Bipolar disorder has serious symptoms that can wreak havoc on the lives of sufferers and those around them, if it’s not properly managed. Unfortunately, since the symptoms vary from person to person, many people think they have bipolar disorder when they don’t, or fail to recognize all the symptoms of bipolar disorder in themselves or others around them. If you’re concerned about yourself or someone you love having bipolar disorder, take a look at these 10 common but important signs and symptoms of this often under-diagnosed condition to see if any apply to you or your loved one.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Bipolar symptoms range from highs (mania or hypomania) to lows (depression). There are four types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder, and bipolar not otherwise specified (NOS). Diagnosis requires at least one manic episode; there may be one or more depressive episodes. To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, your symptoms must cause distress or impairment in relationships with others or work performance. In addition to seeing a doctor who specializes in diagnosing psychiatric disorders (such as a psychiatrist), your doctor may refer you to a therapist who specializes in treating emotional problems.
Recognizing the Signs of Mania
Mania is a difficult time to live through. During times of mania, we feel incredibly productive, giddy, invincible—some even say it feels like flying. There are a lot of myths around mania, but one thing’s for sure: people who experience hypomania or mania are not just happy. Manic-depressive disorder (bipolar disorder) is a serious mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings between manic episodes and depressive ones. To maintain your health during periods of mania, it’s important to manage symptoms as early as possible; that means taking an active role in your own treatment—which starts with being able to recognize bipolar symptoms before they become unmanageable.
When To Seek Help For Mania
In a manic episode, bipolar disorder symptoms can manifest physically, as well as mentally. It’s important to seek help when you see signs of physical symptoms such as insomnia, abnormal eating habits (either binging or fasting), racing thoughts and talking non-stop or irritability. Mania often interferes with everyday life—such as trouble going to school or work—which can lead to feelings of isolation if friends and family aren’t supportive. While some people describe their mania as euphoric, mania is more commonly described by sufferers in terms like uncontrollable, overwhelming or terrifying.
Controlling Manic Episodes
One of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is an elevated mood, known as mania. It’s a mental state characterized by being hyperactive, hyper-sexual, irritable, distractible, impulsive, angry and delusional. Mania may also be associated with rapid speech and/or racing thoughts. Some people may also experience feelings of grandiosity or euphoria during a manic episode (basically an extreme form of euphoria). When someone is experiencing a manic episode they are in danger to themselves and others. Family members should seek immediate help if they see any signs that their loved one is having a manic episode.
Managing Depression
Before starting any drug, consult your doctor about any potential side effects or interactions. Many of these drugs can be safely used together to treat one condition or a number of conditions. Some medications work best when taken at certain times of day. But even if your medications don’t have specific dosing schedules, it’s still important to take them as directed. If you don’t take your medication on time, they won’t be effective when you need them most — particularly if you suffer from bipolar disorder symptoms like hallucinations and delusions in which case missing a dose could make things worse rather than better. Here are some common drugs that are often prescribed to help manage bipolar disorder symptoms
Prescription Medications For Treating
Mania And Depression
If you have bipolar disorder symptoms, it’s important to do whatever you can to reduce your risk of cycling. There are many different medications used to treat bipolar disorder, but not everyone responds well to them or feels comfortable with them. Fortunately, there are other remedies that people have found helpful in controlling their symptoms. Here are some natural remedies used by people with bipolar disorder that can help St. John’s Wort: Research has shown that taking St. John’s wort extract on a daily basis can improve one’s mood and relieve anxiety significantly more than placebo tablets.
Side Effects Of Commonly Used Drugs
This can include common side effects, warnings from experts, or accounts of your own personal experiences. There’s a reason why drugs come with a list of possible side effects: so that you know what you might be getting yourself into. You should always ask your doctor about potential adverse reactions before taking any medication—but if they don’t mention anything, you should ask them to tell you what they aren’t telling you. Pay attention to how your body reacts to these drugs: If something doesn’t feel right, talk to your doctor ASAP. It could save your life or someone else’s! Here are some side effects you need to watch out for:…
Natural Remedies That Help Manic
Depression
S-adenosyl methionine, or SAMe, has been shown to effectively treat bipolar disorder in a variety of ways. Most notably, SAMe increases levels of mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine; it also helps suppress inflammation. This formula is great on its own or combined with other natural remedies that have proven effective in treating depression. If you are currently taking prescription medications, check with your doctor before beginning a new supplement routine to make sure there’s no conflict with your prescription. You should also note that there are some side effects associated with taking SAMe supplements that you should be aware of beforehand.
Home Remedies For Dealing With
Complementary medicine is any practice that is used in conjunction with conventional treatment, while alternative medicine is an option that replaces conventional treatment. There are a number of CAM therapies that have been linked to bipolar disorder symptom relief, including herbal remedies (e.g., ginkgo biloba), supplements (e.g., L-methylfolate), and behavioral techniques (e.g., exercise). It’s important to remember that using CAMs alongside traditional medicines can be extremely beneficial; don’t worry about finding one thing or another that fixes your problem, but rather find a method—or combination of methods—that work best for you.
Complementary And Alternative
Medicines (CAMs)
There are many alternative therapies that have been used to treat bipolar disorder, most with varying degrees of success. Look into yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy or herbal remedies like passionflower extract. However, doctors warn against self-medicating without first consulting your physician. You may also want to look into cognitive behavioral therapy, which has shown promising results in alleviating symptoms of bipolar disorder by retraining thought patterns (such as negative thinking). There are also numerous drugs that you can take to treat bipolar disorder but it is important to talk with your doctor about what is best for you. They will need to know if you have any other medical conditions or if you’re pregnant/breastfeeding before prescribing a treatment plan.
Alternative Therapies
When dealing with a mental illness like bipolar disorder, seeking out alternative therapy options is always a good idea. Alternative therapies to consider include physical exercise, therapy animals, complementary medicine and meditation. While you may not believe that anything outside of medication can help, sometimes trying something new can relieve symptoms in a way that traditional treatment methods simply cannot. If your depression has worsened or new mania symptoms have emerged since you started taking your prescribed medications, try exploring some of these alternative therapies to see if they might offer relief. For example, if you’re struggling with insomnia due to your medication side effects but don’t want to change drugs because they are helping control other symptoms, consider learning relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery.
