Mood Regulation in Bipolar Disorder

by Max Jones | Jul 16, 2014 | Health | 0 comments

Ups and downs are a part of every person’s life. People have to face these phases at some point in their lifetime. They face problems like bipolar disorder, which is

Ups and downs are a part of life that everyone experiences. People face these phases at some point in their lifetime. Some people end up with severe stress or depression when they struggle with the toughest time of their lives.

In some cases, the continuity of severe depression invites bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive illness and is regarded as a mental illness characterized by periods of elevated mood and depression. This disorder is also known as manic depression, which causes serious swings in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. The cycles of bipolar disorder can last for days, weeks, or even months. Moreover, the mood swings in bipolar disorder are so critical that they seriously interfere with your functional ability.

Causes of bipolar disorder

There are various causes for every problem, but bipolar depression is something else. It is a fact that this disorder doesn’t have a single cause, and it manifests as some physical change in the brains of people suffering from it. Some say that certain people are genetically predisposed to this problem, but not everyone. Other research indicates neurotransmitter imbalances, circadian rhythm disturbances, and high-stress hormone levels.

Genetic factors – Genetic causes account for about 60-80% of bipolar disorder, which indicates a strong hereditary component. Therefore, the family members of the sufferer have an increased risk of developing it themselves.

External environmental and psychological factors – These external factors are known as triggers. These may lead to new episodes of mania or depression and also make existing symptoms even worse.

Stress – A stressful life can trigger bipolar disorder in someone with a genetic vulnerability. Stress relates to drastic, good or bad changes, such as getting married, losing a loved one, getting fired, huge financial loss, etc.

Substance abuse – Use of cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and amphetamines can trigger the mania, and it can bring back an episode and worsen the course of the disease. Abusive substance usage causes an imbalance in the levels of one or more neurotransmitters.

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder:

Every disease and illness has some symptoms that confirm the problem and lead to diagnosis followed by treatment. Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which a person’s mind fluctuates between mania and depression. Maniac depression may create problems with your job and school performance, ruin your relationships, and also disrupt your daily life. It is treatable, but many people cannot recognize the signs. Without any treatment, bipolar disorder worsens day by day.

So, it is very important to know what the symptoms are:

Irritability
Feeling hopeless and sad
Fatigue or loss of energy
Physical and mental sluggishness
Inability to experience pleasure
Loss of interest in hobbies and activities, including sex
Appetite or weight changes
Insomnia
Thoughts of death or suicide
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

Symptoms include four types of mood episodes: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes.

Signs of mania – In this phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of heightened energy and euphoria are common. People dealing with manic episodes often sleep very little and are hyperactive. Sometimes, they feel like they are powerful or destined for greatness.

Hypomania signs and symptoms – In this episode of bipolar disorder, people feel energetic and productive. This episode is a less severe form of mania. Hypomania may result in bad decisions, harming relationships, careers, and reputations.

Depression signs – In this stage, people lose contact with reality and experience major hindrances in work and social functioning, feel sad, and also cry a lot.

Signs of mixed episode – This episode features symptoms of both mania and depression. Some of the common signs of mixed episodes are depression combined with anxiety, insomnia, and distractibility. The sufferer is at high risk of attempting suicide in this phase of depression.

Triggers – Physical illness, sleep disturbances, and overwhelming problems in day-to-day life, like monetary issues, work challenges, relationship issues, etc., may trigger bipolar disorder.

Complications of bipolar disorder:

People suffering from this disorder can hurt themselves. For instance, They can harm themselves by cutting their wrists or other parts of their body, which includes a harmful attempt to cope with overpowering negative emotions like extreme anger, anxiety, and frustration. These acts are usually repetitive, not a one-time act.

Types and diagnosis:

Diagnosis is very important before every treatment. But before diagnosis, it is important to know the type of the disease. There are four basic types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I disorder – This type includes manic or mixed episodes that last for seven days. Its symptoms are so severe that the sufferer needs immediate hospital care.

Bipolar II disorder – Depressive and hypomania episodes symptoms are the major problems in this type of disorder.

Bipolar III disorder not otherwise specified – This type is diagnosed when symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet the diagnostic criteria of bipolar I or II. Symptoms in this type of disorder are out of a person’s normal comprehension.

Cyclothymic disorder IV – This type is a mild form of bipolar disorder. In this type, people face episodes of hypomania as well as mild depression for at least 2 years.

For diagnosis, doctors or health care professionals conduct a deep physical examination, an interview, and several lab tests. Although blood tests cannot identify bipolar disorder, the tests mentioned above can help rule out factors and treatment procedures. After the diagnostic tests, doctors advise the patient to undergo suitable treatment.

Treating bipolar disorder:

Bipolar disorder treatment is conducted under the supervision of a doctor. It is their call which procedure they follow or advise a patient what to do and what not. Treatment of bipolar disorder includes:

Learning skills to tolerate distress and refrain from self-harm.

Structured psychotherapies like exercises to tolerate distress skills

Talk therapy is an important part of treatment. Doctors discuss feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that cause problems during treatment. This therapy helps a patient to understand the problems that hurt his ability to function well. Further, talk therapy helps maintain a positive self-image.

Behavioral therapy focuses on the processes that help reduce stress.

Cognitive therapy includes learning to identify and change the patterns of thinking.

If you find any disorder and symptoms of depression or mania, rush to your doctor or mental health provider because this disorder doesn’t get better on its own. So, getting treated by a healthcare provider can help you get your symptoms under control.

Moreover, for effective treatment of bipolar disorder, people can avail consultation and the importance of various online pharmacies. They can also read various blogs and articles related to their problem and seek help from them.

Final words:

Many people who have bipolar disorder don’t get the effective treatment they need. People having mood extremes often do not recognize how much their emotional instability disrupts their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, in bipolar disorder, euphoria is always followed by an emotional crash that may leave you depressed and perhaps in financial, legal, or relationship trouble. So, try to find out the problems immediately and seek professional advice so that you and your family live worry-free.

a manic-depressive illness, and is regarded as a mental illness characterized by periods of elevated mood and depression. This disorder is also known as maniac depression, which causes serious swings in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. The cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or even months. Moreover, the mood swings in bipolar disorder are so critical that they seriously interfere with your ability to function.

What are the causes of bipolar disorder?

There are various causes for every problem, but bipolar depression is something else. It is a fact that this disorder doesn’t have a single cause, and it manifests as some physical change in the brains of people suffering from it. Some say that certain people are genetically predisposed to this problem, but not everyone. Another research indicates neurotransmitter imbalances, circadian rhythm disturbances, and high-stress hormone levels.

Genetic factors- Genetic causes account for about 60-80% of bipolar disorder, which indicates a strong hereditary component. Therefore, the family members of the sufferer have an increased risk of developing it themselves.
External environmental and psychological factors- These external factors are known as triggers. These may lead to new episodes of mania or depression and also make existing symptoms even worse.
Stress- A stressful life can trigger bipolar disorder in someone with a genetic vulnerability. Stress is related to drastic changes, either good or bad, such as getting married, losing a loved one, or getting fired.
Substance abuse- Use of cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and amphetamines can trigger the mania, and it can bring back an episode and worsen the course of the disease. Abusive substance usage causes an imbalance in the levels of one or more neurotransmitters.

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder:

Every disease and illness has some symptoms that confirm the problem and lead to diagnosis followed by treatment. Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which a person’s mind fluctuates between mania and depression. Maniac depression may create problems with your job and school performance, ruin your relationships, and also disrupt your daily life. It is treatable, but many people are not able to recognize the signs. Without any treatment, bipolar disorder worsens day by day.

So, it is very important to know what the symptoms are:

Irritability
Feeling hopeless and sad
Fatigue or loss of energy
Physical and mental sluggishness
Inability to experience pleasure
Loss of interest in hobbies and activities, including sex
Appetite or weight changes
Insomnia
Thoughts of death or suicide
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

Symptoms include four types of mood episodes: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes.

Signs of mania– In this phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of heightened energy and euphoria are common. People dealing with manic episodes often sleep very little and are hyperactive. Sometimes they also feel like they are very powerful or destined for greatness.
Triggers- Physical illness, sleep disturbances, and overwhelming problems in day-to-day life, like problems with money, work, or relationships, may trigger bipolar disorder.
Hypomania signs and symptoms- In this episode of bipolar disorder, people feel energetic and productive. This episode is a less severe form of mania. Hypomania may result in bad decisions, harming relationships, careers, and reputations.
Depression signs- In this stage, people lose contact with reality and experience major hindrances in work and social functioning, feel sad, and also cry a lot.
Signs of mixed episode– This episode of bipolar depression features symptoms of both mania and depression. Some of the common signs of mixed episodes are depression combined with anxiety, insomnia, and distractibility. The sufferer is at high risk of attempting suicide in this phase of depression.

Complications of bipolar disorder:

People suffering from this disorder can hurt themselves. for instance, They can harm themselves by cutting their wrists or other parts of their body, which includes a dangerous attempt to cope with overpowering negative emotions like extreme anger, anxiety, and frustration. These acts are usually repetitive, not a one-time act.

Types and diagnosis:

Diagnosis is very important before every treatment. However, it is important to know the type of disease before diagnosis. There are four basic types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I disorder- This type includes manic or mixed episodes that last for seven days. Its symptoms are so severe that the sufferer needs immediate hospital care.
Bipolar II disorder- Depressive and hypomania episodes symptoms are the major problems in this type of disorder.
Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified– This type is diagnosed when symptoms of the illness exist but does not meet the diagnostic criteria of bipolar I or II. Symptoms in this type of disorder are out of a person’s normal comprehension.
Cyclothymic disorder– This type is a mild form of bipolar disorder. In this type, people face episodes of hypomania as well as mild depression for at least 2 years.

For diagnosis, doctors or health care professionals conduct a deep physical examination, an interview, and several lab tests. Bipolar disorder cannot be identified through blood tests, but the above-mentioned tests can help rule out factors and treatment procedures. After diagnostic tests, doctors will definitely advise the patient to undergo suitable treatment.

Treating bipolar disorder:

Treatment of bipolar disorder is conducted under the supervision of a doctor or health care professional. It is their call to tell the patient which procedure to follow or to do. The treatment of bipolar disorder includes:

Learning skills to tolerate distress and refrain from self-harm.
Structured psychotherapies like exercises to tolerate distress skills
Talk therapy is an important part of treatment. During treatment, doctors discuss feelings, thoughts, and behaviors with you that cause you problems. This therapy helps you understand the problems that hurt your ability to function well. Further, talk therapy helps you maintain a positive self-image.
Behavioral therapy focuses on the processes that help reduce stress.
Cognitive therapy includes learning to identify and change the patterns of thinking.

Moreover, for effective treatment of bipolar disorder, people can avail of consultation and the importance of various online pharmacies. They can also read various blogs and articles related to their problem and seek help from them.

Final words:

Many people suffering from bipolar disorder don’t get the effective treatment they need. People having mood extremes often do not recognize how much their emotional instability disrupts their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, in bipolar disorder, euphoria is always followed by an emotional crash that may leave you depressed and perhaps in financial, legal or relationship trouble. So, try to find out the problems immediately and seek professional advice so that you and your family can live freely without any disturbance.

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