"Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depression. People with bipolar disorder experience mood swings from "high" episodes of mania to "low" periods of depression. When between these "highs" and "lows", people with BP often have the normal range of moods. In most cases, people with bipolar disorder experience more periods of depression than periods of mania. Bipolar disorder can be either severe or mild, and can have either frequent or infrequent mood swings. Depending upon their symptoms, bipolars are diagnosed as having bipolar I, bipolar II, or cyclothymic disorder.
Bipolar I and Mania Most people with bipolar I have episodes of both depression and mania. In very rare cases, they experience only mania. Bipolar I is distinguished from bipolar II by the severity and duration of the manic phase, which can last anywhere from a week to several months, and the experience of delusions. Risky behavior is common in manic episodes and patients often require hospitalization for their own safety. The symptoms of mania can include rapid speech, insomnia, disconnected thoughts, grandiose ideas, hallucinations, extreme irritability, feelings of omnipotence, paranoia, violent behavior, a marked increase in strength, and openly promiscuous activity. (see Bipolar Screening)
Bipolar II and Hypomania People with bipolar II suffer primarily from episodes of severe depression with occasional episode of "mild" mania, called hypomania. Hypomania differs from mania in that no delusions are experienced. Like mania, hypomania can cause severely impaired functioning. The hypomanic episode often feels so good that bipolar patients often discontinue their medication in quest of a hypomanic episode. This is especially problematic because symptoms that come back after stopping drug treatment are often much harder to get back under control a second time. While Bipolar II has sometimes been described as a "milder" form of bipolar disorder than Bipolar I, the suicide rate among people suffering form Bipolar II is actually higher than that for those suffering from Bipolar I.
Cyclothymic Disorder People with cyclothymic disorder alternate between hypomania and mild depression. It is not as severe as bipolar I and II, but persists for longer periods with no break in symptoms. Cyclothymic disorder can later become full-blown bipolar disorder in some people, or can continue as a low-grade chronic condition.
Rapid Cycling Most people with bipolar disorder have an average of 8 to 10 manic or depressive episodes over a lifetime. Some, however, experience much more severe symptoms called rapid cycling. They can swing (cycle) between "highs" and "lows" many times in one day. To be considered a rapid cycler, you must have at leat 4 mood swings in a year.
Mixed Episode During a Mixed Episode, symptoms of both mania and depression occur at the same time. The excitability and agitation of mania is coupled with depression and irritability. This combination of high energy and agitation along with depression makes the mixed episode the most dangerous for risk of suicide."
BIPOLAR DISORDER (formerly called MANIC DEPRESSION): There is a test for this at: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ (HOW TO TELL - SELF TESTING), but it should be taken as an indicator only! Doctors, who are generally much better with physical ailments, often misdiagnose this condition, for a number of reasons, and years can be wasted in this way, so it is vital that it be correctly diagnosed by an experienced psychotherapist. There is more at: www.bipolar.com/what_is_bipolar/mood_disorder_questionairre.html and www.psycheducation.org/depression/MDQ.htm (diagnosis).
Take at least 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or its FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. http://www.oilofpisces.com/depression.html#depression refers. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it! In the winter months, if not getting sufficient daily exposure to strong light, see http://www.mercola.com SEARCHBAR: enter: "vitamin D3". Go to a doctor and ask for a 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, blood test. When you get the results, don’t follow the typical “normal” reference range, as these are too low. The OPTIMAL value that you’re looking for is 45-52 ng/ml (115-128 nmol/l)". The company which tests your levels has to be one of those using the correct form of test, and this topic is addressed via the searchbar at Mercola.com - "vitamin D3; testing". See http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/16/my-one-hour-vitamin-d-lecture-to-clear-up-all-your-confusion-on-this-vital-nutrient.aspx
Folic acid, or folates have been recommended; a good natural source of these is dark green, leafy vegetables, like spinach, silverbeet/swiss chard, or broccoli (take with lemon juice). Many sufferers are low in the minerals: zinc, magnesium, and calcium, so have your blood tested, and supplement, if necessary, but dietary sources are usually best. Try pharmacies & supermarkets for the magnesium supplement types shown in http://www.real-depression-help.com/magnesium-for-depression.html Adopt a fairly natural diet, high in vegetables, fruits, and wholefoods, with minimal or no caffeine, sugar, or processed foods, little salt, and no MSG: Mono Sodium Glutamate (see page F here, on OCD, about caffeine, and MSG). Eat more in accordance with your "nutritional type":- ( 20 question quiz http://www.naturalhealthcoach.com/tools ) or there is a book via the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com Some (most likely not bipolar type 1) sufferers, claim to have been helped by a raw food diet: view: http://rawawareness.blogspot.com/ and decide if you want to give it a try. View: http://www.truehealth.org/break02.html although I am skeptical about those spruiking "cures" for bipolar disorder. Also check out: http://bipolarworld.net/Treatments/Alternatives/alttrt_main.htm
It should be noted that Dr. Mercola also advocates the use of a lot of raw foods, at www.mercola.com/ Many people with the disorder abuse alcohol, and other drugs, but this should be avoided. For those in the manic/hypermanic phase, sexual promiscuity is common, so ALWAYS practise safe sex, and ensure you ALWAYS have PLENTY of protection! (Too many people forget, then say to themselves: "oh, it'll be alright, just this once!": once is all it takes, to contract a STD!!!).
Although I have never experienced the manic phase, which distinguishes this disorder from depression, or dysthymia, if I ever did, I would first try Lithium Carbonate, or Lithium Citrate, as my mood stabiliser, since it is reputed to have fewer side effects, or withdrawal symptoms, than many of the other recommended medications. For sufferers of Bipolar 1, in addition to a mood stabiliser, an antipsychotic may also be required. The other mood stabilisers have one significant advantage over Lithium, however. The necessary dosage for Lithium Carbonate, or Citrate, to be effective, is not far short of where it may become dangerous, so, unless you are reliable at taking medications, and have a medication organiser, (which is a good idea, because memory often deteriorates with advancing years) or use an alarm/reminder, you may well be better off using one of the alternatives, possibly Lamictal. It requires regular toxicity monitoring. There is information on lithium at www.healthyplace.com/ & http://crazymeds.us/ & http://bipolar.about.com/cs/experience/a/sfe_lithiumwork.htm Those planning on using it should view the above, drink at least 2.5 litres of water daily, and maintain their salt levels.
See* http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?adid=1500000000000003239930&cat=546834 For Lithium Carbonate at $4/month's supply (more in CA., and 8 other US states: also try calling Target pharmaceuticals). View www.pparx.org/ and call 1-888-4PP-ANOW (1-888-477-2669), if financially disadvantaged in the USA, and seeking a bipolar medication subsidy. Also see www.needymeds.com/ & www.low-cost-rx.com/ Lithium is understandably in disfavour with the manufacturers and distributers of psychopharmaceuticals, because they can make much bigger profits on their newer product range, which is still protected by patents. It is one of the reasons why they keep churning out new ones; the other being to keep abreast of, or ahead of the competition.
I strongly doubt that the urge to produce a more effective product rates very highly in their thinking, at least at the executive, managerial, and sales levels, although, of course, I would expect them to claim otherwise. Read the whole of page 2 of this website, and particularly note the sections about treating depression without antidepressants, at the depression perception and uplift program websites, and check out the antidepressant websites, before commencing, or continuing on a course of action with such a low probability of LONG TERM effectiveness. It's YOUR LIFE, and YOUR DECISION as to whether or not to fill such a prescription, or just pocket it, and say "thank you", politely, then choose to adopt the multidimensional approach to treating the depressive phase of the disorder. Of course, this doesn't apply if hallucinations, or delusions are involved, or even huge, financially crippling spending sprees. If I wasn't a danger to myself, or others, in a manic/hypomanic phase, I'd be one of those who enjoys it too much to use mood stabilisers, but at least I WOULD MAINTAIN the treatments for depression, knowing full well that it was looming darkly on my personal horizon.
This may well demonstrate that a degree of immaturity and even possibly irresponsibility in my psychological makeup has continued into adult life, but we all have our good and bad points. It is important to understand that, during the manic phase, people often feel that they no longer need to bother continuing with those treatments, supplements, and/or herbal remedies.
Therapy should be maintained, but by itself, it is insufficient to treat this disorder. I find that, these days, I need to install, and observe the reminders that I have programmed into my cellular mobile phone, which is a bottom of the range Nokia 1112, but a $15 Personal Digital Assistant would suffice. A medicine organiser can be a good idea, as well.
HERBAL REMEDIES: Gotu Kola has been recommended by some sufferers, and may be obtained from some health food/vitamin stores, or Natures Sunshine Co. of Utah, U.S.A. Google: "supplements for bipolar disorder" - do the same with vitamins, and minerals. NEUROFEEDBACK, ELECTRICAL & MAGNETIC STIMULATION TREATMENTS: See www.depressiontreatmentsnow.com/ ( 9 volt battery: low current [amperage] ) & www.vagusnervestimulation.com/ I would consider these, and rTMS, after giving everything else a good tryout, if results were unsatisfactory, which is highly unlikely. Last on my list would be conventional ElectroConvulsive Therapy, involving sedation, a mortality rate of around 1 in 50,000 and possible permanent partial memory loss (Read: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527091907.htmNOTE: Prominent researcher, Harold Sackeim of Columbia University did not disclose payment of $500,000 from Mecta Corp; see http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-21-2006/0004495681&EDATE= and is thereby discredited! ). View: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/01/30/a-love-letter-to-ect/ and the other ECT articles there, and also check out www.cchr.org/ Church of Scientology related, but I admit they do assemble facts well). New, though is ultra brief ECT, said to be less risky.
FAMILY: : Living With Someone Who's Living With Bipolar Disorder: A Practical Guide for Family, Friends, and Coworkers by Chelsea Lowe and Bruce M. Cohen MD PhD, & Bipolar Disorder, Second Edition: A Family-Focused Treatment Approach by David Jay Miklowitz, & Bipolar Disorder: The Ultimate Guide by Sarah Owen and Amanda Saunders, from your bookstore, or amazon.com
READ: (FOR PARTNERS): Read: Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder by Julie A. Fast and John D. Preston Psy D ABPP, & When Someone You Love Is Bipolar: Help and Support for You and Your Partner by Cynthia G. Last, & Friends and Family Bipolar Survival Guide by Debra Meehl and Mark Meehl, from your bookstore, or Amazon.com. & The Bipolar Relationship: How to understand, help, and love your partner by Jon P. Bloch, Bernard Golden, and Nancy Rosenfeld, & Bipolar Disorder: The Ultimate Guide by Sarah Owen and Amanda Saunders, from your bookstore, or Amazon.com and check out the others, via their searchbar "bipolar disorder; partners" etc., and for the bipolars themselves; get them a few of the best ones. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Note that bipolar disorder is currently is much overdiagnosed, particularly with teenage girls, where mood swings are more likely to be as a result of raging hormonal fluctuations; see page R, here at Weebly).
I am confident that if those people were aware of the risks, and/or serious side effects of the medications used to treat bipolar disorder, including organ failure, and permanent tardive dyskinesia, it would be much less fashionable, and many more sufferers would opt for a trial of the alternative treatments for 6 months, to see if they were sufficient. Even if not, maintaining them as complementary treatments may well reduce the amount of prescription medication required.
The wise, and experienced mental health professional may well defer a diagnosis until the teen years have passed, when a level of stability is usually attained in early adulthood. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Keeping tabs on your symptoms of manic and depressive episodes is important so you can stop an episode before it starts. A good way to track those mood swings is in a mood diary. By Malinda Gibbons-Gwyn Medically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH Print Email Subtle changes in your personality may not seem like a big deal to you, but they can add up to a big red flag when it comes to predicting an episode of bipolar disorder.
Maybe you find yourself more excitable, a little more free with your money, staying up late, or binging on junk food. Or just before you get depressed, maybe you sleep too much or just start to stay home instead of going out with friends. Whatever the warning symptoms of a bipolar disorder episode are for you, tracking your mood swings in a mood diary can help you pinpoint when an episode is likely to occur.
“A mood diary is incredibly helpful, and I always encourage my patients to use them," says Adele C. Viguera, MD, a psychiatrist and the associate director of the perinatal and reproductive psychiatry program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "It's very hard when you're in with the doc to remember what it was like over the last month."
Dr. Viguera says that a mood diary helps both the patient and the doctor manage bipolar disorder. "The patients are, on a day-to-day basis, in tune with how they're doing, and they can take care of themselves," she says.
Mood Swings: How a Mood Diary Helps
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content. Since taking care of yourself is your top priority, every little thing that you can do helps. Keeping a symptoms diary can actually help you maintain healthy habits and ward off another episode. "When having another episode is constantly in your awareness, you're less likely to do things that are self-destructive," Viguera says.
A mood diary also helps you make better choices, says Viguera. You can identify bipolar episodes a little earlier, and that allows for earlier treatment. You can use the diary as a way to speak with your doctor, so the two of you can figure out what's going on and what you can do about it, she adds.
Mood Swings: What to Write Down
Viguera suggests that keeping a calendar to note how you're feeling on a particular day is a good start. She says to devise a simple rating system of your symptoms for a particular day — for example, "1" denotes a good day, "3" a bad day. As those ratings accumulate, it can show you patterns of your symptoms to see if you can detect what's causing them.
"There are some calendars that are devised just for folks with bipolar disorder, where you can chart whether you're on the upside or the downside," she says. "Then, the doctor will have a pattern of how you've been doing. Objectively we can look over time at the course of the symptoms."
Online mood trackers such as myPsychTracker are also available.
Mood Swings: Symptoms to Record
To get started keeping your diary of mood swings and symptoms, Viguera offers these ideas to help you figure out what to track and record:
Your sleep patterns, whether too much or not enough Your anxiety levels Your mood Changes in your diet — different foods, how much you eat Changes in menstruation for women Relationships and changes or problems in them Stressors like a move, a new job, or a new baby All of these changes can indicate an alteration in your mental health, and major stressors may be behind them. Tracking these symptoms makes it easier for you and your doctor to piece together the many clues that your life and body give you to tell when a bipolar episode may strike.
Articles in Bipolar Management Self-Help Strategies for Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder and Money Management Weight Gain and Bipolar Medications Bipolar Disorder and Pregnancy: What Are the Risks? Bipolar Disorder and Creativity: What's the Connection? Bipolar Disorder and Addiction: The Dual Diagnosis Bipolar Disorder and Sleep Problems Bipolar Disorder and the Risk of Suicide Bipolar Mood Swings: Understanding and Coping Bipolar Disorder and Disability Bipolar Support Groups Bipolar Disorder and Gender Differences Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder Coping With Bipolar Disorder on the Job Bipolar Disorder and Decision Making 9 Famous People With Bipolar Disorder Bipolar? You Can Still Quit Smoking Parenting With Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder: When Sexuality Is in Overdrive Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder Keeping a Bipolar Mood Diary Staying Healthy With Bipolar Disorder Menopause and Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Can You Drive With Bipolar Disorder? everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/keeping-a-bipolar-disorder-mood-diary.aspx _____________________________________________________________________________________ CAFFEINE ALLERGY: Be aware of this possibility. See: http://www.successfulschizophrenia.org/stories/whalen01.html and if in doubt, consider weaning off, slowly, by replacing 5% - 10% of your coffee with decaf, every week. I am informed that Folgers coffee has negligible caffeine. A list of caffeine sources is on page F, at this website, or Google: "caffeine; dietary sources"