Treatments For Bipolar Disorder - Getting Good Evidence

If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you may want to find out all you can about the medical treatments that are typically offered. When you’re looking for health information, it’s important that you get sound information based on evidence.

Medical practitioners make a big thing out of ‘evidence-based practice’. This simply means that any treatment must have evidence that it works and the risk of taking it is within acceptable limits. In practice this means that treatments are scientifically tested against other, established treatments.

So how do you know if a treatment is evidence-based? Many countries follow the decisions of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, in nations such as the US and Australia, FDA approval should mean your medicine has been scientifically tested to show that it works for your condition. (Sometimes the FDA has to think twice, but this is the general idea). Read more

Stop Anxiety

Anxiety, or generalized anxiety disorder, is characterized by excessive and exaggerated worry about daily life events.  It’s a stress disorder that can lead to deeper emotional problems and chronic stress syndrome.  In order to stop anxiety you need to learn more about what causes it and how it can affect you.

No study has yet revealed the exact cause of generalized anxiety disorder, but a number of factors have been discovered.  Genetics, environmental stressors, and brain chemistry are a few of the factors that aide in the development of anxiety.  However, it has been proven that anxiety can attract depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive order. Read more

Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder - A Mixed Bag

When I studied bipolar disorder in medical school, I thought it was very simple. You got high, you got low, you got better, then you started again.

Then I started to have painful psychological symptoms, so I looked up the books, but no disorder seemed to fit my experience very well.

The official version of the symptoms of bipolar disorder are contained in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition published by the American Psychiatric Association). This, however, didn’t throw much light on things, because to quote the Manual itself, ‘it is produced for mental health specialists, its use by people without clinical training can lead to inappropriate application of its contents.’ Great. Read more

Living With Anxiety - A Simple But Effective Anecdote

Millions of people are plagued with chronic anxiety conditions. And many others will experience anxiety problems at some point in their lives, depending upon their reaction to anxiety-provoking events. Both children and adults suffer from anxiety, which can be caused by abrupt and difficult changes in life circumstances or other upsetting problems.

Some seek counseling for their condition while others try to handle it on their own. In either case, a simple yet powerful technique for reducing anxiety can be quite helpful for most people. It’s not exotic or new, and it’s not a drug, but it works.

The technique is called exercise. Read more

Understanding Bipolar Personality

The word “bipolar” was coined to best describe a mental illness that is noted for erratic mood swings. One of the meanings of the word “pole” could be explained as being on opposite ends of a spectrum, or range of ideas, behavior, or opinions.  Euphoria and depression can be said to be polar opposites of one another in that they are two vastly different emotional states of mind. Thus, the word bipolar refers to someone who has moods that swing in succession from one end, or pole, of the emotions to the other, opposite end. Read more

Important Information About Bipolar Disorder

Despite the fact that there is ample information about bipolar disorder available in many forms, people today toss around the diagnosis of this illness in an offhand manner. If a person has a problem with their temper, he is casually dubbed as bipolar. The same goes for a person who occasionally suffers from depression. Few people realize that bipolar disorder is a serious psychiatric condition that has no cure, and is no joking matter. Read more

Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder And Their Treatment

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that involves rapid change of mood conditions. As the name implies, “bi” means two or dual and “polar” connotes polarity. By application, this means that a person with symptoms of bipolar disorder tends to abruptly change polarities from extreme happiness down to severe sadness within a short time interval. Read more

Anxiety Depression Or Bipolar Disorder

Living with bipolar disorder is difficult. It not only affects your emotional well-being, but also your ability to think clearly and use proper judgment. Normal energy, sleep habits, and appetite are also influenced in a negative way.

Anxiety and depression or bipolar disorder is especially difficult to deal with on a day to day basis. The symptoms vary among individuals, but can include feelings of agitation when you are especially anxious. This agitation can manifest itself as an inability to be still. Restless, mindless pacing is common, as well as an almost overwhelming “keyed up” feeling. Read more

Bipolar Support Groups - The People Who Can Be Depended On

Bipolar disorder is a very serious matter to deal with. The mood swings between mania and depression is difficult to comprehend especially if one hasn’t experienced them previously. Patients need bipolar support groups to help them tackle this problem. You can extend your help by being part of that group.

Suppose you have a friend or family who is undergoing bipolar medication or treatment, the best you can offer is guide them to their needs. That’s because you simply don’t have any idea of the difficulties bipolar patients are going through. Read more

Childhood Bipolar Disorder - Thirteen Complications

Manic depression is the most commonly used term for bipolar disorder. It is the abrupt change of opposing moods at extreme episodes. One moment, a person may be enjoying his or her natural high. Within a very short period, that person suddenly slumps into an extremely depressive state. If you happen to have a child who has these tendencies, you may have to have him checked with a childhood bipolar disorder test. Read more

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