Bipolar Disorder Cycles

 Bipolar disorder is a disorder of the brain that can cause major shifts in a person’s mood, energy and ability to function in their day to day activities.  Everyone goes through normal, and daily ups and downs, but those who suffer from bipolar disorder have severe reactions to those changes.  The inability to cope with new situations, or the stress that is around them can result in damaged relationships, thoughts of suicide, or poor performance on the job or at school. 

 The number of people in America who suffer from bipolar disorder is astonishing.  About 2.5 percent of the American population age 18 and older has bipolar disorder.  That is about 5.5 million American adults.  Bipolar disorder usually develops in early adulthood, although studies have shown that some people have experienced their first symptoms during early childhood, and some develop later in life.  Bipolar disorder is an illness that needs to be carefully and seriously managed throughout a person’s entire life. 

 

Bipolar disorder causes people to experience severe and dramatic mood swings.  They will feel excessively high and elated to irritable, sad and hopeless, and then back again.  Often times there will be periods of feeling normal in-between the episodes.  The feelings of high and called mania and the low feelings are depression.  There are several symptoms and physical and mental signs of mania.

v     Feeling excessively high, or euphoric

v     Racing thoughts, talking fast, jumping from one though to another

v     Little sleep is needed

v     Abuse of drugs, alcohol or sleeping medications

v     Spending sprees

v     Unable to concentrate

Typically a depressive episode will last for an entire day or for a period of several weeks.  The symptoms that one will usually experience during a depressive episode will include several of the following all at the same time.

v     Feeling of hopelessness

v     Feeling guilty, worthless

v     Restlessness and irritability

v     Decreased energy, feeling of extreme fatigue

v     Chronic pain, that are not caused by a physical injury or illness

v     Thoughts of death or suicide

v     Sleeping too much, or can’t sleep at all

Bipolar disorder may appear to others as a problem with alcohol, or drug abuse.  Seeking professional help and explaining your symptoms to your doctor will help you get on the right course of medication and treatment.

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