6 characteristic symptoms of bipolar disorder
Any good psychiatrist surely knows how to unmistakably recognize bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, as soon as they see it in a patient. And there are many cases, and it can even be said that modern society, with its dynamics and constant stress, worsens the situation.
Just as our planet’s climate was once stable with long, cold winters followed by long, dry, hot summers, today we witness variable weather during the winter months with blizzards once a week and warm sunny spring weather the next, followed by summers with high temperatures but also with sudden heavy storms with torrential rain.
The same drastic changes that we observe in nature can also happen to man.
According to scientists, global warming, pollution, changes in the environment and unbridled dynamics of everyday life can cause stressful changes in a person and affect in a similar way on his psyche.
And just as sudden changes in weather are uncomfortable for all people, so are sudden changes in mood uncomfortable for someone with bipolar disorder.
When their mood is lifted, they fall into a state of euphoria. They may spend a lot of money, have promiscuous sex, stay up all night. It may sound fun from the outside, but all this leads to bad consequences for the bipolar disorder sufferer.
An American psychiatrist tells of a bipolar patient of his who had so much energy and felt so strong that he felt a constant urge to swim across the lake in New York’s Central Park in the middle of winter. In the end, the man had so many injuries from the debris floating in the water that he had to be hospitalized.
When this phase of high spirits and bursts of energy ends, sufferers usually “go” to the other pole, falling into a state of depression. They can’t function normally, can’t sleep, and others sleep too much.
Some won’t eat and others can’t stop eating. In the end, everyone ends up in a very unpleasant for them depressed, lethargic state. The most dangerous thing in such a condition is the desire to commit suicide which may arise in the sufferer. About 25% of all suicides are thought to be the result of untreated bipolar disorder.
Here are 6 symptoms of bipolar disorder:
1. For a person to have bipolardisorder, they must experience manic and depressive periods back-to-back. If a person experiences only depressive or only manic periods, it is not bipolar disorder.
2. The manic phase should last for at least a week. This is a period in which the suffering person has very high self-esteem, feels very strong and all-powerful, bursts with energy, feels that he can handle anything.< /p>
The person begins to seethe with ideas, becomes very talkative, and the need for sleep decreases. In such a mood, one can easily get into trouble.
He may take up gambling or promiscuous sexual intercourse. A person in the manic phase of bipolar disorder resembles a cocaine addict.
3. The depression phase lasts at least two weeks. A person experiences daily sadness. The feeling of hopelessness is constant. The ability to experience pleasure is greatly reduced.
Other symptoms are fatigue, feeling empty, sleeping too much or too little. Feelings of guilt, reduced ability to concentrate and suicidal thoughts are possible.
4. Bipolar disorder is thought to have a genetic predisposition, but details are still unknown.
5. Bipolar disorder usually appears in the late teens or early 20s, although there are cases of bipolar disorder occurring in children and in people in their 60s and even 70s.
6. A person with bipolar disorder has mixed periods of depression and mania, and during the episodes of mania they do not realize that anything is actually wrong.
If you suspect that your loved one is suffering from bipolar disorder, seek advice from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Keep in mind that the options for successful treatment are numerous. Treatment may include medication, behavioral therapy, or a combination of both.
