Bipolar disorder is also known as BPD or known as manic depression and it is a condition that’s characterized by severe mood changing swings. Mood swings happens to everyone; but, a person that has bipolar disorder experiences extremes of both major depression and extreme enjoyment and over optimism.
This really is dangerous since the depression may be so extreme they can’t seem to function through those times and also entertain or act on thoughts of suicide. However, the energized mood (upswing) can lead to high-risk behavior such as over spending, and activities they might not normally do.
A lot of people with bipolar mood disorder will also enjoy intervals of normalcy between the mood swings where they function and come to feel much as everybody else. Certain individuals with bipolar disorder might encounter mood swings more often and of short duration while others may have lengthier periods of both moods.
BPD could start as early as the teen years however a diagnosis may be delayed since the mood swings could be ignored as typical teenager moodiness or attributed to ADHD. By the age of 25, the symptoms become more distinct and diagnosis is made easier.
Further complicating a proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder is that an individual might experience combined states with signs and symptoms of both manic and depressive states existing at once.
The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, some doctors suggest there could be a hereditary connection but study results are not consistent. Even so, individuals who later develop bipolar disorder may show signs and symptoms in childhood. According to some research the symptoms are so subtle they can be easily mistaken as normal conduct or even another matter such as ADHD.
Adults suffering from BPD can have complications in many areas of their life. The high intervals cause these people to become over optimistic, engage in high risk behavior, as well as to be financially foolhardy or sexually promiscuous. These complications might be endless.
Throughout bouts of despair, the individual experiencing BPD may not be able to function or keep a job. Suicide is a risk also.
There are a lot of prescription drugs that might be used to care for BPD. The reason behind this is that although some prescription drugs work on some individuals, other people show absolutely no signs of improving.
Lithium is the only medicine shown to lessen the incidence of suicide in depressed BPD patients. The drug Lamotrigine has been shown to be effective in preventing depression symptoms in various bipolar patients. Antipsychotic prescription drugs can be utilized to combat agitation of the bipolar sufferer in the manic stages.
If symptoms are relieved and mood swings are in remission the patient still must keep on taking the medication or a backslide may occur. Certain sufferers with BPD describe the impact of their medication as leading them to feel dull or drugged. That complicates treatment compliance among patients having bipolar disorder.
There are effective treatments for people with BPD and mood stabilizers can be a major portion of the treatment plan when helping stabilize the individual having BPD. Since the moodiness could be so destructive to personal relationships, financial well-being and work performance bipolar disorder is going to be dealt with aggressively in most cases.