Bipolar+Depression

Forrest Bipolar Disorder What is it Bipolar disorder, or maniac depression, is a mood disorder that causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior from states of mania, an extreme happiness, to depression, an extreme sadness. Changes in behaviors can last for much longer than normal emotion, lasting days, weeks or more and can occur a few times a year, to many times a day. Bipolar disorder is put into three categories, depending on the individuals symptoms. Bipolar 1 is the most serious form of the disorder, with shifts being often and severe, usually from one extreme to the other. Bipolar 2 is milder form of the disorder, flipping between one extreme to a mild form of the other. Cyclothymia is the least harmful form, it can still be disruptive like the other forms but the extremes are much closer together.

How is it gotten

There is no single cause of bipolar, but it is often linked to hereditary causes, though it does not seem to get passed down directly, and some members of a family don't develop it. If someone has it, the first mood swing is seen in teenagers and young adults. The environment is also thought to be a large factor in the development of bipolar disorder, some triggers tend to be stress, substance abuse, medication, seasonal changes, and sleep depravation, though sometimes the disorder develops with no trigger.

Myths and Facts

Myth: If you have bipolar you can't live a normal life Truth: It can be difficult but with proper treatment someone with bipolar can live a life similar to anybody else. Myth: The mania phase is the "normal phase" because you feel so good that you can accomplish more than most people. Truth: The mania phase is just another state, though most people often feel better in mania, Myth: If a parent struggles with mania and depression you will to Truth: Yes you are more likely to get bipolar disorder than most people if a parent has it, but you are not guaranteed to.

Treatment

Bipolar disorder is an emotional disorder and sadly, has no cure, though ways to control many of the symptoms are available. There are two main phases in treating bipolar disorder, the acute phase and the preventative phase. The acute phase's goal is to control and end bipolar episodes, often through the use of various drugs including mood stabilizers, which help control extreme emotion, anti-depressants, which prevent depression, and anti-psychotic drugs,which helps control mania. The preventative phase aims at keeping the episodes from happening again through use of drugs, therapy, and other methods.

Citing

http://helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356/DSECTION=symptoms http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/53/3/myths-and-facts-about-bipolar-disorder