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Sunday, January 25, 2009

A Closer Look at Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

By Ken P Doyle

Teenagers and adults are the more common victims of bipolar even though this disorder affects people of any age group. Bipolar can be very hard to self-diagnose sometimes, especially due to the fact that the symptoms of bipolar disorders are very similar to those of a lot of other mental disorders. What makes this even harder for people to realize that what they are experiencing is already symptoms of bipolar is that there different types of bipolar.

Depression Episodes

During a depressive episode comes one of the classic symptoms of bipolar. This is a decrease in pleasure and interest in the activities of daily living. The mood here can be very different to the standard moods and interests of normal individuals. The person with this would feel like he or she is in a state of depression, which can occur with or without causes at all. Sadness or emptiness is additional moods that can be described as in this state. Acting in these ways often calls for ridicules from people around those with bipolar. Another effect that this phase of bipolar disorder has is that it can negatively impact a persons occupational and social functioning. Bipolar symptoms can last for days and even up to weeks depending on the severity of the disorder.

The person with this disorder will most probably lose weight because their appetite would be affected. Loss of energy, extreme fatigue, and decrease in gross motor skill, agitation and sleeplessness are other classic symptoms of bipolar disorder. Suicidal attempts and even death are also a factor because of the manifestations of the feelings of worthlessness and guilt.

Manic Phase

The person may be experiencing the manic phase if not in the depressive state. However, the symptoms displayed by the affected person are the total opposite of the depression state. Like the depressive episode, behaviors displayed here may also be of known or unknown causes. Symptoms, like the depression state as well, may last for days or weeks depending on the severity of the disorder.

The Mixed Period

On the other hand, during the mixed period, both the bipolar symptoms of the depressive episode and the manic episode can be manifested at the same time. This could last for one week up to a couple of weeks. The mixed episode can be considered as more dangerous and can cause more social impairment in the daily functioning and work situations since the symptoms present are of both the depressive and manic phases. Additionally, when the symptoms of depressive and manic episodes are occurring all at once, it becomes more difficult to treat the disorder and it is harder to predict the behavior of the person.

Most of the cases of bipolar disorder are more often confused with other health conditions and substance abuse. This is one of the main reasons why most cases of bipolar disorders are diagnosed at later stages when the condition has already worsened.

It is necessary to know bipolar disorder symptoms in order to treat the disorder once the symptoms are being identified. This type of a mental disorder can be very dangerous because it can lead to suicide and death. To prevent these from happening, it is advisable to visit a psychiatrist at once.

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