bipolar 2

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Bipolar II disorder is a treatable mental illness that is often confused with Bipolar I disorder. The two are similar but still have many differences such as with Bipolar II it consists of two main symptoms, depression and hypnomania. The major difference between bipolar I and bipolar II is that with bipolar II the patient never reaches a full state of mania, rater they experience hypnomania which is a less elevated form of mania; where with the depression aspect of the disorder it can last much longer in bipolar II than in bipolar I. There are around 6 million people currently in the United States who suffer from some form of bipolar disorder yet most people don’t really have an accurate perception of what this condition is or how life is for those living with it. Hypnomania is one side of bipolar II; it can bring a happy euphoric feeling, rapid speech, inflated self-esteem, and risk taking behavior. This is the more pleasant side of the disorder to be around. Many people could be drawn in by this carefree demeanor but there is another side of hypnomania that could make it next to impossible to be around. This side comes with feeling agitated, aggressive behavior, being easily distracted, and having poor judgment. While most patients will see the first symptoms of the disorder by the age twenty there are a few that will experience an early onset symptoms in adolescence. This mainly consist of explosive anger, aggression, reckless behavior and rapid mood changes. These mood changes can happen quickly laughing and happy one second and crying or anger the next and back to happy. They do not experience clear cut hypnomania or depression at this age. Depression normally follows the hypomanic stage. Most people who suffer from bip... ... middle of paper ... ... the symptoms but these substances actually can trigger them. Another trigger that can make symptoms come on is stress. Anxiety disorders are also common with people who have bipolar as well is ADHD. This does not mean if you have ADHD or anxiety you will become bipolar these conditions are just common to run in people who have bipolar disorder. It is very important for those living with bipolar II to have a good support system in place to help them stay healthy. This condition is a lifelong condition and needs to be monitored by a professional who specializes in this disorder. Therapy and medications do work and it’s important for the patient to follow through with them and their treatment plan to say healthy. Bipolar II has such a bad stigma surrounding it and it’s important to remember that this condition does not define the person who is living with it.

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