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

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

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

Bipolar Research - Relying On Facts

The term “bipolar disorder” has only been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association since the DSM III version in 1980. While early research concluded little more than the fact that there are indeed significant differences between mania and depression, more recent bipolar research characterizes the condition in terms of the polarization of those two particular states. Read more

Take A Bipolar Quiz

How much do you know about bipolar disorder? Take this bipolar quiz and find out. The following statements can be answered “True” or “False”.  Answers can be found below the last question:

There are times when people notice that my moods seem to change quite a bit. I will have lots more energy than usual and feel as if I am so very happy I could give the whole world a hug. Read more

Bipolar Medicine - How Do You Know If You Need It?

Abrupt mood swings alternating between mania and depressive episodes is not normal. This is a mental illness that is referred to as bipolar disorder. In layman’s term, this is recognized as manic depression. Unfortunately, this problem can only be suppressed temporarily by a bipolar medicine.

There is no known permanent cure for this sickness. However, diagnosed bipolar patients are usually issued with a prescription. Another issue here is the fact that a bipolar medicine may have serious side effects. The safest way to obtain them for treatment is to always consult your doctor. Read more

Mixed Bipolar Disorder - The Two Types Of The Disease

Mixed bipolar disorder is classified into two types. The type which is known as a mixed state is when both the symptoms of depression and of mania are present simultaneously; the other is rapid cycling. Each presents its own unique set of difficulties; and each requires its own mode of treatment.

Mixed State Classification Read more

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