What Exactly Is Hypersexuality
Hypersexuality can exist as a sign of bipolar disorder or on its own. Also referred to as compulsive sexual behavior or sexual addiction, hypersexuality is described as a dysfunctional preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are difficult to control. This compulsive behavior can cause distress and can negatively affect a persons job, health, relationships, and other aspects of life.
Hypersexual disorder is a controversial diagnosis, however, partly because there is no formal definition for hypersexuality.
Its not unusual for people to experience a heightened sense of sexuality during a manic episode. And while an increased interest in sexuality on its own does not present a problem, when the heightened sense of sexuality is paired with the symptoms of bipolar mania such as impulsivity, risk-taking, and poor judgment the behavior can be destructive to many aspects of day-to-day life.
Just as there is no single cause for bipolar disorder, there is no clear-cut cause for the symptom of hypersexuality. But its thought that chemical imbalances in the brain may be contributing factors for both.
Experts aren’t sure why some people with bipolar disorder experience symptoms of hypersexuality and others do not.
Mania is one of the two main episodes that someone with bipolar disorder may experience, while hypomania is a milder form of mania. “Hypersexuality can be one of the characteristic symptoms of both,” says Dr. Viguera. Other symptoms include:
What Are The Signs Of Depression
With both bipolar I and bipolar II, the depression is the same. Symptoms may include:
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Feeling sad. Often, you dont want to do anythingincluding activities you once loved. You can feel hopeless, empty, and unworthy.
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Endless exhaustion. People who are depressed feel so lethargic they dont even get out of bed, even after a full eight hours of shuteye.
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Sleep issues. If you’re depressed, you may have difficulty falling asleep or may wake up before morning, unable to fall back to sleep. Or you might snooze too much, because a full nights rest doesnt feel like enough.
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Difficulty concentrating. Simple questions seem too much to think about.
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Appetite changes. People in a depressed state can eat either too much or too little.
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Suicidal thoughts. The depression can get so bad, people with depression may even contemplate suicide. If this is you, contact a professional immediately, or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
To read more about the symptoms of depression , .
Find Help With Bipolar Disorder
Please contact us at if you are interested in learning more about treatment options for bipolar disorder. For any concerns\questions you might have, you can reach us 24/7. We will also help you connect with the right treatment and services to match your needs and show that what you or your loved ones have isnt Self-absorption.
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Treatment Of Comorbid Adhd And Bipolar Disorder
The symptoms of ADHD and bipolar disorder can overlap to some degree and result in misdiagnoses for one or the other condition. Treatment of patients with comorbid bipolar disorder and ADHD is complicated by the fact that bipolar disorder is frequently treated with mood stabilizers, while ADHD is often treated with stimulant medication. Stimulant medications have a risk of exacerbating manic episodes for someone with bipolar disorder.
Recent research has shown some success in using both types of medications for these patients, but it must be monitored. The overall health impacts and the higher risk of suicide that accompany bipolar disorder make it imperative for individuals with ADHD to begin treatment as early as possible when symptoms of the condition first appear.
Focus On Continuous Treatment
For successful management of symptoms, a person needs to be committed to continued treatment and ongoing communication with a mental health specialist. As their partner, you can provide the support and encouragement required to have regular checkups.
Additionally, as someone who knows them well, you can notice any troubling symptoms when they first appear so they can schedule an appointment right away. When addressed promptly, an episode onset can be prevented, and a symptom-free period can continue.
Sometimes it is a matter of changing the medicine or the dosage.
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What Does Bipolar Disorder Look Like Generally
Mood swings are as human as pooping and social media-ing. But when attitude shifts and irregularities in behavior become regular, intense, and noticeable, theyre no longer typical mood swingsand it’s possible you could have bipolar disorder. Depending on the severity of the condition, bipolar can mess with your relationships, your job, and even your day-to-day functioning. That said: Being aware of your situation and taking medication go a long way, and when in treatment, most people with bipolar disorder can have meaningful relationships and a fulfilling life.
More specifics about what makes bipolar, well, bipolar: It involves consummate highscalled maniaand very low lows, or depression. Because depression can factor into other diagnoses, you must have had at least one manic episode to get a diagnosis of bipolar. At that point, your doctor or psychiatrist will ask additional questions to determine which type of bipolar you have.
Bipolar Type : Misdiagnosis
Due to the difficulty of diagnosing Bipolar 2 disorder, it can easily be falsely diagnosed. Misdiagnoses are often the result of neurochemical changes as a result of someone that has pursued psychiatric treatment for another condition. Over time, psychiatric medications can alter brain chemistry and lead a person to behave abnormally. In some of these cases, a person will experience medication-induced hypomania and/or discontinuation-induced mood swings.
Although over time a persons brain will revert to homeostatic functioning after discontinuation from psychiatric treatments, many psychiatrists see evidence of hypomania and assume that it was a result of Bipolar 2 rather than induced from neurochemical changes stemming from psychiatric treatment. They may also assume that it was latent and the person has always had Bipolar 2 disorder, when they never did.
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How Bipolar Disorder Can Affect The Work Of The Nurse
Bipolar disorder is very hard to live with and can affect many aspects of your life.
It will definitely change a lot in your relationships, friendships, and may even impact some of the jobs that you get.
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Optimally, you should seek therapy and fix your problems before you seek out a position as a nurse long-term.
Being a nurse is still very difficult and having bipolar disorder can be a major blow to your productivity in the workplace.
Some days, you will be the best person working in that hospital and objectively be number one in getting work done.
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Other days when you dont feel like yourself, youre going to be wishing that you werent at the hospital and that you didnt have to communicate with other doctors or patients.
Even for those who are mentally healthy, this is a difficult status to maintain and is something they really have to be dedicated to.
For a nurse with bipolar disorder, their situation is probably a lot worse.
They dont have to do as much work, but that also means their mind is going to be occupied with serious problems some days.
In the best scenario, it wont affect their job but is maybe a sign to take time off and see a therapist.
In the worst of situations, it can mean very bad situations and possible malpractice in the hospital.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms
A person with bipolar disorder will go through episodes of mania and at other times experience episodes of depression . These aren’t the normal periods of happiness and sadness that everyone experiences from time to time. Instead, the episodes are intense or severe mood swings, like a pendulum that keeps arcing higher and higher.
Symptoms of mania include:
- anger, worry, and anxiety
- thoughts of death or suicide
In adults, episodes of mania or depression usually last for weeks or months, although they can be shorter in length. In children and adolescents, though, these episodes can be much shorter, and a kid or teen can even go back and forth between mania and depression throughout the day.
Episodes of mania or depression may happen irregularly and follow an unpredictable pattern or they may be linked, with a manic episode always following a period of depression, or vice versa. Sometimes episodes have a seasonal pattern. Mania in the spring, for example, may be followed by depression in the winter.
Between episodes, someone with bipolar disorder usually returns to normal functioning. For some people, though, there is little or no “break period” between their cycles. These mood swing cycles can change slowly or rapidly, with rapid cycling between mania and depression being much more common in women, children, and adolescents.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder symptoms can make it difficult to deal with day-to-day life. It can have a bad effect on your relationships and work. The different types of symptoms are described below.
Mania
Symptoms of mania can include:
- feeling happy or excited, even if things arent going well for you,
- being full of new and exciting ideas,
- moving quickly from one idea to another,
- racing thoughts,
- sleeping too much or not being able to sleep,
- eating less or over eating,
- losing or gaining weight, when you dont mean to, and
- thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts.
Psychosis
Sometimes you can have psychotic symptoms during a severe episode of mania or depression. Symptoms of psychosis can be:
- hallucinations. This means that you may hear, see, or feel things that are not there, and
- delusions. This means you may believe things that arent true. Other people will usually find your beliefs unusual.
Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder can reflect your mood. For example, if you have a manic episode you may believe that you have special powers or are being monitored by the government. If you have depressive episode, you may feel very guilty about something you think you have done. You may feel that you are worse than anybody else or feel that you don’t exist.
You can find more information about:
- Depression by clicking here.
Now We Know The Difference Where To Now
For people living with bipolar recovery is possible. Combining medication with a healthy lifestyle and support from community services and health professionals is an effective way to manage and respond to symptoms.
Charlotte is a SANE Speaker who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder ten years ago. She says shes made mistakes, but has learnt and continues to refine the management of her symptoms.
After the confusion, relief, blaming and identity crisis, I knew I had to sort myself out with help from doctors, medication, therapy, and family understanding, she says.
I kept going and Ive become a better human being. I know my own vulnerabilities and accept them. I know my stress triggers, how to step back, take a breath, regroup my feelings and then I can deal with it.
Yes, Ive stuffed up occasionally, but Ive learnt. Having bipolar disorder doesnt define me, but its helped me to teach my mind to be clearer.
For information about mental illness, including bipolar disorder, visit SANE Facts & Guides, or contact the SANE Help Centre on 1800 18 7263 .
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New Hope For Bipolar 2 Treatment
The inclusion of bipolar 2 in the DSM gave a voice to people who previously lacked words for their suffering. It also signaled to pharmaceutical researchers that this is a legitimate illness, one that is qualitatively different than bipolar 1, that needs its own discrete treatment.
Historically, medication options for bipolar disorder have focused primarily on controlling mania, making them largely unsuitable for an illness in which mania was not present. At the same time, antidepressants like SSRIs are usually inappropriate for the treatment of bipolar depression not only are they often ineffective, they increase the risk of manic episodes as well as intensifying the number of total mood episodes, including depression.
Due to these limitations, we are now seeing the release of a new generation of medications which can address the unique features of bipolar 2 disorder, including some atypical antipsychotics. Such medications seek to address bipolar depression while preventing ascension to hypomania, an imperative part of preventing future depressive episodes and suicidal ideation.
Distinctions Between Bp I And Ii Plus The Unique Challenges Of Living With Bp Ii
Posted October 28, 2012
I’m struck by how many times I see patients that have previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and they dont know whether they are bipolar I or II. Furthermore if they have been diagnosed with bipolar II they will often say something like – “I have the milder form of the disorder.” While hypomania associated with bipolar II is less destabilizing than the mania seen in bipolar I, it doesn’t necessarily make bipolar II easier to live with. In fact, sometimes it can be just the opposite.
Bipolar disorder represents a very broad spectrum of experience broad enough, that the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV-TR separates the disorder into two diagnoses: bipolar I and bipolar II . Let’s look at what these two ranges of the bipolar spectrum have in common as well as what distinguishes them from each other:
To begin with, we have the depressive end of the diagnosis. With both BP I and II, an individual must have a history of at least one major depressive episode. Major depression is severe depression lasting two weeks or longer. For some with the disorder, depression is clearly a factor but it’s not the piece that creates the most difficulty. Conversely, there are those who are stuck in fairly serious depression much of the time. For these individuals, the depressive end of the bipolar continuum is their nemesis.
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When To See A Doctor
There are two ways to know if you need to see a doctor regarding your symptoms, Miklowitz says. The first is if you answer yes to any of the following questions:
- Am I unable to do my work?
- Is it difficult to get through the day?
- Am I feeling anxious or depressed?
- Am I flying high and making reckless choices?
The second way is when other people express being disturbed or worried about changes in your behavior, whether you agree with them or not. Miklowitz says the following questions from friends indicate your symptoms are starting to affect your interactions with others:
- Is something going on with you?
- You seem to be acting recklessly, are you okay?
- You seem to be having a tough time at work, is there something going on?
Treatment for all bipolar disorders typically involves medication and regular psychotherapy.
The Three Symptoms Below Represent The Side Of Bipolar Disorder We All Know Is There But Rarely Want To Let The Public Know Exists
I know how important it is to protect the reputation of bipolar disorder in the general public. We dont want people thinking we are dangerous, scary, crazy people who cant be trusted. But I do feel we need to own up to the fact that certain mood swings DO cause the behaviors we want to sweep under the carpet. The three symptoms below represent the side of bipolar disorder we all know is there but rarely want to let the public know exists. This is only an opinion, of course, but Im truly interested to know if you feel the same.
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The Benefits Of Intensive Treatment And Long
While short-term residential treatment programs may be suitable for some, long-term residential care is often necessary for those with more severe or complex needs. Longer duration of care means more opportunities for clinicians to observe mood episodes and tailor pharmacological treatment to address them. Simultaneously, you can begin to deeply explore the roots of your distress and replace damaging emotional and behavioral patterns with healthy alternatives, expanding your ability to effectively cope with your disorder, so you can live the life you want to live.
But one of the most powerful tools we have for healing isnt found in a therapy room or a prescription padits found in everyday living. Within the context of a therapeutic community, your everyday life can become a profound therapeutic experience, giving you continuous opportunities to learn from others who are on their own healing journeys. In the company of peers who understand your struggles, you can share stories, responsibilities, meals, joys, conflicts, and accomplishments.
What Is The Outlook
Bipolar disorder isnt curable. But with proper treatment and support from family and friends, you can manage your symptoms and maintain your quality of life.
Its important that you follow your doctors instructions regarding medications and other lifestyle choices. This includes:
Including your friends and family members in your care can be especially helpful.
Its also helpful to learn as much as you can about bipolar disorder. The more you know about the condition, the more in control you may feel as you adjust to life after diagnosis.
You may be able to repair strained relationships. Educating others about bipolar disorder may make them more understanding of hurtful events from the past.
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Different Treatments For Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is usually treated with:
- Other forms of therapy and counseling that may include family members
- Electroconvulsive therapy, also called “shock therapy” because small electrical waves are used
The right combination of these various therapies can reduce or eliminate bipolar mood changes between mania and depression, as well as prevent or reduce symptoms, including hypersexuality.
Those symptoms of hypersexuality may be a red flag for some people with bipolar disorder indicating that they are slipping into a manic episode. If a person with bipolar starts to notice themselves thinking more about sex or engaging in promiscuous behavior, she should notify her doctor of this onset of symptoms.
Additional reporting by Barbara Kean.