Tag: illness

About Bipolar Affective Disorder

Bipolar affective disorder, also known as bipolar disorder or manic depression, is a mental illness in which the patient has mood swings or mood cycling. The mood cycles between depression, mania, and normal behaviors. Depression episodes are typically accompanied by extreme sadness and feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, decreased energy, and sleeping too much. Manic episodes are typically accompanied by extreme happiness, inability to sleep, increased energy, racing thoughts, and distractibility. Mixed episodes, in which the patient shows symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time, can also occur.

Bipolar affective disorder is caused by a combination of neurological, biological, emotional, and environmental factors. The true causes of bipolar affective disorder are not fully understood. However, researchers and doctors are continually making advances in this area.

There are two types of bipolar affective disorder. The first type involves an almost constant state of minor mania, with alternating periods of extreme mania and depression. The second type of bipolar affective disorder involves an almost constant state of depression, alternating with small, minor bouts of mania.

Before bipolar affective disorder was fully understood, people with the first type of the illness were often misdiagnosed as schizophrenic. This is due to the fact that many with type one bipolar affective disorder have tendencies to lose touch with reality, have hallucinations, or have delusions during more severe manic phases.

The second type of bipolar affective disorder is often misdiagnosed as clinical depression. This is because the patient is most often depressed, and does not complain about being happy during their manic episodes. The diagnoses is usually corrected after medication treatment has begun for depression. Anti-depressants used with bipolar patients tend to throw the patient into a manic phase. If this happens, the doctor will immediately realize their error and switch the patient to a mood stabilizer.

There are many treatment options for bipolar affective disorder. The most common treatment for bipolar affective disorder is a combination of medication and therapy, or counseling. Medication options include mood stabilizers, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics. Therapy options include traditional counseling methods, cognitive behavioral therapy, emotive behavioral therapy, and rational behavioral therapy. CBT, EBT, and RBT are fairly new forms of bipolar affective disorder therapy treatments, that have been found to be extremely successful. Patients who are not candidates for medication can often have successful results with CBT, EBT, or RBT therapy alone.

While bipolar affective disorder is not a new illness, there is still very little known about the subject. As doctors and researchers learn more about the brain and how it functions, the more likely a cure for bipolar affective disorder will be found. In the meantime, people who feel that they may show symptoms of bipolar affective disorder should contact a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment options. Family or friends who notice these symptoms in others should also seek to help that person find help for their mental illness. Bipolar affective disorder does not have to control your life, if you are willing to undergo treatment to control it.

About Bipolar II Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder. It is a mental illness that presents itself as mood swings or mood cycling. Many people do not realize that there are actually two types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I disorder is typically defined as raging mood cycling with episodes of extreme mania and depression, as well as the occasional mixed episode. Bipolar I patients may also experience psychotic or hallucinating symptoms.

Bipolar II disorder is typically defined as rapid mood cycling with episodes of hypomania and depression. Bipolar II disorder does not occur with psychotic or hallucinating symptoms. Additionally, hypomania is defined as a milder form of mania, in which the patient has a period of hightened happiness or elation. Depression with bipolar II patients is often more severe than in patients with bipolar I disorder. Suicide, suicide threats, suicide attempts, and thoughts of suicide are much more common in bipolar II patients than bipolar I patients.

A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder is typically made when the patient has had one or more major depressive episodes, at least one hypomania episode, no manic episodes, and when no other reason for symptoms can be found.

Symptoms of depression with bipolar II disorder include decreased energy, unexplained weight changes, feelings of despair, increased irritability, and uncontrollable crying. Symptoms of hypomania include sleeplessness, racing thoughts, distractibility, excess energy, and rash judgements. These symptoms are similar to mania, but are less severe.

Treatment of bipolar II disorder typically involves a combination of medication and therapy or counseling. Medications typically prescribed for treatment of bipolar II disorder include anti-depressants such as Celexa, as well as mood stabilizers such as Topomax. Mood stabilizers are vitally important in treatment of bipolar disorders, because antidepressants alone can cause the patient to enter into a manic or hypomania episode.

Bipolar II disorder is actually often misdiagnosed as clinical depression. This is due to the fact that depression is most often present, and hypomania episodes rarely come to light in therapy sessions due to their upbeat nature. It is typically through treatment by antidepressants that the correct diagnosis is made, because the patient will spin into a hypomania episode almost immediately if the diagnosis should be bipolar II disorder rather than clinical depression.

Counseling or therapy treatment options for bipolar II disorder may include traditional counseling methods, discussion of triggers and life style changes that can lessen the severity of episodes, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Patients with a mild case of bipolar II disorder may benefit from counseling or therapy alone without medication. However, this is less common with bipolar II disorder than with bipolar I disorder, due to the nature of the severity of the depressive states.

It is vitally important for people with symptoms of bipolar II disorder to seek the help of mental health professionals as soon as symptoms become evident. Bipolar II disorder patients account for at least half of the suicides each year. To prevent suicidal behavior, it is important for bipolar II patients to be properly diagnosed at an early stage, so that ongoing treatment of the illness can begin and be continued in order to avoid suicidal behavior.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Historically, persons with bipolar disorder may have been called simply moody or even insane at times. Later, the diagnosis was called manic-depression. While this term is still sometimes used, the generally accepted term is “bipolar disorder”.

The two major phases of bipolar disorder are mania and depression. There are other facets of the illness, but they are all aspects of the two. Bipolar disorder is found equally in men and women. About 1 percent of the population can be found to have bipolar disorder.

Mania can be further divided into two categories: hypomania and full-blown mania. Hypomania is simply a state of intense energy and often high productivity. Those who never go beyond this point in bipolar disorder can be great salesmen or high-powered businessmen. The problem is that, for many, full-blown mania is just around the corner.

Full-blown mania tends to have more devastating effects on the person with bipolar disorder. The activity becomes so intense that ventures are undertaken with no actual potential for success, although the person with bipolar disorder cannot see that fact.

There is no consideration for the consequences of actions. Money may be spent which is needed for basic needs. Checks may be written when there is no money in the account. People with bipolar disorder are also often overly generous and give away things that they highly treasure or cannot afford to give away. They tend to regret these gifts later.

The manic state in those with bipolar disorder can be characterized, too, by a gregariousness that is beyond the ordinary out-going person’s. This can lead to, among other things, sexual exploits that will cause unwanted results such as pregnancies, disease, or damage to relationships.

The manic phase of bipolar disorder can lead into a period of psychosis. This is marked by bizarre thoughts, such as delusions, or hallucinations. When in a state like this, people with bipolar disorder cannot protect themselves from hazards in their environments because they no longer know what is real.

Usually with mania, eventually there comes depression. The person with bipolar disorder may retreat into seclusion, may even go to bed for days. Sleeping, appetite, and energy level will all be effected.

The gravest danger for the person with bipolar disorder is suicide. All threats should be taken seriously, of course. However, during the depression phase of bipolar disorder they should be especially guarded against.

There has also been a tern for those who abuse drugs and alcohol to help them cope with bipolar disorder. This is called “dual diagnosis”. It occurs especially in adults and teenagers. These addictions further complicate both the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder. However, it seems to go along with the disease in many instances.

People with bipolar disorder have a wide variety of problems to manage. The reason for optimism is that many have found ways, through medication, therapy, routines, and other methods, to have some degree of control.

People have been having problems such as these for centuries. It is just in modern times that there has been adequate help for the condition. The name for bipolar disorder is newer than the disease, but whatever you call it, its effects can range from the difficult to the deadly. Treatment can be crucial.

Help for Arthritis

Help for Arthritis
Nestler

Arthritis tortures and disables more Americans than any other
chronic disease. No wonder there is such a call for arthritis help.

Unfortunately, “quack” remedies are common. Their acceptance
depends on the fact that, for some unknown reason, the pain of
arthritis tends to flare up and then subside. Frequently the
symptoms subside while the patient is taking a particular
“miracle cure” and the arthritis sufferer believes he or she is
cured. However, it is not uncommon for the symptoms to return,
worse than ever. The fact is, virtually any new treatment,
effective or not, often seems to help at first, simply because
the sufferer wants it to so desperately. By determining when
symptoms pop up, it may be possible to manage some of the
suffering. Pain in a joint may be felt during or after use, or
after a period of inactivity. Discomfort may signal a change in
the weather or be felt during it.

There’s no cure for arthritis but available treatments can
relieve pain and help one remain active. Treatment should begin
at the first signs of the illness. Rest and easy exercise such
as swimming can ease stress on the joints.

Over the counter medications may help to ease the pain and
improve joint functioning. A physician should be consulted early
in the disease to establish a plan of dealing with it.

Perhaps the first point to consider is the importance of
reducing excess weight. Excess weight puts a serious burden on
already inflamed or damaged joints. The sufferer can ease the
load by using a cane to take weight off the arthritic hip or
knee. Crutches or a walker can be helpful around the house.

Moist heat is helpful in reducing pain and increasing ease of
movement. A simple hot bath or shower can be effective in easing
early-morning stiffness. Local heat can do much to relieve
discomfort and stiffness. Heat lamps can be used to apply heat
to one or two stiff, aching joints. An electric heating pad is
good for a large area such as the back or a hip. Twenty minutes
is an adequate time period.

In severe cases, surgical procedures may be necessary;
artificial joints may be implanted to replace those damaged
beyond repair.

Attitude can be a major factor in helping deal with this
frustrating ailment. It is important not to concentrate on the
disease but rather expand your horizons away from your body. Do
interesting things; try meditation and relaxation techniques.
Don’t concentrate on your disease. You are not your disease, but
a person who happens to have arthritis.

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