Bipolar Affective Disorders
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Bipolar Affective Disorder
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If your mood is fluctuating up and down uncontrollably you may have Bipolar. Help is available.
Bipolar Affective Disorder is a psychiatric illness that causes severe mood swings in which a patient experiences extreme highs and lows in mood.
Causes
Bipolar Affective Disorder I and II are caused by genetic vulnerability. They can be triggered by a range of factors including brain injury, having a baby, stress, or certain medications.
Symptoms
People suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder experience highs and lows of mood. The highs can be extreme feelings of happiness and over-excitement where the individual is full of energy and ideas. The person may have multiple unrealistic plans and speak very quickly. They are often impulsive and reckless when making decisions. This is known as mania. However, not everyone experiences mania. Some people may experience hypomania in which the above symptoms are experienced to a slightly lesser degree and therefore are often ignored as eccentricity or vulnerability. Unfortunately, almost every high is followed by a deep low. Bipolar depression may cause irritability, a loss of pleasure for life, loss of energy, disturbed sleep and appetite, an inability to concentrate, a loss of motivation and feelings of negativity that can sometimes lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Treatment
Treatment may involve the use of mood stabilising medication that helps to lessen the highs and lows. These medications need to be taken for at least 12 months but sometimes longer. Often the patient also requires talking therapies that help them to understand their triggers, their vulnerabilities and to gain insight in to how their actions may make them vulnerable to future relapse.
For New and Current Patients
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