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.

What really causes anxiety and what are some common anxiety disorders?

“To change the printout of the body, you must learn to rewrite the software of the mind.”










Deepak Chopra, ‘Perfect Health’




Remember the time you went for a job interview and your heart was thumping so hard -
you thought the interviewer might hear it? Or the time you woke up as a child in the dark and believed the fear of being eaten alive by some ghastly presence might kill you? You may have felt anxious about the state of your finances, to the point that your hands began to sweat and you even felt breathless sometimes. These are the everyday signs of anxiety.









Is fear and worry ruling your life?









If you are having trouble living the kind of life you want, then you may be suffering from anxiety or possibly even an anxiety disorder.






What causes anxiety?






There are many reasons for developing an anxiety disorder. The key to your anxiety may be due to almost anything i.e. a controlling spouse, lost job, failed relationship or perhaps a rare phobia.






On the other hand your anxiety may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. It could be due to some past trauma during childhood Any or all of these can leave you spinning out of control and very anxious.






Is anxiety making Americans ill?




Anxiety disorders make you 3-5 times more likely to fall ill according to ‘The Anxiety Disorders Association of America’. This is why you need to be aware of the different kinds of triggers to anxiety like-










Social stress
A negative personality
Lack of mental balance
Genes & hereditary factors
Crisis situations that cause trauma








Social Stress # If you have been brought up in a dysfunctional family or neighborhood or if you are in a situation of familial conflict and lack a support system, chances are you will be more prone to anxiety.








A Negative Personality # Negative thinking like-‘I can never be loved’ or if you are
constantly threatened by a ‘dangerous world out there’ and feel powerless all the time.








These self-effacing thoughts result in poor self-esteem & coping strategies that in turn will lead to anxiety.








Genes & hereditary factors # Your anxiety could be rooted in your genes if anxiety disorders run in your family. It may be in your blood to be more prone to get the jitters.









Lack of mental balance # (or faulty brain chemistry) - can also trigger anxiety due to an inequality of neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin or epinephrine. Or your
stress hormone ‘cortisol’ may be at abnormal levels. (Medications try to readjust this faulty chemical balance but they can also get you hooked.)









Trauma # You may get anxious after surviving an earthquake or a war or due to some
other horrifying experience in your childhood. Anxiety disorders can leave you feeling helpless as a child even when you are an adult.








Common Anxiety Disorders








There are so many different kinds of anxiety disorders and no hard and fast rules on
everyday anxiety. This is why it is difficult sometimes to pin down. Here are some of the Worst and most common kinds of anxiety disorders…








Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) # is the worst kind of anxiety disorder. It is
marked by obsessions-like cleanliness-that can make you repeatedly clean the apartment or change the sheets even when you don’t need to. These compulsive behaviors are due to uncontrollable and uninvited thoughts.








Post-traumatic Stress Disorder # (PTSD) usually affects people who have been
through natural disasters or traumatic situations including war or other violence. PTSD is another severe anxiety disorder.








Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common kind of anxiety disorder.
Every year around 4 million adult Americans suffer from ‘Generalized Anxiety
Disorder’. This very common form of anxiety may have its roots in childhood but
continues into adulthood.








Panic Attacks are unanticipated moments of intense fear. An anxiety attack usually
comes without forewarning and is accompanied with irrational fear of a supposed danger. It can last for up to 10 minutes during which time you may even feel as if you are having a heart attack!








You know you are having an anxiety attack if you feel four of the following
symptoms:








Short of breath
Chest pain
Pounding heart and palpitations
Pain in chest area
Dizziness
Cold/Hot flushes
Trembling
Stomach problems or nausea
Irrational Fear









Separation Anxiety is a part and parcel of a child’s development. A child usually cries and is distressed when separated from a parent. Persistence of separation anxiety beyond a certain age is a sign of separation anxiety disorder.









Social anxiety is the fear of public humiliation. It can also take the form of severe
shyness and an avoidance of social situations. Stage fright is the most common type of social phobia.

Distraction - A Cure of Panic Attack and Anxiety

Today's Tip is about the benefits of DISTRACTION

In order to move away from the generalized anxiety, which is the anxiety that seems to hover, both before and after the panic attack, you need to throw yourself 100% into whatever is at hand.

What is needed is to engage regularly in an activity that stimulates you, and holds your complete attention, something in which you can become completely absorbed. The more physical the activity the better.

Something that distracts you is a very valuable tool in taking your attention away from the uncomfortable sensation of anxiety that may be lingering in your body. The more you become involved in one of these activities the more you are engaging with life and the less stagnant and anxious you will feel.




Some of the possible activities that interest you could be:

Gardening, playing a musical instrument, sport, or simply havin g a good conversation with a friend. The idea here is to find something that you can repeat on a regular basis that you are good at or enjoy doing. It is very important that you enjoy the activity or you will not keep it up.

If you are having problems coming up with something you could do, then let me make a suggestion. One of the best distractions I could recommend for anybody who is unsure of an activity that might interest them is to volunteer in a local voluntary scheme. It could be anything from doing soup runs for the homeless, to environmental conservation.

If you can spare even one or two hours a week for such work, not only will you feel your self-esteem improve, but it will fully shake off any lingering feelings of isolation or loneliness which ar e so often feelings accompanied by anxiety and panic attacks. One thing you can be certain of is that there is some organization near you crying out for a volunteer just like you to assist them with their work.

The art of distraction has always been used to help people refocus and avoid concentrating on whatever physical or emotional discomfort the person is going through. It may just be the caring friend who invites their recently heart broken roommate out on the town to have some fun.

Dentists and doctors use distraction techniques frequently to distract the patient from a physical discomfort they may be experiencing, by giving them something else to focus on, (usually the bill). The purpose of using distraction, for people who want to live anxiety free, is to have new experiences that take the p erson's mind off the anxious feelings they have been experiencing.

If you imagine that all the fearful anxious thoughts that go through your mind are like a roll of film being run through a film projector (your mind) and out into your life. Concentrating on some activity immediately cuts the film and brings you directly into the here and now. When you are living in the moment there is no room for any anxiety disorder whatsoever. This buys both your body and mind much needed relaxation time to expel any excess chemicals in your system, which may lead to feelings of anxious discomfort.

By doing something you enjoy and feel you are good at, you are building new competencies. You are saying to yourself that the anxiety path is not one you want to travel down anymore so you focus on building up areas that you are good at. Areas of accomplishment that make you feel good about yourself.

The more time you give to following these rewarding pursuits, the easier it is for your body to relax and return to a normal state of peacefulness and satisfaction. Combine this with my ONE MOVE technique and people often look back weeks later and wonder if it was really them who was so anxious all the time.

Let me remind you that I am here to work with you if you want to learn more about my course and the One Move* technique that has turned so many peoples lives around.
Click Here To Get All the Posts!

Gratitude Is The Fastest Way To End Anxious Thoughts and Panic Attacks

This is very simple technique but it is really powerful.


Are you ready?


When you practice this technique you will feel a lightness and greater sense of perspective on anything that has been troubling you. This activation of your heart's emotion will lift the heavy fog sensation anxious thought causes within minutes if done correctly.






Begin by closing your eyes and moving your attention to your heart area. Imagine a feeling of warmth emanating from the center of your chest. If appropriate place your right hand there. If you are around
people or driving etc. simply imagine your right hand resting on your heart area. Imagine this area glowing warmly for one to two minutes.



Now, begin to focus on something in your life that you feel a genuine sense of appreciation for. This can be one or more things that you really appreciate having in your life (e.g., family, health, friends,
work, your home, etc.).


It is important to focus on things that spark a real sense of gratitude and appreciation. If you really appreciate the thing you are thinking about you will immediately feel a response from that area by way of a light warm sensation or you might smile involuntary.



You may even be feeling this right now as you think about all the great things you have in your life. It does not really matter what you think about as long as it evokes this feeling of warm appreciation from your heart area. Everyone has something they can greatful for. (Remember, the cemetery is full of people who would love to have your problems!)


More Testimonials available here Here!
Do not worry if you are thinking of your partner/family and you do not feel this. Some days it will be people close to you that will spark the heart feeling other days it may be just gratitude for the cards
you were dealt playing poker the previous night! It depends on the mood you are in, so remember it is the feeling you after.



The feeling is unmistakable, it is a positive change in your emotional state. It is really best to do this alone because you will want to stay with this feeling for as long as you can.




When you feel you have taken it as far as you can open your eyes. There is no time frame on this, it can a minute to half an hour. Again it is about establishing a heart/mind connection. Incorporate this into your daily routine.



Do it in the car.
Do it sitting at your desk.
Do it before you sleep at night.



Practise it again and again. Just like a muscle your heart will get more accustomed to this state and you will be able to switch into it at a moments notice.



I am writing about this here because I want to share a very simple way for you to feel more grounded and to lift the fog of anxious thoughts you may be experiencing right now.



You can also use this in the middle of any stressful situation and you will be surprised at the outcome in terms of your own stress levels and the change in reaction of others around you.



Try it out, be creative with it and make it your
own daily ritual for yourself.



It is my experience that most people do not have the patience or time to make major lifestyle changes. By using this one technique you can make a dramatic improvement to your life easily.



The simplest things in life are free and this is one of those gems.



Don't pass it up


Click Here!

Attak Panic Treatment

Today I want to introduce you to a very powerful little technique for people who suffer from panic attacks (also known as anxiety attacks). It may not eliminate your panic attacks like the One Move* can but it is very good for getting through a difficult episode of anxiety and learning the key factors that trigger your panic attack.

Let me explain it briefly here:

When you feel the anxiety or panic a ttack building, and your thoughts become more fearful, take a pen and paper and begin to write down each and every feeling and thought you experience.

Write them in detail exactly as you experience them as if you were a newspaper reporter. Go into as much detail as possible. How does it make you feel? What are the symptoms? How strong are the sensations? How scared do you feel on a scale of 1 to 10.etc

Do not worry that you may be writing too much or too little. Try to elicit the first thought that started the worry and continue from there, describing the bodily sensations as they wash over you. See if you can remember any anxious thoughts you had when you first awoke that day and any more that occurred throughout the day. Write it all down.

This is a subtle but powerful technique -not only does it distract you from the anxiety and give you a safe area to release what you are feeling, (onto paper) but it also helps you better understand exactly what triggers your fears. You will feel much less anxious for having done this exercise and you can apply this whenever you feel the fear rising again.

I suggest you buy a small journal just for this exercises and use it anytime you feel the arrival of anxiety. You can then keep track of how you are progressing over time. People I teach often use this method in combination with the PANIC AWAY course and it helps them chart a marked improvement in their progress.

The very act of expressing what we feel helps us reduce the emotional tension we fe el inside. In this case you are expressing yourself through writing. You will be surprised at how powerful it can be. More so you will be creating an account of your progress as you move out of the anxiety and return to a more relaxed mode of living.

Next email Giridhar I will share another interesting tip that I think you will find most useful one that is simple and very effective.

Until then…
Kind Regards
Joe