BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar Disorder

Introduction

Individuals with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur at different times called "mood episodes." Too joyful or overexcited state is called a manic episode, and very sad or hopeless condition called depressive episode. Sometimes, the mood of the episode includes symptoms of both mania and depression (Manji Moore et.al 2000). This is called a mixed state. People with bipolar disorder, also can be explosive and irritable mood during the episode (Benazzi 2002).

Symptoms of bipolar disorder

On one side of the scale include major depression, moderate depression, and mild low mood. Mild depression can lead to less extreme symptoms, and mild low mood called dysthymia, when it chronic or long term.

At the other end of the scale is hypomania and severe mania. Some people with bipolar disorder have hypomania experience. In hypomanic episode, a person can have increased energy and activity levels that are not as severe as typical of mania, or he or she may have episodes that last less than a week and do not require emergency medical care (McElroy Keck et.al 2000). A person having hypomanic episode can feel very good, very productive, and function normally. This person cannot feel that anything is wrong, even as the family and friends recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar disorder. Without proper treatment, however, people with hypomania may develop severe mania or depression. In the mixed state, the symptoms often include agitation, insomnia, major changes in appetite, and suicidal thoughts. People in the mixed state may feel very sad and hopeless, while feeling extremely energized (Young Joffe 2000).

Sometimes a person with severe episodes of mania or depression shows psychotic symptoms, too, such as hallucinations or delusions. Psychotic symptoms tend to reflect the extreme mood of the person (Burgess Geddes 2001). For example, psychotic ...