Symptoms & Treatment of Bipolar Patients

Bipolar disorder is often hard to pinpoint, but knowing the symptoms and causes of the disorder can help with early diagnosis and treatment.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

• Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric problem characterized by manic changes in mood and behavior. Every person with bipolar disorder spends different amounts of time in each stage, but it is most dangerous when the mood cycles are rapidly changing. Sometimes, both manic and depressive stages can be happening at the same time and cause what is called a mixed state.

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

• According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, most doctors believe that bipolar disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Treatment for depression and certain medications are also known to trigger the disorder.

Manic Phase Symptoms

• Bipolar disorder is really a combination of highs and lows. The manic phase is when a person is extremely optimistic and energetic, but also reckless (with money or themselves). The depression phase involves anxiety, intense fatigue, problems eating and suicidal thoughts.

Medications

• Bipolar disorder is treated with a variety of medications, most of which concentrate on stabilizing the patient and their moods. Doctors use different combinations of antidepressants, mood stabilizers like lithium, and seizure medication called anticonvulsants.

Psychiatry

• Many doctors recommend constant treatment from a psychiatrist. They can monitor treatment, correct any medication problems and provide patients an outlet to confess their feelings and explain their highs and lows.