While we may not know the exact cause of bipolar disorder, we can help the patient manage its symptoms and function well at home and at work.
Bipolar affective disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is a complex medical condition that involves extreme changes in moods, energy, thinking, and behavior. Individuals with BAD can experience sadness, irritability, aggression or emptiness. They can also have alternating periods of depression and excessive happiness at the same time. Bipolar disorder occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, generally between 18 and 25 years of age.
It has been categorized as Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Bipolar I is a condition in which a person experiences a manic episode, whereas Bipolar II is characterized by experiencing a major depressive episode along with hypomanic episode. However, this illness is treatable and manageable with a combination of therapy and medications.
There are no clear causes of BAD; however, multiple researches are in progress to identify the exact factors responsible for causing bipolar disorders. Given below are some of the triggers believed to elevate the symptoms of this specific mental illness:
• A family history; as it occurs more often in relatives of people with bipolar disorder
• Childbirth
• Certain medicines, such as antidepressants or steroids
• Insomnia
• Consumption of recreational drugs
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe, which may last from days to months. Some of the common signs present in an individual with bipolar disorder are:
• Inability to concentrate, and can easily be distracted
• Have little need for sleep or suffer from insomnia
• Poor judgment
• Lack of self-control
• Reckless behavior
• Elevated moods
• Agitated or irritated
Get immediate medical assistance if you, or someone around you:
• Exhibit symptoms of mania
• Cause self-affliction (an urge to hurt oneself)
• Feel hopeless, scared, or overwhelmed
• See things that don’t exist there (hallucinations)
• Feel insecure or helpless about leaving home
• Are unable to care for yourself
A mental health professional, best known as psychiatrist, evaluates symptoms and tracks the family history of a patient for diagnosis. Diagnosis enables the doctor to devise a treatment plan for an effective management of symptoms and the illness. At American Hospital’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department, we provide a complete range of treatment options, including medication management, psychotherapy, and family support programs, for bipolar disorder. The main goal of our each treatment is to:
• Make the symptoms less severe
• Make the episodes less frequent
• Help an individual get back to normal routine and function well be it at home or at work
• Prevent severe consequences, such as: self-harm and suicide
We also offer support programs and family programs for both patients and their families to educate them about bipolar disorder, enable them cope with symptoms and the patients, and reduce the chances of re-occurrence of symptoms.
Please head over to Doctors List on our website for a therapist or psychiatrist with expertise in bipolar disorder. To schedule an appointment, please submit our secure online form.
