General Symptoms of Bipolar

Bipolar disorder (also known as "manic depression") is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even physicians. An early sign of manic-depressive illness may be hypomania -- a state in which the person shows a high level of energy, excessive moodiness or irritability, and impulsive or reckless behavior. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it. Thus, even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings, the individual often will deny that anything is wrong.
In its early stages, bipolar disorder may masquerade as a problem other than mental illness. For example, it may first appear as alcohol or drug abuse, or poor school or work performance.
If left untreated, bipolar disorder tends to worsen, and the person experiences episodes of full-fledged manic episodes and depressive episodes.
One of the usual differential diagnoses for bipolar disorder is that the symptoms (listed below) are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and is not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
And as with nearly all mental disorder diagnoses, the symptoms of manic depression must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Symptoms also can not be the result of substance use or abuse (e.g., alcohol, drugs, medications) or caused by a general medical condition.


Specific symptoms of the various types of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar I DisorderBipolar I Disorder actually is a number of separate diagnoses, depending upon the type of mood most recently experienced.
Bipolar I Disorder, Single Manic Episode
Presence of only one Manic Episode and no past Major Depressive Episodes. Note: Recurrence is defined as either a change in polarity from depression or an interval of at least 2 months without manic symptoms.
Bipolar I Disorder, Most Recent Episode Hypomanic
Currently (or most recently) in a Hypomanic Episode.
There has previously been at least one Manic Episode or Mixed Episode.
Bipolar I Disorder, Most Recent Episode Manic
Currently (or most recently) in a Manic Episode.
There has previously been at least one Major Depressive Episode, Manic Episode, or Mixed Episode.
Bipolar I Disorder, Most Recent Episode Mixed
Currently (or most recently) in a Mixed Episode.
There has previously been at least one Major Depressive Episode, Manic Episode, or Mixed Episode.
Bipolar II Disorder
Presence (or history) of one or more Major Depressive Episodes and at least one Hypomanic Episode. Additionally, there has never been a Manic Episode or a Mixed Episode.

What is Bi-polar Disorder ?

?

Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another. If you have bipolar disorder, you will have periods, or episodes of depression and mania.




The two extremes are characterised as follows:



Depression where you feel very low, andmania where you feel very high. If your symptoms are slightly less severe, it is known as hypomania.Both extremes of bipolar disorder have other symptoms associated with them (see symptoms section). Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode can last for several weeks or longer. The high and low phases of the illness can be so extreme that they interfere with your daily life.







The exact cause of bipolar disorder is not fully understood, but the condition seems to run in families. It is a relatively common condition, with around 1 person in 100 being diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. It can occur at any age, but often develops between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Both men and women, and people from all backgrounds, can get it.





The pattern of mood swings in bipolar disorder varies widely between individuals. Some people have only a couple of bipolar episodes in their lifetime and are stable in between, while others may experience many episodes.




The depression phase often comes first. Initially, you may be diagnosed with clinical depression, and then have a manic episode some time later (sometimes years later), after which your diagnosis might change. During a phase of depression, you may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness which often lead to thoughts of suicide.




During a manic phase, you may feel extremely happy and have lots of ambitious plans and ideas. You may also spend large amounts of money on things that you cannot afford. Not feeling like eating or sleeping, talking quickly, and becoming annoyed easily, are also quite common. You may be very creative, and feel that mania is an extremely positive experience. However, during a manic phase, you may also have symptoms of psychosis, where you see or hear things that are not there.

Should I use psychiatric drugs for my anxiety?

In the mental health arena, psychiatric drugs or anti-depressants are used to help
alter mood and control behavior. People suffering with anxiety and depression
have turned to household drug names like Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft for several
years now. Not only are these drugs prescribed by psychiatrists, they are now
being administered by physicians who lack the expertise of recognizing mental
disorders.




To make matters worse, some of these drugs are known to have numerous and
serious side effects such as uncontrollable facial and body tics (signs of severe
neurological damage), hallucinations, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, withdrawal
symptoms and sexual dysfunction.



Ritalin in children, for example, is known to cause brain damage, stunted growth,
insomnia, loss of appetite, stomachache, headaches, dizziness and changes in
personality and behavior.




A small percentage of anti-depressant users may even become suicidal,
homicidal or both. Homicidal tendencies may sound like a stretch but consider
the recent increase of shootings over the last 2 decades especially in America’s
school system.




In 1994, according to the Journal of the American
Medical Association, 3,000 prescriptions for Prozac
were written across the U.S. for children less than 1 year old.




Another 150,000 psychiatric drug prescriptions were written for children between
the ages of two and four years old. As shocking as this may seem, it is even
more appalling to know that these drugs are not approved for children younger
than the age of six nor is there any data concerning the safety and efficacy for
such age groups.




Why are psychiatric drugs so prevalent in American society?
I strongly encourage you to read an interview with Robert Whitaker, author of
Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of
the Mentally Ill. Mr. Whitaker’s investigative reporting uncovers how psychiatric
drugs and the companies distributing them are endangering the public health of
America. It truly is a fascinating interview and I strongly recommend you read it
right away especially if you are a parent or you have considered using these
types of drugs in the past. Click the link below for an interview you don’t want to
miss!




http://www.futuresfoundation.org.au/documents/wellbeingproject/supportin
g%20articles/Drugs%20increase%20mental%20illness.pdf

The core issue at stake here concerning these drugs is the alarming
rate of drug distribution to all age groups, especially in America, and the
profound negative impact these drugs are having on people.




This negative impact, in some cases, is provoking or spawning other disorders in
people prompting doctors to prescribe even more drugs. The result is giant
profits for drug companies at the expense of a tormented and drugged up
American society. The word “criminal” does not suffice for the monstrosity that is
taking place and has been for several years now.




Despite corporate greed, caregivers are contributing to the problem by
looking for and trying to administer a quick fix for anxiety and depression.



I would like to say that in no way am I scrutinizing or criticizing the good work of
foster parents or caregivers as a whole. I, myself, worked in a group home for
over a year. I know exactly how difficult it can be to manage a rowdy and
rambunctious group of preadolescents. Getting through to kids, especially those
that hail from a disadvantaged background can seem like a monumental task; but
hastily medicating those exhibiting even the slightest abnormal behavior is simply
irresponsible and unconscionable.




According to Robert Whitaker in his interview, “60-70% of foster kids
in the state of Massachusetts are now on psychiatric drugs.”




Are we really to assume that 6-7 out of 10 foster kids suffer with a mental illness
in the state of Massachusetts or is something else taking place there? Perhaps
caregivers, foster parents, doctors and child service administrators are relying far
too heavily on psychiatric drugs to make their jobs easier in managing and
controlling kids? Across America, as a whole, psychiatric drug usage is on the
rise but kids, especially, deserve more careful consideration and proper
evaluation before becoming another drug statistic.




So what is a safer solution for anxiety?
You will have to wait until next report to find out.