Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a major affective disorder in where there is alternating periods of mania and depression for a person with this disorder. Both men and women are afflicted with this disorder in approximately equal numbers for which it is a lifelong condition that they must face each and every day. For more than the five million adults in America who have bipolar disorder these alternating periods of mania and depression in where they are also called “mood swings” can be extreme and/or frequent and there are usually more lows than highs experienced. These changes in moods for people with this disorder are not as simple as transitioning from a “happy” to a “sad” mood in where bipolar disorder symptoms include both “major depression” (major depressed moods) and “mania” (an exaggerated elevation of moods). These changes occur in cycles and are referred to as “episodes” in where people with bipolar disorder experience extreme mood swings that can take on three different forms: manic, depressive and mixed episodes.
Manic Episodes:
In manic episodes, some people with bipolar disorder often experience an elevated or extremely happy mood and it is often described as a feeling of being on top of the world, while other people may feel very agitated, act uncooperative and aggressive in where it can be frightening for themselves and other people. Patients with bipolar disorder have often reported that these manic episodes result in consequences that must be dealt with after the symptoms have faded.
A diagnosis for a manic episode includes either an elevated or an irritable mood lasting at least a week plus three or more of the following symptoms:
* Talking too much or too fast
* Risky or impulsive behavior as in sexual promiscuity or excessive spending sprees
* Needing very little sleep
* Being easily distracted (their attention shifts between many topics in just a few minutes)
* Having an inflated feeling of power,...