Bipolar disorder is treatable know the signs

By Sharon Mathabatha

Everybody has bad days, ups and downs, but, with bipolar disorder, these peaks and valleys are more severe. Bipolar is a serious disorder, although it is treatable, many people don’t recognize the warning signs and get the help they need. Since bipolar disorder tends to worsen without treatment, it’s important to learn what the symptoms look like. Recognizing the problem is the first step to getting better.

Bipolar disorder (also known as bipolar affective disorder, manic-depressive disorder or manic depression) is a psychiatric diagnosis for a mood disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder experience episodes of a hysterical state known as mania, typically alternating with episodes of depression.

At the lower levels of mania, known as hypomania, individuals appear energetic and excitable and may in fact be highly productive. At a higher level, individuals begin to behave erratically and impulsively, often making poor decisions due to unrealistic ideas about the future, and may have great difficulty with sleep. At the highest level, individuals can experience very distorted beliefs about the world known as psychosis. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes; some experience a mixed state in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. Manic and depressive episodes typically last from a few days to several months and can be interspersed by periods of "normal" mood.

In bipolar disorder, people experience abnormally elevated (manic or hypomanic) mood states, which interfere with the functions of ordinary life. Many people with bipolar disorder also experience periods of depressed mood, but this is not universal.

It is important to know the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, by knowing these you can save many people around you.

Signs and symptoms

Manic episodes

Mania is a distinct period of elevated or irritable mood, which can take the form of euphoria, and lasts for at least a week (less if hospitalization is required).[3] People with mania commonly experience an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep, with many often getting as little as three or four hours of sleep per night. Some can go days without sleeping

Hypomanic episodes

Hypomania is a mild to moderate level of elevated mood, characterized by optimism, pressure of speech and activity, and decreased need for sleep. Generally, hypomania does not inhibit functioning as mania does. Many people with hypomania are actually more productive than usual, while manic individuals have difficulty completing tasks due to a shortened attention span. Some hypomanic people show increased creativity, although others demonstrate poor judgment and irritability. Many experience hypersexuality. Hypomanic people generally have increased energy and increased activity levels. They do not, however, have delusions or hallucinations

Depressive episodes

the depressive phase of bipolar disorder, include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation, or hopelessness, disturbances in sleep and appetite; fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities; problems concentrating; loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference; depersonalization; loss of interest in sexual activity; shyness or social anxiety; irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause); lack of motivation; and morbid suicidal thoughts

Mixed affective episodes

A mixed state is a condition during which symptoms of mania and depression occur simultaneously. Typical examples include weeping during a manic episode or racing thoughts during a depressive episode. Individuals may also feel very frustrated in this state, for example thinking grandiose thoughts while at the same time feeling like a failure. Mixed states are often the most dangerous period of mood disorders, during which the risks of substance abuse, panic disorder, suicide attempts and other complications increase greatly.