Bipolar affective disorder

Contents • 1 What is Bipolar Affective Disorder? • 2 What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Affective Disorder? • 2.1 Mania • 2.2 Depression • 2.3 Psychosis • 2.4 Mood swings • 3 What Causes This Disorder? • 4 How To Diagnose It? • 5 How To Treat Bipolar Affective Disorder? • 5.1 Psychotherapy • 5.2 Medication • 5.3 Support Groups • 6 Is it Possible to Prevent The Disorder? • 7 Conclusion What is Bipolar Affective Disorder? The bipolar affective disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings. The highs, or mania, can be very intense and last for long periods of time. The lows, or This condition is described by psychiatrists as a “mood disorder” because the person’s mood swings from one extreme to the other. More often than not, the person will experience more lows than highs. The bipolar affective disorder is also known as Type I is characterized by more extreme highs, or mania, while type II is characterized by less extreme highs or hypomania. And the affective disorder is basically defined by these extreme mood swings. The disorder can be mild, moderate, or severe and is often accompanied by other What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Affective Disorder? There are four main symptoms of bipolar affective disorder: Mania This is when a person experiences an abnormally high mood, which can last for days or weeks. During this time, they may have very little need for Depression Depression is a symptom marked by low mood, fatigue, and loss of interest in activities. People ...

I get it. I’ve struggled with that same dilemma, and I know many other people have, too. It’s very hard sometimes to figure out whether my moods are actually bipolar symptoms. Take this morning: I was scrambling some eggs while listening to music when a song I like (“Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello) came on. I started to dance and sing along with a wooden spoon as my would-be mic. In tribute to the lyrics, I pumped my arms up over my head and spun around and around until I was dizzy. The same thing happens to me with sadness. During the recent spate of storms in Southern California, several trees on my hillside toppled. The rains seem to be over now, but I can’t stop mourning the loss of those trees. Nobody was hurt, my house is intact, and there’s no legitimate reason for me to still be so sad. Nevertheless, I feel an ache in my heart that wasn’t there before. Is it possible I’ve gone over to the dark side and invited When is it mental illness, and when is it just life? That’s one of the biggest challenges of being bipolar: You always have to be on guard, cross-examining your feelings to make sure you’re not missing something that really ought to be medicated. But I know now—a knowledge gleaned from many years of experience—not to let suspect symptoms manifest for too long. I can do terrible things to my life when I’m full-blown manic, like spending literally all my money or inviting total strangers into my bed. It’s better to catch myself on the upswing before I wreck my f...

Overview If you have a mood disorder, your general emotional state or mood is distorted or inconsistent with your circumstances and interferes with your ability to function. You may be extremely sad, empty or irritable (depressed), or you may have periods of depression alternating with being excessively happy (mania). Anxiety disorders can also affect your mood and often occur along with depression. Mood disorders may increase your risk of suicide. Some examples of mood disorders include: • Major depressive disorder— prolonged and persistent periods of extreme sadness • Bipolar disorder— also called manic depression or bipolar affective disorder, depression that includes alternating times of depression and mania • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)— a form of depression most often associated with fewer hours of daylight in the far northern and southern latitudes from late fall to early spring • Cyclothymic disorder— a disorder that causes emotional ups and downs that are less extreme than bipolar disorder • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder— mood changes and irritability that occur during the premenstrual phase of a woman's cycle and go away with the onset of menses • Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)— a long-term (chronic) form of depression • Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder— a disorder of chronic, severe and persistent irritability in children that often includes frequent temper outbursts that are inconsistent with the child's developmental age • Depression ...