What You Need to Know About Bipolar Disorder |eMedEvents

 You may have heard “bipolar” used to describe someone who has frequent mood swings. However, this informal use of the term does not accurately encompass the full disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder. It is characterized by dramatic mood swings that include extreme lows and extreme highs. These shifts are not instantaneous, and each episode can last for days or even weeks. Though bipolar is more common in adults, studies show that nearly 3% of teenagers have bipolar disorder. Of that group, over 90% report having symptoms of bipolar disorder that are serious enough to disrupt their everyday lives.

Terminology:

Mania — “Mania” and “hypomania” are terms used to describe periods of elevated mood and overactive behavior, with hypomania being the milder of the two. For someone with bipolar disorder, manic episodes make them feel euphoric and energetic—sometimes even to the point of irritability. They often make impulsive, spontaneous decisions and have trouble sleeping.

Depression — Feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, and isolation are among the main characteristics of a bipolar depressive episode. People often lose interest in activities they like and report changes in sleep and appetite, persistent loneliness, and feelings of overall indifference.

Mixed Affective State — During these episodes, people often experience traits of mania and depression at the same time or in rapid succession. Feelings of depression are often accompanied by impulsiveness, which increases the risk of suicide. Furthermore, affected individuals may experience splitting (or “black-and-white thinking”), which can severely strain their relationships with others.

Who does Bipolar Disorder Commonly Affect?

Bipolar disorder occurs in both men and women more or less equally, and it has a similar spread across different countries and cultures. However, severity can vary widely depending on geographical location, which is likely due to a combination of different diagnostic criteria and level of accessibility to treatment.

It is important to note that each individual manifests different bipolar symptoms, according to their unique personalities and life experiences. Bipolar disorder does not appear the same way in any two people, and it is considered a spectrum of disorders.

Bipolar Subtypes:

• Bipolar I — For diagnosis, the person must have experienced at least one manic episode. Depressive episodes are common for this subtype, and it generally conforms to the traditional idea of “manic depression”.
• Bipolar II — For diagnosis, the person must have experienced at least one hypomanic episode and at least one major depressive episode. Because hypomania is less severe than mania and can be easily misinterpreted as simply “having a good day”, this subtype can be difficult to diagnose.
• Cyclothymia — For diagnosis, the person must have a history of hypomania along with depressive periods that do not qualify as major depressive episodes.
• Other specified or unspecified bipolar disorder — For diagnosis, the person must have experienced clinically significant distress/impairment due to symptoms associated with bipolar, though they do not meet the criteria for one of the above subtypes.

Signs & Symptoms:

A late teen to early adulthood is the range in which bipolar disorder most commonly manifests.

1. Mania — Mania can range from euphoria to delirium and significantly impairs the person’s ability to function normally, including their ability to socialize. A manic episode lasts for at least 1 week. However, when untreated, they can persist for 3–6 months.
2. Hypomania — Hypomania is less severe, though it follows the same criteria as mania regarding heightened mood and impaired judgment. It does not significantly impact a person’s ability to function or socialize, and it lasts for at least 4 days.
3. Depression — Symptoms of a bipolar depressive episode include pervasive sadness, frustration, extreme guilt, hopelessness, fatigue, concentration problems, self-loathing, and thoughts of death/suicide. They can also be accompanied by significant fluctuations in weight. For most people with bipolar, depressive episodes last much longer than manic/hypomanic ones.
4. Reckless behavior — Manifesting during manic episodes, these behaviors include hypersexuality, impulsive or irresponsible spending, and other similar actions that are made impulsively and without regard for consequences.
5. Psychosis — This can occur during manic episodes, wherein the person’s thoughts are affected alongside their mood. Symptoms include delusional ideas (including delusions of excessive self-importance), feelings of invincibility, and increased irritability towards anything that might contradict them.
6. Irregular sleeping patterns — While experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode, affected individuals often sleep very little. In contrast, they may sleep an excessive amount during a depressive episode.

Risk Factors:

The exact cause for bipolar disorder is unknown, though it likely varies according to the individual.

Genetics:

Bipolar disorder is strongly believed to be hereditary, with a family history of bipolar said to be responsible for over 70% of the risk of developing the disorder. For those whose close family members (parents or siblings) have bipolar, their risk is 10 times higher.