Manic Depressive is now known as Bipolar Affective Disorder, a mood disorder of which there are millions of sufferers. It is natural for people to have mood swings, but in this disorder moods go beyond what is normal. Sufferers experience extremes of low depression and high moods of elation or mania, and the frequencey varies from person to person.
Experts seem to think that the causes of Bipolar Disorder is through genetics or hormone levels, but this hasn't yet been fully established. In some cases acquired illnesses in a person have contributed to them getting a Bipolar Disorder.
In our daily lives, we all experience different events that give us emotions, some of which can at times, trigger mood swings. Having to cope with happy, joyful moments and then unpleasant, sad times can threaten to cause depression or a manic episode.
These triggers are also know as Stressors, which can cause mood swings. The following are examples:
1 No regular sleep
2 Alcohol or drug abuse
3 Stopping medication
4 Starting medication or herbal products for depression
5 Medical conditions such as thyroid problems
6 Changes in the seasons
7 Illness
8 Holidays
9 Having disagreements with family or friends
10 Problems at work
11 Death of a loved one, family or friend
12 Marital strife
13 Start of a new job or course
Once you have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, you will begin to recognise what triggers it. Devising your own mood chart or keeping a diary will help as you record all the events that have happened and how you felt about them. Certain patterns will emerge after some time which will help you find the triggers, and for each person it can be different.
Having help at hand to make your mood chart can be difficult. Enlist the aid of a trusted friend or member of the family. If you prefer, talk to a therapist or other healthcare provider; you can get their views and understand what they see. This can help you pick up on things that you may not have noticed.
By working out what triggers your mood swings, you can plan how best to avoid these situations. It will require some effort to get rid of bad habits, so help make your family and friends aware of your struggles, especially those who are strong enough to help you muddle through, and those who understand you better.
Some people can go through years without being diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder. Many do not seek professional help, as laboratory tests do not needed to be carried out, as for other illnesses. The MDQ is what a medical provider uses, which is a questionnaire specially utilised for Bipolar disorders. The person conducting the questionnaire has a checklist to fill on all the symptoms that a person may exhibit. Only a medical professional can use this to give the correct diagnosis, and nobody else.
Bipolar Affective Disorder can be treated with many different medicines available, which are:
1 Antidepressants - Used alone can trigger a mania episode if a person is having a depressive episode, or it can be used with a mood stabiliser.
2 Antipsychotic - For people going through mania episodes; depressive episodes or severe mania can end in psychosis, for which an antipsychotic can help with. Can be used alone or prescribed with other medications if a person has trouble sleeping or feels nervous.
3 ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) - A treatment rather than a medication to help those who suffer from severe depression or from mania episodes. This therapy can also be given to those who do not respond to medications.
4 Mood Stabilisers - Medicine which can ease or delay depression and to relieve mania episodes.
ECT is only used as a therapy to help those who have acute depressive and manic symtoms. It is effective at reducing mood instability and cycling, and also helps to mimimise bipolar symptoms and side effects from given treatments. A bipolar patient can resume a normal life with a good management plan.
Bipolar Affective Disorder affects the individual as well as their families, but we all need to remember that with good proper treatment and medications, the disorder can be stabilised and controlled. Seek medical advice now.
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