Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder . Bipolar disorder is one of the psychiatric problem that makes the sufferer experiencing mood swings are drastic and fluctuating. For example from the brooding, can suddenly turn into a very happy or otherwise.
On a phase down or called as a period of depression, sufferers of bipolar disorder will usually look sad, lethargic, and not passionate. Whereas, in this phase of rising or mania, sufferers of this condition can be very passionate, energetic, and lots of talk.
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Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder |
Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is one of the psychiatric disease that causes sufferers to experience mood changes drastically from mania into depression or vice versa. Therefore the symptoms appeared in people with this condition will depend on which mood phases of the Middle he experienced.
The symptoms of mania on phase
Phase of mania characterized by mood significantly increase thereby causing the bipolar disorder sufferers experience it will feel very happy and excited. They feel very energized and not feel tired despite the lack of sleep. The conditions that make them much talk very quickly and the experience increased libido.
Mania also makes the ego sufferers be high so it's not uncommon to their being easily offended and disturbed, felt he was very important, feel very proud against himself, and be able to do things like frivolous spending savings or make major decisions at high risk or harm themselves or others.
Sometimes in the case of a severe bipolar sufferers can also experience psychotic symptoms in the form of delusions and hallucinations. While hallucinating, someone will feel like to hear or see something that actually does not exist, and as experiencing delusions, somebody will believe something that generally is not unreasonable or incorrect.
Symptoms in depression
The opposite of a phase of mania is a phase of depression. This phase is characterized by a decrease in mood significantly, so bipolar sufferers will feel very sad, anxiety,sleeplessness, feeling guilty, pessimistic, and tend to be desperate. If these symptoms are severe, the more feared sufferers can hurt themselves or even suicide.
A phase of depression also can make a sufferer of bipolar disorder becomes difficult to concentrate and memory decline, so it's not uncommon to their productivity achievements or be dropped.
A phase of depression can also make bipolar sufferers with those closest to be damaged by a loss of interest in daily activities against sufferers and withdraw from social life.
If viewed from the rotation of the episode moods, there are a few sufferers of bipolar disorder that is experiencing the normal period between mania and depression.However, there are some sufferers experience a quick turnaround from phase to phase in the absence of a normal period. Each phase included severe can take up to several weeks.
In bipolar disorder, there is also a sufferer experiencing mania and depression simultaneously. For example, when the sufferer feel extremely energized, at the same time itself also felt very sad and hopeless. Rare symptoms are named with a mixed period.
Causes Of Bipolar Disorder
Until now experts have yet to find out the cause of the onset of bipolar disorder. Yet bipolar disease suspected to be triggered by some of the following factors:
- The presence of interference on the production or the balance of substances the introduction signals between nerves in the brain, so that the performance of the nerves set the mood becomes disrupted.
- Genetic factors or descent, considering most of the cases of bipolar disorder experienced by those who also have a brother or a parent with the same condition.
Other triggers are stress factors. Many cases of bipolar disorder that occurs in sufferers often experience pressures in her life, such as being left to die by a loved one, a divorce, a breakup with a lover, the pressure in the family, school, or the world of work, as well as the experience of abuse.
In addition to stress, negative lifestyle allegedly undertook to have the impact of the formation of the bipolar disorder in a person, such as addiction to alcohol and substance abuse.
The Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder
In diagnosing bipolar disorder, psychiatrists usually will first dig up information directly from the patient, the patient's family or close friends. A psychiatrist will ask about the patient's symptoms, such as whether patients have experienced mood swings dramatically, what he felt when the period comes up, and when that period occurred.
After that the psychiatrist will also ask about family health history of the patient,whether he has a brother, sister, or parent who suffered from bipolar disorder. The doctor may also perform tests on urine and blood tests to make sure the symptoms suffered not because of other diseases such as thyroid disorders.
Other than by way of asking directly linked the condition of the patient, the diagnosis can also be done by reading the data from the diary of mood. Through this method, the patient will be given a task by a psychiatrist to take note of the mood that he felt every day, sleep patterns, and other things related to the psychiatric condition of the patient.
If the whole information already collected, both oral or data from the diary of mood,then a false assertion could be more easily done. Full description will also assist physicians in providing proper treatment.
Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder requires long-term treatment. Therefore even though its victims already feel healed, doctors usually will not stop the treatment granted to prove enough.
The purpose of long-term treatment of bipolar disorder is to lower the frequency of the occurrence of episodes-episodes of mania and depression so that sufferers can live normally and mingling with the people around him. In addition to the prevention of the recurrence of one phase of bipolar disorder, there are medications to treat the symptoms while being relapse.
Bipolar sufferers will be recommended to improve the pattern of life, for example by means of exercising regularly, sleep, and adopt a healthier diet.
Treatment plan will usually include the giving of drugs combined with other necessaryhandling, such as psychological therapy.
Most of the sufferers of bipolar disorder can be improved without having to undergo an inpatient at the hospital. Referrals to hospital is usually done if the symptoms are severe and the more concerned about the behavior of the sufferer may harm others or himself, such as suicide.
Drugs
There are a number of medications that can be used to treat bipolar disorder, depending on the symptoms and health history of each sufferer, among them:
- Anticonvulsants, such as lamotrigine and divalproex. This drug is actually a commonly used to treat epilepsy, but the effect has been proven effective in dealing with bipolar disorder. A drug that acts as a mood stabilizer long term is also used to treat episodes of mania. Some side effects of the use of anti convulsants which are:
- Sleepy
- Dizziness
- Gaining weight
- Lithium, that is, a drug that is able to prevent the occurrence of symptoms of maniaand depression and stabilize mood. During the use of this medication, blood tests to check levels of lithium in the body needs to be done on a regular basis. It is to make sure lithium levels are still within the range that is secure so as to prevent the occurrence of serious side effects in the form of disorders of the kidney and thyroid gland. Other uses of lithium side effects are:
- Digestive disorders
- Your mouth feels dry
- Restless
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Antidepressants such as fluoxetine. In some sufferers of bipolar disorder, depression relief medicine this can trigger episodes of mania. Therefore the anti depressants are often paired with the drugs doctors mood stabilizer. One of the side effects of the use of antidepressants was decreased libido or weak orgasm.
- Anti psychotics, such as olanzapine and ariprazol. Same as anti convulsants medicines, anti psychotics prescribed to address episodes of mania and is also effective for stabilizing mood. Some side effects of the use of anti psychotics is:
- Increased heart rate
- Blurred vision
- Shaking
- Sleepy
- Gaining weight
- The decline in memory
Psychological therapy
Psychological therapy for bipolar disorder can support the drugs that have been given.Through this method is expected to cure the patients could be achieved more effectively.
In psychological therapy, the patient will be introduced with the psychiatric problemsthey are experiencing. Patients will also be invited to identify things that can trigger the occurrence of mood episodes, be it in the form of thought or behavior of the patient. After the trigger factor of known symptoms, psychiatrist or therapist will guide the patient to want to change their negative thoughts and behaviors to be positive.Through a method called cognitive behavioral therapy these patients will also be taught how to cope with stress effectively, as well as being given the advice-advice regarding diet, sleep, and exercise is good for health.
Not only are patients, family involvement in psychological therapy can also be very helpful. The goal is that families understand the conditions experienced by patients so they can work together to identify the problems that occur in the household who may just be the cause of bipolar disorder, as well as looking for the way out.
Bipolar disorder and pregnancy
Planning a pregnancy for patients with bipolar woman is not easy because the bipolar medications have potential side effects and its impact on the process of pregnancy are not yet fully known. Need collaboration between the medical side handle bipolar sufferer and her pregnancy.
Pregnant women who suffer from bipolar disorder generally experience a dilemma. On the one hand, if her taking any medication calming mood, then the fetus could be at risk of experiencing a disability. But on the other hand, if the drugs are not used, then the symptoms of bipolar disorder that pregnant women could have the more poorly.
Women who are breastfeeding are also facing the same problem as most of the drug of bipolar disorder can be absorbed by breast milk and it is feared the baby could be affected by the side effects of the drugs.
As a way out of these problems, talk to your doctor to get proper treatment solutions without having to compromise the baby's condition.
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