manic episodes are subtle, it is frequently misdiagnosed as depression. This is why extensive history of the person affected by the disorder has to be analyzed. Bipolar-2 can be spotted easily by looking at someone’s much more pronounced manic episodes in their past history.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms in Teens

Teens suffering from common bipolar symptoms are at risk of suicide, making a diagnosis of the said disorder paramount to their safety. Bipolar symptoms in adolescents are frequently misdiagnosed as many of these symptoms overlap with the ones that are also part of other mental disorders, which are more predominant in adolescents such as anxiety and other mood disorders.

Learn More: Is Bipolar disorder genetic?

Living with Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis

Bipolar Disorder is a mental disorder of extremes, especially when left untreated. The episodes can be highly dysfunctional not just for the affected person but for those who are around them too. It can affect the affected person’s ability to keep a job or maintain a romantic relationship. This is because the mood swings are indeed extreme and are too much for other people to cope with. People with Bipolar Disorder will take it negatively, believing nobody wants to support them, and may not initially believe the things they did in one of their episodes. Additionally, the affected people are also at risk of suicide due to the fact in their episodes they talk about or have:

• Worsening depression
• Things like, “I can’t do this anymore, I want an out”
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feelings of hopelessness and dejection
• A death wish e.g. driving rashly
• Notable dependence on substance abuse
• Sudden change from sadness to being happy
• Tying up loose ends e.g. creating a will
• Sleeplessness
• Restlessness and agitated

Types of Bipolar Disorders:

Bipolar disorder is classified into four different types:

Bipolar 1

To be diagnosed you must’ve gone through at least one manic episode and one hypomania episode. On top of it, there has been at-least one instance of a depressive episode. In extreme cases, there can also be a break from reality called psychosis.

Bipolar 2

This one is similar to Bipolar 1 but has one major difference: No depressive episode exists in this one. But it is nonetheless important that one should go for treatment for this type of variant of bipolar disorder too.

The Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder tends to be characterized by major hypomania and depressive episodes, which are synonymous with Bipolar disorder that go on for more than two years in adults and one year in children.

Rapid Cycling

It is not a type per se but mental health experts tend to use these terms as a way to describe a form of rapid cycling of mood shifts 4 to 5 times in a 1-year time period. While women are most likely to develop this variant of bipolar disorder, men and children can also be affected with it. Rapid cycling is also known as a significant cause of elevated levels of suicidal thoughts

Symptoms of bipolar disease that are also frequently diagnosed with substance abuse disorder tend to fall under the umbrella of rapid cycling as substances of any type are kind of known to exacerbate bipolar disorder symptoms to extreme levels. This requires an extremely adept mental health professional to address both issues as substance abuse makes diagnosis a little more difficult. Substance abuse is able to cause common bipolar symptoms.

Learn More: The ultimate guide to Bipolar disorder symptoms in females

Causes of Bipolar Disorder

Like any other mental health condition, the causes of bipolar disorder cannot be pinpointed to one issue. Bipolar disorder exists in people due to a complex combination of these factors:

Genetics

Family history plays a significant role in the people affected with bipolar disorder. While no single gene is responsible for the diagnosis of the disease, there are a range of different genotypes and phenotypes that contribute to the presence of bipolar disease in somebody. People with a long family history of bipolar disorder are more likely to develop the aforementioned mental disorder.

Triggers

Any anxiety-inducing or stressful circumstance can lead to signs of bipolar disorder:

• Bereavement
• Any type of abuse
• End of a relationship
• Physical ailments
• Unhealthy sleep patterns
• Overwhelming problems

Neurological Disturbances

There has been some evidence to suggest that chemical imbalances in the brain can lead to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder someday if it hasn’t been made yet. This is especially true for the neurotransmitter called noradrenaline, which is significant to the proper functioning of the brain. Excessive uptake of noradrenaline can lead to manic episodes and the depressive episodes can be attributed to the lower-than-threshold production of the same neurotransmitter.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Treatment for bipolar disorder can be done via combining different types of treatments and from there onwards, we can and will suit best. The effectiveness of a treatment can be measured by asking how much a type of therapy is compatible with someone who has been showing the signs of Bipolar Disease. Here are some of these:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapies themselves can be classified into subcategories and some of the most common ones are listed below:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This is a type of therapy that is more well-suited to the depressive episode of bipolar disorder. It involves talking to the patient about how their negative actions and behavior are interconnected to the negative thought processes, feelings, and moods they have and helps them find a positive outlet for them.

Interpersonal Therapy

A therapy like this focuses more on the relationships of the patient. Mental health experts will try to address the negativity stemming from certain relationships and will help the patients resolve them through this therapy. This one can really help the bipolar affected who are more concerned if their episodes are hurting those who are around them.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

When all else fails, electroconvulsive therapy or electroshocks can really be helpful. These are generalized and medically induced seizures that can be used to treat the severe symptoms of refractory mental health conditions like depression, mania, or even catatonia.

Medication

Medications that can be used to treat bipolar disorder symptoms are mood stabilizers, neuroleptic medication, and antidepressants.

Mood stabilizers

Mood stabilizers like Lithium or valproic acid are prescribed by mental health professionals to treat the symptoms of bipolar disease. Out of all the mood stabilizers, Lithium is the most commonly prescribed one for bipolar disorder.

Lithium is natural sodium that is quick at resolving bipolar disorder symptoms, providing relief in two weeks but to fully manage all the symptoms, it can take months sometimes, so doctors can also provide antidepressants or neuroleptic medication to help calm down the symptoms. The mental health professional will also keep a check on your kidney and thyroid, where sodium is clustered, so that there is no excessive buildup of sodium and does not lead to an overdose.

Neuroleptics

Neuroleptics are a kind of antipsychotic used to treat the different episodes of bipolar disorder. These are used with mood stabilizers to bring all of the common bipolar symptoms.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants alone will not be helpful in treating the symptoms of bipolar disease because the manic episode will always bring the affected individual back to square one. They can, though, help treat the depressive episode of the said disorder while one of the common mood stabilizers or antipsychotics can help with the manic episodes.

Self-education and management

Self-actualization, education, and management might not be that effective but combined with some type of medication or some kind of therapy can go a long way in helping the patient in treating the bipolar disorder symptoms. Teaching yourself about the disorder and managing it properly can keep you abreast of the treatment you are actually getting and can also give you the opportunity for early intervention for treating symptoms that might arise by surprise.

Lifestyle changes

Exercising, good sleep, and meditation can all contribute to treatment that also involves therapy and medication like the ones described above. They can bring about positive hormonal changes that can also help decrease the elevation of the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder.

Concluding Words

Bipolar disorder is something that falls on both ends of the extremes on a spectrum, making treatment a little complex. But it is not impossible but in fact, it is very much reachable for anyone who wants treatment for them or their loved ones suffering from bipolar disorder. While the causes are unknown and happen due to a range of factors, that doesn’t mean the symptoms cannot be treated. Solid Foundation Psychiatry’s platform offers telehealth or at-location psychiatric services that can help you or your loved one deal with bipolar disorder symptoms, no matter who it is needed for, be it children, adolescents, men, or women.