This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

Now that we’ve nodded in the direction of celebrities who have bipolar disorder, let’s take a look at the illness itself so you can better understand what these famous folks are going through.

Keep in mind that this post is just an overview and by no means meant to act as a substitute for medical professional advice.

I gathered information about bipolar disorder from the same three major sources from which I gathered information for the Tell Me More About Depression: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments post: The National Alliance on Mental Illness and their section on Bipolar Disorder; the National Institute of Mental Health and their booklet about Bipolar Disorder; and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and their section on Bipolar Disorder.

So, after reading this overview of bipolar disorder, I highly recommend checking out those Web sites for more detailed information.

Read on!

Quick Facts about Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. (It’s interesting that NAMI is currently referring to bipolar disorder as “medical illness” and NIMH is referring to bipolar disorder as “brain disorder” – bipolar disorder is both, of course, but I’ll stick to the good ol’ fashioned mental illness for now.)

According to the NIMH, there can be as many as 5.7 million American adults (or 2.6 percent of the population) age 18 and older in any given year who have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops when a person is in their late teens or early 20s; however, the illness can develop at any age.

Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

There are many signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, but for simplicity purposes they can be broken up into two categories: symptoms of mania (the highs) and symptoms of depression (the lows).

When a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing mania, he or she may:

• Experience such euphoria that he or she actually feels high.
• Have little or no need for sleep, feel an increase in energy, and even an increase in productivity and creativity.
• Have racing thoughts, talk very fast, and be easily distracted.
• Exhibit an increased sexual drive.
• Have poor judgment; make bad decisions.
• Feel as if he or she is “on top of the world,” untouchable and unstoppable, and having special powers and abilities
• Engage in substance abuse.

According to the NIMH, “A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.”

When a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing depression, he or she may:

• Sleep and/or eat too much or too little.
• Feel extreme sadness, worthlessness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt, helplessness, and pessimism.
• Experience a decrease in energy, desire, and interest in activities.
• Feel restless and/or irritable.
• Have trouble concentrating and making decisions.
• Experience physical pain.
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts.

According to the NIMH, “A depressive episode is diagnosed if five or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.”

Different Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is not as cut and dry as the – ahem – media may lead you to believe. A person with bipolar disorder may have:

• Type 1 Bipolar Disorder, the most severe type of bipolar disorder when the mood swings are the most frequent and severe.
• Type 2 Bipolar Disorder, a less severe type of bipolar disorder that involves depression and hypomania more often than depression and mania.
• Cyclothymic Disorder, an even less severe type of bipolar disorder when the mood swings are quite mild.

Someone with bipolar disorder may experience:

• Hypomania, when the mania level is mild to moderate.
• Mixed states, when the mania and depression symptoms occur at the same time.
• Rapid cycling, when the episodes of mania and depression occur more frequently than the time frames given above.
• Psychosis, when the episodes of mania and depression are so severe they cause hallucinations and delusions.

See why it’s best to get a doctor’s advice? This stuff can get confusing!

Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder

Treatment options for bipolar disorder almost always involve medications (such as lithium and anticonvulsants) and psychosocial treatments (such as psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and family therapy). A doctor may determine that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) would be beneficial, and sometimes people with bipolar disorder opt for a more natural treatment option such as herbal and natural supplements.

Bipolar disorder is often present for a while before it’s diagnosed. If you think you suffer from bipolar disorder, contact your doctor. If you think someone you know suffers from bipolar disorder, point him or her in the direction of these resources and encourage him or her to contact a doctor. There is absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about dealing with mental illness, and there are effective treatment options available.

Post from: Blisstree

Tell Me More About Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments