What does it look like?
During the manic period, a person feels that he or she is able to move mountains. The person is full of energy and ideas, active, cheerful, and his or her self-esteem is off the charts. In this state, people are incredibly productive, especially when it comes to creative work, but also prone to reckless acts such as driving fast, drug or alcohol abuse, cheating, and reckless spending. Outwardly, the person seems excessively fidgety, talks a lot and quickly, jumps from topic to topic, sleeps and eats little, but moves a lot.
The depressive period is the opposite. Life loses all meaning, everything that was fascinating yesterday becomes uninteresting, and the desire to do anything, communicate, and even get out of bed in the morning disappears. The person often has suicidal thoughts.
Does everyone have bipolar disorder in the same way?
Bipolar disorder can have different intensity and frequency of phase changes. With bipolar disorder type 1, periods of mania are more intense and last for at least a week. Bipolar disorder type 2 is milder, with a predominance of depression and less pronounced episodes of mania.
A distinction is also made between mania and hypomania. In the first case, symptoms are more obvious: the person behaves inadequately and can express strange ideas or even experience delusions and hallucinations. Hypomania is usually only noticeable to people close to the person and does not interfere with the person's daily activities, work, or study.
Some people have what is called euthymia between mania and depression when the person is in a completely adequate state and is able to make a reasonable assessment of the situation. In the severe course of bipolar disorder, mania and depression alternate continuously. The cyclical nature of the phases can also be different: some people's condition changes once a week, while others change several times a day.
What is the cause?
There are different theories about this, and none of them are completely proven. It has been suggested that bipolar disorder may be the result of a combination of genetic, biological, and social factors. For those with bipolar disorder, the brain circuits involved in regulating mood, energy, thinking, and biological rhythms may not function properly, resulting in abrupt mood swings.
Who is at risk?
Bipolar disorder can occur in people of both genders but is more common in women. Generally, the first signs appear at the age of 20-25 years. The chances of getting the disease are quite high if one of your parents suffers from bipolar disorder. According to various data, the chance of inheriting bipolar disorder ranges from 5 to 15 %.
How does bipolar disorder affect the person?
If left unchecked, the disorder can affect all areas of life. In the manic phase, people tend to do reckless, risky things that can ruin their relationships with loved ones or co-workers and lead to health-threatening situations. The depressive phase is no less dangerous. According to statistics, the risk of suicide for a person with bipolar disorder is 20-30 times higher than for someone who does not suffer from a mental disorder.
Can it be cured?
Bipolar disorder is a chronic disease, and it is impossible to completely get rid of it. With a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and prevention methods it is possible to reduce the manifestations of the disease to a minimum. However, to let the situation drift away and ignore the symptoms is extremely dangerous. The disorder has a tendency to progress and without treatment can pose a serious threat to life.
How should it be handled?
The person should first see a psychiatrist, who will confirm the diagnosis and prescribe therapy. As a rule, patients are recommended medications such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotics. Another important part of treatment is psychotherapy sessions, which are aimed at building proper skills for living with bipolar disorder and strategies for coping with stress. In severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy is used, which gives good and fast results, especially in the midst of an episode. It is administered under general anesthesia and is safe.
How else can the condition be improved?
The lifestyle and behavior of a person suffering from bipolar disorder are extremely important to the success of therapy, so we have put together the following important recommendations to help keep things under control.
- Don't skip psychiatric appointments and make sure to take your prescribed medications
- Do not quit or independently change the combinations and dosages of medications
- Keep a diary of your condition; note the frequency and intensity of episodes, and write down everything you think is important
- Try not to quit your job or school
- Lead a healthy lifestyle: avoid alcohol and smoking, follow the daily regimen, get enough sleep, and take care of your general health
- Minimize the number of stressful situations as much as possible
- Communicate with people and do not withdraw into yourself
- Do not hide your condition from those close to you
