Parents: Don’t Miss Out On Opportunities To Help Your Child At School
Children with bipolar disorder often need special assistance at school. They can have trouble focusing, have anger issues and be easily tormented by other children. Also, it’s quite common for a bipolar child to have co-morbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to take medications at school. You need to know your child’s rights and implement the available programs.
What Are The Long
Bipolar disorder is a life-long and often recurring illness. You may need long term support to help manage your condition.
What medication options are there?
Your doctor will look at what medication worked for you during episodes of mania or depression. They should ask you whether you want to continue this treatment or if you want to change to lithium.
Lithium usually works better than other types of medication for long-term treatment. Your doctor should give you information about how to take lithium safely. If lithium doesn’t work well enough or causes you problems, you may be offered:
- Valproate,
- Olanzapine, or
- Quetiapine.
Your doctor should monitor your health. Physical health checks should be done at least once a year. These checks will include:
- measuring your weight,
- checking your liver and heart, and
- checking your pulse and blood pressure.
What psychological treatments are recommended?
You should be offered a psychological therapy that is specially designed for bipolar disorder. You could have individual or group therapy.
The aim of your therapy is to stop you from becoming unwell again. This is known as relapse. Your therapy should help you to:
If you live with your family or are in close contact with them, you should also be offered family intervention.
Family intervention is where you and your family work with mental health professionals to help to manage relationships. This should be offered to people who you live with or who you are in close contact with.
Coping With Bipolar Disorder
Living with bipolar disorder can be challenging, but there are ways to help make it easier for yourself, a friend, or a loved one.
- Get treatment and stick with itrecovery takes time and its not easy. But treatment is the best way to start feeling better.
- Keep medical and therapy appointments, and talk with the provider about treatment options.
- Take all medicines as directed.
- Structure activities: keep a routine for eating and sleeping, and make sure to get enough sleep and exercise.
- Learn to recognize your mood swings.
- Ask for help when trying to stick with your treatment.
- Be patient improvement takes time. Social support helps.
Remember, bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness, but long-term, ongoing treatment can help control symptoms and enable you to live a healthy life.
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Bipolar Disorder And Infidelity: Why It Happens
Infidelity is common in bipolar disorder, and sadly, it can inflict lasting damage to a bipolar relationship. Of course, there are many reasons for infidelity within a marriage or committed relationship, and its important to remember that having bipolar disorder does not mean you cant be faithful to a romantic partner.
Extramarital sex is often described as a symptom of mania in bipolar disorder, but while these symptoms can explain infidelity, having bipolar disorder is not an excuse to cheat. The more you understand why bipolar disorder and infidelity are so common, the faster you can treat your bipolar symptoms and seek help for this common issue. With this in mind, let’s look at why bipolar and infidelity often co-exist and find ways to combat the problem.
They Miss Perceiving The World As They Did Prior To The Disorder
Depression and mania can cause ones perception of the world to change dramatically. This can be both exhausting and frustrating. When the medications start to balance out and things begin to stabilize, the individual may again see things through a more normal lens. This can be a great feeling, but it can also be frightening because its unclear if this will last.
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What Do You Do To Keep Well
Keeping well when you have bipolar is an interesting concept. For some it revolves exclusively around manging moods. For others it means fitting life around moods.
For me, and others like me who are deep into a recovery that seems to be holding, its about keeping an eye, and investing in the things that help us all boost our mental health.
For many, if not most people with bipolar, life and keeping well includes taking medication.
Blogger Tanya said:
The thing I most prioritise with keeping myself well is to be strict in taking my medication. Missing doses or tweaking them without professional help can be devastating.
Again, Im going to buck the trend and say I dont take medication routinely. I took lithium for a decade, and then wanted, once I knew myself and had done my research, to try tapering off. That was eight years ago, and Ive managed it. I did it carefully, over two years, with support, whilst learning other techniques.
Cait agrees:
For 13 years, I took medication, but in the past six months, I’ve been trying to cope without it. So I have to be super careful, and alas, super boring. I don’t drink a lot, I have relatively early nights when I can.
Bipolar can also be triggered by trauma, or other life events and sometimes part of therapy is addressing underlying concerns to get someone to a point where they can start to see a life worth living.
Anna said:
Hannah has a rigid menu:
People With Bipolar Disorder Can Live Normal Happy Lives
Bradley points out that people are not aware that there are lots of people who have the condition, including leaders of major corporations and musicians. viewed us as defective, yet the evidence is to the contrary.
Emma says, Just because I’m managing, just because I have a life where I can be a full-time college student with two jobs, doesn’t mean I don’t have bipolar disorder anymore.
And Andrea wants to remind others that people with bipolar disorder arent necessarily suffering. Don’t judge and don’t make assumptions. Many famous, talented, productive people have dealtI hate the word sufferwith bipolar disorder, she says. There’s something to be said for the blasts of creativity that occur.
*Name has been changed.
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Information For Family Carers And Friends
How can I get support?
You can speak to your GP. You should be given your own assessment through NHS mental health services to work out what effect your caring role is having on your health. And what support you need. Such as practical support and emergency support.
These are some other options for you:
- Join a carers service
- Join a carers support group
- Ask your local authority for a carers assessment
- Read about the condition
- Apply for welfare benefits for carers
Rethink Mental Illness run carers support groups in some areas. You can also search for groups on the Carers Trust website:
- Rethink Mental Illness: www.rethink.org/about-us/our-support-groups
- Carers Trust: www.carers.org/search/network-partners
How can I support the person I care for?
You might find it easier to support someone with bipolar disorder if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills.
You should be aware of what you can do if you are worried about their mental state. It can be helpful to know contact information for their mental health team or GP.
You could find out from your relative if they have a crisis plan. You could help your relative to make a crisis plan if they dont have one.
As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. But you dont have a legal right to this. The medical team should encourage the person that you care for to allow information to be shared with you.
You can find out more information about:
A Common Disorder It Can Be So Severe That It Can Make Daily Tasks Feel Impossible But With The Right Care It Can Be Successfully Managed And Treated
We all experience shifts in our moods at times. However, some people feel changes in mood differently. For people with bipolar disorder, experiencing heightened emotions and depressive states are often so intense that they interfere with everyday life.
Bipolar disorder is both common and treatable.
If you or someone you love has BD, a thoughtful and informed support system can help ensure symptoms are successfully managed.
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Millions Of Adults In The Us Have This Mental Illness But It’s Often Misunderstood
by Michelle Crouch, AARP, January 13, 2021
En español | Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy levels and behavior. People with the disorder experience profound emotional highs and extreme lows .
Formerly known as manic depression, bipolar disorder affects about 7.1 million adult Americans, or about 2.8 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
People who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder have an increased chance of having the disorder themselves, but it can also emerge when there’s no genetic link.
Unfortunately, bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed, and many misperceptions about the disorder remain. Here are six things to know about bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder And Accountability
Accountability with bipolar disorder can be tricky.
If you do a Google search, some people fall on both sides of the fence some people believe that regardless of the condition, we are all responsible for our actions, while others believe that we have no control over our actions when in certain states, such as a manic state.
Regardless of how you feel in this debate, one thing is for certain you can take control of your condition and be accountable for taking charge of your health. You can be responsible for learning how to make decisions to the best of your ability.
Learning decision-making skills can help you in all aspects of your life.
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Find What Works For You
King finds relief through self-reflection, frequent exercise, multiple hobbies, and having creative outlets. For Ayetoro, journaling and deep breathing practices help to bring her peace. Most people we interviewed are thankful for taking medication.
But what works for one person may not work for the next.
Howard encourages folks to try different things and not be afraid to fail. Every failed coping skill attempt gets you closer to what will work.
Consider combining these approaches for a more holistic treatment plan. Speak with a mental health professional to figure out what might work best for you.
Helpful Resources For Bipolar
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services has a free, confidential 24/7 National Helpline for 365-day-a-year information and referrals with services in English and Spanish for families facing mental health and substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP .
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline at 1-800-273-TALK . The toll-free TTY number is 1-800-799-4TTY . You also can text the Crisis Text Line or go to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance offers online support groups, in-person support groups, and youth support groups.
International Bipolar Association Crisis Line in the US, or view their list of international hotlines.
Center for Clinical Interventions has workbooks, work sheets, and information sheets available to learn more about bipolar disorders, list and track symptoms, and learn about managing your illness.
Stats from NAMI:
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
- 1 in 25 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
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Is Bipolar And Lying A Perfect Storm
The symptoms of mania lead to a series of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that create a predisposition for the affected person to telling lies. When several, or all, of these symptoms are combined, the likelihood of lying compounds and amplifies. Lying and mania share the same dark core. Wish fulfillment, selfishness, delusion, deceit, egomania, self-gratification, escapism these are words often used to describe the psychic landscape of the liar and are strikingly similar to the experience of bipolar mania.1
In my opinion, Bipolar Disorder and lying go hand in hand with Bipolar grandiosity, diminished need for sleep, racing thoughts, and overall impulsivity and impaired judgment. The person with Bipolar Disorder may be experiencing a powerful sense of superiority and entitlement, and/or an unshakable conviction they are above the rules and/or an aching feeling of being misunderstood and under-appreciated this is the perfect storm for lying!
Remember, when a person is grandiose, they dont just believe they are special. It is a conviction of being superior. This means having more value than others and more importance than others. It is a hierarchical perception. The grandiose, Bipolar liar is not just the center of their own delusional universe they are above others. This may mean also being above the usual norms of behavior. It is a special sense of immunity and entitlement.2
Also, Bipolar liars may be expressing their heightened creativity through lies.
What Can I Do To Manage My Symptoms
You can learn to manage your symptoms by looking after yourself. Selfcare is how you take care of your diet, sleep, exercise, daily routine, relationships and how you are feeling.
What lifestyle changes can I make?
Making small lifestyle changes can improve your wellbeing and can help your recovery.
Routine helps many people with their mental wellbeing. It will help to give a structure to your day and may give you a sense of purpose. This could be a simple routine such as eating at the same time each day, going to bed at the same time each day and buying food once per week.
Your healthcare professionals should offer you a combined healthy eating, exercise and sleep programme.
You can find more information about wellbeing any physical health at:www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/living-with-mental-illness/wellbeing-physical-health/.
What are support groups?
You could join a support group. A support group is where people come together to share information, experiences and give each other support.
You might be able to find a local group by searching online. The charity Bipolar UK have an online support group. They also have face to face support groups in some areas of the country. Their contact details are in the Useful contacts at the bottom of this page.
What are recovery colleges?
Unfortunately, recovery colleges arent available in all areas. To see if there is a recovery college in your area you can use a search engine such as Google.
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Everybody Has Mood Swings Sometimes
That’s true. For one thing, 8% of American adults and 4% of adolescents have major depressive disorder, having periods of euthymia and depression. Even among those who do not have a diagnosable disorder that has mood swings, people have changes in mood. But only people with bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, schizoaffective disorder, and related severe mental illnesses have repeated and severe mood swings between mania or hypomania and depression.
Learn The Side Effects Of Your Medication
Ask your doctor about medications that are the least likely to have sexual side effects. There are also medications available that help people, with or without bipolar disorder, to have a healthy sex life.
They include:
- ED pills such as sildenafil and tadalafil
Bupropion may assist with low libido. The Food and Drug Administration hasnt approved bupropion for the treatment of low libido. However, your doctor may prescribe it anyway. This is known as off-label drug use.
OFF-LABEL DRUG USE
Off-label drug use is when a drug thats approved by the Food and Drug Administration for one purpose is used for a different purpose that hasnt yet been approved.
However, a doctor can still use the drug for that purpose. This is because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of drugs, but not how doctors use drugs to treat their patients.
So your doctor can prescribe a drug however they think is best for your care.
Medications used to address the sexual side effects of bipolar disorder come with their own side effects, too.
According to case studies, bupropion may worsen hypersexuality in some men and women who are taking the medication to help treat depression. If bupropion is prescribed to someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder and theyre experiencing a manic episode, hypersexuality may get exasperated.
Side effects of ED pills are mostly mild, but they may include headache, flushing, and a stuffy or runny nose.
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How Is Nimh Addressing Bipolar Disorder
The National Institute of Mental Health conducts and supports research on bipolar disorder that increases our understanding of its causes and helps develop new treatments. Researchers continue to study genetics and bipolar disorder, brain function, and symptoms in children and teens who have bipolar disorder, as well as family history in health and behavior.
Learn more about NIMHs research priorities and current studies.
How Bipolar Disorder Is Diagnosed And Treated
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness. While some people with BD may have a single episode of mania, often people experience more than one mood episode.
If not treated, BD tends to get worse over time with more frequent, more intense episodes.
The key is to treat the symptoms, so episodes can be managed. Between episodes, people with BD may be free from mood changes. Others may have lingering symptoms. By sticking to a well-rounded treatment plan, it is possible to manage symptoms effectively.
To diagnose BD, a doctor may perform a physical exam and ask questions to rule out other illnesses that may resemble bipolar disorder. To be diagnosed, a person must have at least one episode of mania and one episode of depression. A mental health professional will assess symptoms, patterns in symptoms, and their severity to determine the type of bipolar disorder it may be.
Similar to other mental health issues, bipolar disorder is treated through a combination of things, including medication, therapies, or a variety of other activities. In addition, developing healthy routines including regular sleep, exercise, and avoiding substance use are helpful for people with BD.
The foundation of successful BD treatment involves prescription medications and therapy. The vast majority of people who seek appropriate medical care make some degree of meaningful recovery.
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