ARE U BIPOLAR?

[Dot]

If so, what are the symptons and how do you treat it?

[AtariLegend]

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal" mood, but in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.

Medication

The mainstay of treatment is a mood stabilizer medication such as Lithium Carbonate or Lamotrigine. There is an evidence based review which shows these two drugs are the most effective. Lamotrigine has been found to be best for preventing depressions. ; these two drugs comprise several unrelated compounds which have been shown to be effective in preventing relapses of manic, or in the one case, depressive episodes. The first known and "gold standard" mood stabilizer is lithium, while almost as widely used is sodium valproate, also used as an anticonvulsant. Other anticonvulsants used in bipolar disorder include carbamazepine, reportedly more effective in rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and lamotrigine, which is the first anticonvulsant shown to be of benefit in bipolar depression.

Treatment of the agitation in acute manic episodes has often required the use of antipsychotic medications, such as Quetiapine, Olanzapine and Chlorpromazine. More recently, Olanzapine and Quetiapine have been approved as effective monotherapy for the maintenance of bipolar disorder. A head-to-head randomized control trial in 2005 has also shown olanzapine monotherapy to be as effective and safe as lithium in prophylaxis.

The use of antidepressants in bipolar disorder has been debated, with some studies reporting a worse outcome with their use triggering manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes, especially if no mood stabiliser is used. However, most mood stabilizers are of limited effectiveness in depressive episodes. Rapid cycling can be induced or made worse by antidepressants, unless there is adjunctive treatment with a mood stabilizer. One large-scale study found that depression in bipolar disorder responds no better to an antidepressant with mood stabilizer than it does to a mood stabilizer alone.Recent research indicates that triacetyluridine may help improve symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Also, Topamax (generic name topiramate) is an anticonvulsant often prescribed as a mood stabilizer. It is an off-label use when used to treat bipolar disorder.

Alternative treatment

Psychosocia

Psychotherapy is aimed at alleviating core symptoms, recognizing episode triggers, reducing negative expressed emotion in relationships, recognizing prodromal symptoms before full-blown recurrence, and, practicing the factors that lead to maintenance of remission. Cognitive behavioural therapy, family-focused therapy, and psychoeducation have the most evidence for efficacy in regard to relapse prevention, while interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy appear the most effective in regard to residual depressive symptoms. Most studies have been based only on bipolar I, however, and treatment during the acute phase can be a particular challenge. Some clinicians emphasize the need to talk with individuals experiencing mania, to develop a therapeutic alliance in support of recovery.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

[Axl4Prez2004]

Yes!!!...ummm, I mean no!!!

[Bandita]

If you think you might have this disorder you should see a doctor, not ask for advice on a GNR message board.

[TAP]

If you think you might have this disorder you should see a doctor, not ask for advice on a GNR message board.

Where's the fun in that?

[D]

I have never been clinically diagnosed *never been to a psychologist* but I definitely have all the symptoms.

Good diet, Sleep and exercise keeps me in check

if I don't do all three, I am a mess.

I would refrain from medication if at all possible, I just think medicine has interesting affects on a lot of people and they aren't always positive.

[Dot]

I just brought it up because, if you think about it, it is indeed a very annoying thing to suffer from but it has an interesting side: art. There?s TONS of celebrities, poets, musicians, film directors, etc... that suffer from it. So it is linked directly with creativity.
As for the treatment, I understand that convetional medicine can be not so good..I?ve seen people taking medicine for this kind of disorders and they, sometimes, appear lost and zoned out.

[greekmule]

very few people suffer from true bipolar disorder. most suffer from cyclothymic disorder, a much milder form.

a textbook example of a manic episode(mania is required for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder) is the following:

a guy who doesn't sleep much (decreased need for sleep)and spends a lot of money in order to buy expensive clothes (shopping sprees)  gets arrested trying to enter the white house. he doesn't stop talking to the policemen (pressure to keep talking) and keeps telling them that he wants to meet with the president in order to organize a telethon to cure AIDS (ideas of grandiosity). When the policemen try to keep him away, he becomes aggressive (psychomotor agitation)

[cjmax02]

yeppers I was told I was bipolar (we'd like to put you on lithium), then I was told I was cyclothymic (take 6 of these quetiapine day and you'll be fiiine) and then....I said FUCK YOU DOCTOR PRICK I'M NOT TAKING YOUR STUPID PILLS ANYMORE.  -

I'm a thousand times more stable without the meds!

Like D says - medication does fuckin' weird things to a person.  I stopped dreaming and it didn't stop my behaviour at all....just made me walk an' talk like a zombie.  So not golden.


-singing along with that la-la bit in Catcher...-

[Lisa]

I thought you were from another planet? or universe??

didn't they have a cure for it before you came here?

[norway]

how do you treat it?

I think some of these diseases can also be cured by the root, as often is inherited.

To have people contemplate more before having children.

[Bandita]

I thought you were from another planet? or universe??

didn't they have a cure for it before you came here?

 

In all seriousness if you read any DSM IV criteria for any mental illness chances are that you will find that you have some of the symptoms.  Hence why you need a doctor, not a message board.  Mental Illness is the same as any other, it needs treatment.  Would you come on here and ask us how to deal with your cancer or diabetes?

Just 'cause you have access to WEB MD doesn't make you an expert.

Medication is trial and error, the same drug or combination thereof does not work for every person.

Norway, your views on things continue to remind me of Hitler.  No offense of course but maybe you might want to think before you actually type something out.  Should black people not procreate because they are more prone to Sickle Cell Anemia?  Every single person has GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO SOMETHING, there is no PUREBRED as YOU seem to think there is.

[*Timothy*]

True^^

But i will say assholes should never reproduce.

[Lisa]

^ true ..
there should be a blood test you have to take....more brown then red, do not bed..

[*Timothy*]

^ true ..
there should be a blood test you have to take....more brown then red, do not bed..

no bed , but spew it into a sock then throw it at the bottom of the laundry basket.

[Bandita]

LOL@ predisposition to asshole-ism.  Indeed they should make such a test.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

There are so many undiagnosed cases it is almost sad....I was raised by one of them.....

[Bandita]

There are so many undiagnosed cases it is almost sad....I was raised by one of them.....

an asshole or a bipolar?

[Jim Bob]

i've dated a few girls who were bi-polar

[Dot]

Almost like dating Jekyll and Hyde.