Bipolar Disorder is also known as Manic-Depression. It is a considered to be a mood disorder, or an affective disorder. People with bipolar disorder will experience time periods of serious depression and time periods of racing mania. Sometimes people have “mixed episodes” which mean that they are experiencing versions of mania and depression at the same time.

The depressive episodes consist of the same basic symptoms as seen in Major Depression, with the main difference being that bipolar depression is interchanged with manic mood swings. For example, bipolar depression still has symptoms such as suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, thoughts of death, low energy, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, inability to feel pleasure, appetite and weight changes, etc.

Mania can be the very opposite of depression, or can appear as the heightened expression of some of the depressive symptoms. While manic, people can be unusually happy, euphoric, giddy, fun-loving, highly energetic, creative, boisterous, and phenomenally productive. These are the benefits of mania. However, mania can also have a strong and destructive downside. Sometimes mania has symptoms such as extreme irritability, low impulse control, rage outbursts, excessive spending, intense addictive behaviors, dangerous or promiscuous sexual activity, poor judgment skills, grandiose thinking, and inability to concentrate. All of these symptoms can be exacerbated by and combined with the inability to see the dangerous or extended consequences of “over-the-top behaviors.

In the middle of a very good time, mania can lead to very serious long-term problems. For example, one person’s “out of control” manic episode could occur like this: initially having an outrageous and violent fight with the boss, impulsively quitting her job, then deciding to celebrate her victory with an extravagant giddy spending spree, followed by a lovely evening having unprotected sex with a group of strangers she met while getting drunk in a bar. So, over the course of a single day of such good times, this one person can be left with thousands of dollars of debt, with no future income to help with paying it off, a pregnancy, and AIDS. None of these long-term disasters would have been considered in the middle of the manic episode.

Mixed episodes – experiencing both depression and mania simultaneously - are very difficult. Typically speaking, people have enough manic energy to be completely miserable. They may have excessive thoughts of self hatred or self loathing racing through their head. It can be a dangerous time because they may actually have enough energy to do serious or deadly harm to themselves. Sometimes the rapid cycling of up- and-down, up-and-down, up-and-down can be so thoroughly exhausting and totally debilitating that it leaves people immobilized and unable to function effectively.

Therapeutic processing is a very helpful part of treatment, but it is not the only strategy necessary for the complete treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Therapy can help to identify patterns, acknowledge warning signs about troubled times, teach new ways of experiencing emotion, and assist with bipolar related stress and conflict. However, if you suspect or know that you have Bipolar Disorder, please get medical attention as quickly as possible. There are legitimate and safe medications that help to alleviate some of the suffering.

It is true that finding the right meds can be a very difficult and frustrating process. Maintaining those meds can be equally challenging. Nonetheless, the right medications can truly make a world of difference for you and the people around you.

If you suffer from Bipolar Disorder, please note: AbuseConsultants.com does not prescribe any kind of medications. We strongly encourage you to seek appropriate medical assistance at your very earliest convenience.

If you would like to process any of these issues, please consider a clinical consultation.