Increased awareness of bipolar disorder will help patients better manage their condition. Knowing that their illness has no known cure and requires ongoing treatment, they won't make the mistake of stopping medication when they feel well. Most of the time, bipolar disorder develops or begins in late adolescence (adolescent years) or early adulthood. Occasionally, bipolar symptoms may occur in children.
While symptoms come and go, bipolar disorder usually requires lifelong treatment and doesn't go away on its own. Bipolar disorder can be a major factor in suicide, job loss, and family discord, but proper treatment leads to better outcomes. Feel that they are unusually important, talented, or powerful. Proper treatment helps most people living with bipolar disorder manage their mood swings and other symptoms.
Because bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, treatment should be ongoing. If left untreated, the symptoms of bipolar disorder worsen, so it's important to diagnose it and start treatment early. For example, some people with bipolar disorder who also have psychotic symptoms may be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder is sometimes called manic-depressive disorder or manic depressive disorder, which are older terms.
The National Institute of Mental Health describes the main symptoms of bipolar disorder as alternating episodes of high and low mood. Bipolar II disorder is defined by episodes of hypomania, or an unusually energetic state of mind that affects mood, thoughts, and behaviors. They may be better than lithium for treating the more complex bipolar subtypes of rapid cycle and dysphoric mania. The risk of suicide is significantly higher among people with bipolar I disorder than among the general population.
Some people with bipolar disorder will have episodes of mania or hypomania many times throughout their lives; others may experience them only rarely. It's important to note that pregnancy can trigger the first episodes of bipolar disorder in women of childbearing potential. Research also shows that people who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder are more likely to have the disorder themselves. Observing symptoms throughout the course of the illness (longitudinal follow-up) and the person's family history can play a key role in determining if the person has bipolar disorder with psychosis or schizophrenia.
People with bipolar disorder have a higher risk of developing other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, migraines, thyroid disease, and heart disease. Even if the child is not diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there may be another mental health problem that needs to be addressed. Keeping a life chart that records daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events can help patients and healthcare providers track and treat the disorder. In addition, these changes are usually not accompanied by the extreme degree of behavior change or difficulty with the daily routines and social interactions that people with bipolar disorder demonstrate during mood episodes.
Not much research has been done on herbal or natural supplements and how they can affect bipolar disorder.
