bipolar disorder - Health BeatHealth Beat

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, and behavior. These shifts can last for hours, days, weeks, or months and can interrupt a person’s ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

Many people with bipolar disorder experience both manic/hypomanic and depressive episodes. These changing mood states don’t always follow a set pattern, and depression doesn’t always follow manic phases. A person may also experience the same mood state several times, with periods of a state of mental tranquility and stability that’s free of mood disturbances, called euthymia, in between, before experiencing the opposite mood.

Mood changes in bipolar disorder can happen over weeks, months, and sometimes years. An important aspect of mood changes is that they are a departure from a person’s regular self and that the mood change is sustained for a long time. It can be several days or weeks in the case of mania and several weeks or months in the case of depression.

The severity of the depression and manic phases can differ from person to person and in the same person at different times. Some people with bipolar disorder will have episodes of mania or hypomania many times throughout their lives, while others may rarely experience them. Signs and symptoms of a manic episode include:

Excessive happiness, hopefulness, and excitement
Sudden and severe changes in mood, such as going from joyful to angry and hostile
Restlessness
Rapid speech and racing thoughts
Increased energy and less need for sleep
Increased impulsivity and poor judgment
Making grand and unattainable plans
Reckless and risk-taking behavior, such as drug and alcohol misuse
Psychosis, such as experiencing hallucinations and delusions (in the most severe manic episodes)

Most of the time, people experiencing a manic episode are unaware of the negative consequences of their actions. If a person is having an intense manic episode, especially if they’re experiencing hallucinations and delusions, they may need to be hospitalized to protect themselves and others from harm. With bipolar disorder, suicide is an ever-present dancer, with some people becoming suicidal in manic episodes, not just in depressive ones.

Some people with bipolar disorder can have milder manic-like symptoms called hypomania. When experiencing hypomania, they may feel great and feel like they can get a lot done. They may feel like nothing is wrong during an episode; however, family and friends may notice their mood swings and activity level changes and think they’re unusual for them.

After a hypomanic episode, a person might experience severe depression. The symptoms of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are the same as those of major depression, including:

Overwhelming sadness
Low energy and fatigue
Lack of motivation
Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
Loss of enjoyment of things that were once pleasurable for you
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Uncontrollable crying
Irritability
Increased need for sleep
Insomnia or hypersomnia
A change in appetite that causes weight loss or gain
Thoughts of death or suicide

When caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder, it is important to be patient and understanding, and offer them stability, consistency, and practical help through mood shifts.

There are several ways you can help a loved one through a manic episode. They include:

Creating a calm environment
Spending quality time together
Having honest conversations
Preparing easy-to-eat meals
Encouraging them to rest
Setting limits on their risky behavior
Involving a mental health professional if necessary
Encouraging medication adherence

There are several ways you can help a loved one through a depressive episode. They include:

Listening to and communicating with them
Encouraging small steps in self-care
Reducing external stressors
Suggesting low-energy activities for them to participate in
Monitoring them for any signs of crisis
Encouraging them to seek professional care

Caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder can be stressful and challenging. However, it is important that before you take care of anyone else, you should take care of yourself. You can do this by setting boundaries, not taking things personally, finding support for yourself, such as through friends, family, mental health professionals, or a support group, seeking family therapy, and practicing self-care.

Call, text, or chat 988 to speak to a trained crisis counselor offering support 24/7/365. And to learn more about our outpatient mental health services at Flushing Hospital Medical Center or to schedule a virtual appointment, please call (718) 670-5316 to speak with our intake coordinator or (718) 670-5562 to reach the clinic.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness that is marked by extreme shifts in a person’s mood. Those with bipolar disorder experience periods of being overly happy to feelings of extreme sadness and hopelessness.

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression. The word “manic” describes the times when someone feels overly excited and confident, while the word “depressive” describes the times when the person feels very sad or depressed. Most people with bipolar disorder spend more time with depressive symptoms than manic ones.

During their “highs” people with bipolar disorder are often restless, act impulsive, speak in a rapid fashion, have an increased sex drive, and are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. Conversely, during “the lows” those with bipolar disorder have trouble concentrating, experience changes in their appetite, require an abundance of sleep or experience insomnia, have difficulty making decisions, and experience thoughts of death or suicide.

In bipolar disorder the dramatic episodes of high and low moods do not follow a set pattern. Someone may feel the same mood state (depressed or manic) several times before switching to the opposite mood. These episodes can happen over a period of weeks, months, and sometimes even years. In between these periods, those with bipolar disorder can feel completely normal.

Signs of bipolar disorder typically first become evident during adolescence or young adulthood, but in rare cases the onset can take place during childhood. It is equally prevalent in men and women and can run in families. There is no single known cause for bipolar disease, but changes in genes, brain development and stress are all considered factors.

Diagnosing bipolar disorder is done by a trained mental health professional during an evaluation that will consist of a question and answer period. After ruling out that bipolar symptoms are not due to another cause, a doctor can outline a treatment plan that takes into account the severity, frequency, and length of symptoms.

The good news is there is treatment for bipolar disorder, but it is a long-term and on-going process that requires regular therapy and usually medication management. Medications prescribed are intended to stabilize the patient’s mood and avoid them from experiencing extreme highs and lows.

If you, or someone you love is experiencing symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, seek professional help. To schedule an appointment with a mental health professional at Flushing Hospital, please call 718-670-5562.

Tag Archives: bipolar disorder

Caring for a Loved One with Bipolar Disorder

Understanding Bipolar Disorder