Why Does It Matter
Did you know that 76% of Americans encountered stress or anxiety issues in the past year alone?Unfortunately, the seriousness of conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression is often understated â these issues can manifest into physical symptoms if not treated properly.Sensa is built to help you through whatever mental health issues affect you most. From burnout to procrastination, ADHD to anxiety, and everything in between.
What Happens After A Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
You may experience a mix of emotions if you receive a bipolar disorder diagnosis, including shock and sadness, but also relief and hope. Bipolar disorder is considered a lifelong condition, but there are effective treatments available for you to live a full life.
Treatments for bipolar disorder include a combination of therapy and medication. Therapy options for bipolar disorder include:
Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a chronic illness. You cannot cure it but manage it with different methods. A person with bipolar disorder can lead a fulfilling, healthy, and productive life. There are several treatments for controlling the bipolar disorder. Medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle modifications, or a combination of the two are some of the ways to treat bipolar disorder.
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What Are The Different Types Of Bipolar Disorder
There are different types of bipolar disorder.
What is bipolar disorder I disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar I disorder means you will have had at least 1 episode of mania that lasts longer than 1 week. You may also have periods of depression. Manic episodes will generally last 3-6 months if left untreated. Depressive episodes will generally last 6-12 months without treatment.
What is bipolar II disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder means it is common to have symptoms of depression. You will have had at least 1 period of major depression. And at least 1 period of hypomania instead of mania.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with mixed features?
You will experience symptoms of mania or hypomania and depression at the same time. You may hear this being called mixed bipolar state. You may feel very sad and hopeless at the same time as feeling restlessness and being overactive.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with rapid cycling?
Rapid cycling means you have had 4 or more depressive, manic or hypomanic episodes in a 12-month period.
What is bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern?
Seasonal pattern means that either your depression, mania or hypomania is regularly affected in the same way by the seasons. For example, you may find that each winter you have a depressive episode, but your mania doesnt regularly follow a pattern.
There can be some similarities between bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern and another conditional called seasonal affective disorder.
About Your Mental Health
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Screening For Bipolar Disorder
Robert M. A. Hirschfeld, MDSupplements and Featured Publications
Bipolar disorder is a recurrent and sometimes chronic illness involving episodes of depression and mania or hypomania. The most frequent presentation is depression: more than 1 of 5 primary care patients with depression have bipolar disorder. The symptoms of bipolar depression often differ from those of unipolar depression. Age of onset for bipolar disorder is usually the late teens slightly older for bipolar II subtype. Nearly all patients with bipolar disorder suffer from a comorbid psychiatric disorder, most frequently an anxiety disorder. Although the most dramatic presentation of bipolar disorder is the acutely manic patient who presents to the emergency department, this presentation is much less frequently encountered in physiciansâ offices, both primary care and psychiatric. Bipolarity is often missed in these situations. About half of bipolar patients have consulted 3 or more professionals before receiving a correct diagnosis, and the average time to first treatment is 10 years. It is imperative that clinicians carefully assess patients for bipolar disorder, especially those presenting with depression. In addition to patient and family history, administration of a screening instrument can be very helpful. The most widely used screening tool is the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. This screening tool will be discussed in this article regarding its use in outpatient clinics and the community.
What Is The Treatment For Bipolar
Treatment for bipolar includes medicines and talk therapy. Medicine can help keep moods stable. But by itself, medicine isnt enough. A person with bipolar needs talk therapy, too.
Each persons treatment is tailored to what they need. A type of talk therapy called DBT helps most people. In this therapy, people can learn skills to manage moods. For example, they can learn to:
- become more mindful of their emotions and thoughts
- manage their emotions
- cope with strong emotions in healthy ways
- set up and follow routines that help keep moods stable
- be patient and kind to themselves
- care for themselves in positive ways
- get along better with others
With time and practice, these skills can become part of a persons daily life.
Therapy also includes making goals and working out ways to move toward them. In therapy, people track their progress. Many find strengths they didnt know they had.
When possible, parents take part in treatment. This helps them understand bipolar moods and how to best respond. It can help families have less conflict, relate better, and feel closer.
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What Tests Will The Doctor Use To Make A Bipolar Diagnosis
Your doctor may have you fill out a mood questionnaire or checklist to help guide the clinical interview when they assesses mood symptoms. In addition, your doctor may order blood and urine tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms. In a toxicology screening, blood, urine, or hair are examined for the presence of drugs. Blood tests also include a check of thyroid stimulating hormone level, since depression is sometimes linked to thyroid function.
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.
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Treatment For Bipolar Disorder
If you spot the symptoms of bipolar disorder in yourself or someone else, dont wait to get help. Ignoring the problem wont make it go away in fact, it will almost certainly get worse. Living with untreated bipolar disorder can lead to problems in everything from your career to your relationships to your health. But bipolar disorder is highly treatable, so diagnosing the problem and starting treatment as early as possible can help prevent these complications.
If youre reluctant to seek treatment because you like the way you feel when youre manic, remember that the energy and euphoria come with a price. Mania and hypomania often turn destructive, hurting you and the people around you.
What Are The Complications Of Bipolar Disorder
If left untreated, bipolar disorder can lead to longer and more severe mood changes. For example, episodes of bipolar-related depression can last up to 6 months, while manic episodes can last up to 4 months without ongoing treatment.
Someone living with bipolar disorder may also have a higher risk of the following:
- unhealthy weight
- suicidal thoughts
Some of these problems may need to be managed at the same time as bipolar disorder.
With the right treatment and support, most people with bipolar disorder can live productive and fulfilling lives.
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What Is Bipolar Disorder
A person with bipolar disorder has fluctuations in their mood . They have rapid changes in energy levels . There are significant shifts in their thinking. The other name of variations is mood episodes. There are some bipolar disorder test to diagnose this disorder.
Mood episodes can range from a few hours to weeks in duration. People with bipolar disorder may go through great swings in behavior or activities. These may appear dangerous during these mood episodes. These are overspending, engaging in unsafe sexual practices, taking drugs or alcohol excessively. Its important for family and friends of those who have this condition to be aware of this. The foregoing symptoms are not limited to feelings. Ones thoughts may also shift during an episode, for example, from being terrible to being incredibly wonderful.
How Is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed
Doctors diagnose bipolar disorder on the basis of a clinical evaluation. It may consist of an interview and discussion about experiences, symptoms, and progression of those over time. There must be at least one episode of mania or hypomania for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Doctors then assess the severity of those episodes to determine the type.
A doctor may also perform a physical exam and run blood work. They do this to rule out other potential causes for symptoms aside from bipolar disorder.
One major challenge for doctors is distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression. Unipolar depression is also called major depressive disorder and has the same criteria as bipolar depression. History of mania or hypomania along with depression is part of the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, of which there are several types.
Your doctor cant diagnose bipolar disorder from a brain scan or blood test. However, new research has uncovered a possible link between the expression of a key brain molecule and the diagnosis of mood disorders.
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Bipolar Disorder Self Test
When people hear the word, mental illness, they often think of depression or schizophrenia. Those conditions should be on everyones mind. But people should be aware of bipolar disorder as well.
2.6 percent of Americans have bipolar disorder. That totals 5.7 million people. It cuts across all demographic groups, affecting men and women alike in equal proportions.
Many people are aware of a few symptoms of it. They may fill out a bipolar self-test that focuses on mood swings and feelings of anxiety.
Try this self test to see if you might have bipolar disorder:
This test should be used as an educational tool. It is not a replacement for a proper diagnosis of any mental health disorder. If you are experiencing mental health issues, please contact a professional as soon as you can. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
Ways To Help Your Child Cope
Here are some things you can do to support your child if you think they may be depressed:
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What Are The Side Effects Of Bipolar Disorder Medications
Side effects of bipolar disorder medications are common and vary by medication. Its important to talk with your healthcare provider about what you can expect when taking certain medications. Its also important to tell them if youre experiencing side effects.
Never stop taking your medication unless your healthcare provider tells you to do so. Abruptly stopping medication can cause severe side effects and trigger severe episodes.
The most common side effects of bipolar disorder medications include:
- Weight gain.
- Akathisia feelings of restlessness and agitation with a compelling need to move, rock or pace.
Diagnosis And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
While the self-test above can be an informative tool, a diagnosis needs to be made by a professional mental health expert.
Therapy and medication can be effective treatment options for Bipolar Disorder.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help people better control both their manic and depressive behaviors. Psychoeducation can help people understand themselves and their condition better. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm helps people focus on developing regular daily habits to add stability to ones life.
Medications such as antidepressants can help prevent depressive episodes. Antipsychotics may help people with severe manic episodes avoid breaks from reality. Mood stabilizers can help a person better keep a consistent mood. Anti-anxiety medications can be a short-term treatment to help treat anxiety and sleep disturbances.
Unfortunately, finding the right medication regime is difficult in people with bipolar disorder. Oftentimes different medications, or combination of medications, needed to be tested and managed by a highly skilled doctor.
If you happen to be reading this and looking for help in the Southern California area, Solara Mental Health can be an option for you. Our San Diego Mental Health Center treats disorders such as bipolar disorders. Our skilled psychiatrists and therapists may be able to provide the help youve been looking for.
Contact us today if you are looking for a proper diagnosis and treatment for your disorder.
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Does This Latest Study Offer A Conclusive Test For Bipolar Disorder
It may seem like an exciting development that a simple blood test can potentially diagnose bipolar disorder. But when asked if a blood test can provide conclusive evidence of bipolar disorder, Dr. Jeffrey Ditzell, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, answers in the negative.
Not yet. The test assay is currently being used to differentiate proBDNF that is potentially neuroinflammatory, from mBDNF that is considered neuroprotective, Ditzell told Healthline.
The test uses a cutoff for serum mBDNF levels of fewer than 12.4 nanograms per milliliter. This represents progress from previous tests, offering support for a clinical diagnosis of MDD or bipolar disorder.
However, Ditzell goes on to say that the blood test is unlikely to shift the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder in the near future.
The BDNF levels can be helpful, but the diagnosis of the condition of bipolar disorder remains a clinical one, and the tests, though supportive, should not be considered as confirmatory, at this time.
Types Of Bipolar Test
These are some that a Doctor can perform to examine if you have Bipolar Disorder:
Blood Test
This is one of the bipolar disorder test. This blood test is used to rule out other illnesses that can trigger bipolar disorder. Its also used to determine if the patient has any thyroid issues. . It may screen for anemia as well as various illnesses. You can also test vitamins and calcium using these tests.
Tests for a variety of diseases and disorders are also done, including MRA to look for organ abnormalities. Blood tests, thyroid function tests, hormone levels.
Screening Test
The doctor will now inquire about your symptoms, treatments used. He or she can also ask about other medications youre taking. He or she will enquire any other relevant information to diagnose Bipolar Disorder. These are some of the screening exams that can help:
Some Other Tests
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Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder
In the United States, doctors do not diagnose bipolar disorder formally. You can define this disorder by distinctive symptoms. These are may be difficult to identify in certain situations. After the following conditions, psychologist-or-psychiatrist generally make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder:
- You must have previously had a manic episode.
- A history of depressive symptoms appears in a persons medical records.
- Individuals with bipolar disorder frequently or throughout most of their life experience manic symptoms, according to current or past evidence.
Because detecting bipolar disorder takes many versions, the diagnosis process may take years. This is because a manic episode is defined as a period of abnormally elevated mood or euphoria. This interferes with an individuals functioning and social life, it is difficult to diagnose someone who has only had one. Even if a person fulfills all of the criteria for bipolar disorder, he or she must be examined by a mental health professional. This is to receive an accurate diagnosis.