The Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder and Modes of Treatment

Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) is a neurological disorder influencing mood. Without treatment, people afflicted by this disorder demonstrate extreme emotional fluctuations throughout their lives. Yet despite (or perhaps as a result of) the unusual intensity of the bipolar emotional roller coaster, many people with this disorder have been widely regarded as leaders and high achievers in a variety of fields of endeavor. A closer look at bipolar disorder seems to reveal a cycle of extremes from almost "superhuman" endeavor to utter voids of activity or motivation.

Emotional states associated with this disorder differ in magnitude and severity when compared to "normal" emotional states. "Happy" and "sad" do not seem to be the appropriate terms to describe what a person with manic-depression feels. A person with this disorder can swing from profound feelings of elation (mania) to feeling a little less elated (hypomania) to desperate feelings of hopelessness and helplessness (depression).

An important characteristic for true Bipolar Disorder is that individuals have episodes of severe clinical depression as well as having the highs. In the depressed phase, people tend to develop melancholic or psychotic depression. In such episodes, the individual feels a profound lack of energy, an inability to get out of bed or even have a bath or shower. They lack any sense of pleasure in life and they can’t be cheered up. Their concentration is impaired and they often report their brain as feeling ‘foggy’. They’re commonly physically slowed or agitated and they generally experience their mood and energy levels to be far worse in the mornings.

Now we’re going to talk about the causes of Bipolar Disorder. So, why do we need to know ...

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...anic episodes but it’s becoming apparent that some of them also have mood stabilising properties, in other words some of them seem to prevent future episodes of illness.

We need to put medications in their context. While they’re a critical part, and a very important part of managing Bipolar Disorder, there is growing evidence, that for many patients the best or most effective treatment is combining these medications with psychological treatment. For example, one recent completed research projects at the Black Dog Institute that was led by Research Clinical Psychologist, Jillian Ball, has recently reported that depressed episodes are less common for patients if they’re exposed to a form of treatment called cognitive therapy, and this is in addition to medication so if you have cognitive therapy with your medication you’re less likely to have a depressed relapse.