Health Care

Research indicates that there are a wide range of symptoms that indicate bipolar disorder, and for this reason the disorder is not always correctly diagnosed. The bipolar disorder self-test is the first step towards identifying the existence of the condition…

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that is characterized by extreme mood swings, that can be dangerous. A person suffering from bipolar disorder will experience episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania. They are also likely to experience depressive episodes. These episodes may take place separately, or together, in a mixed episode where both emotions are experienced together. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression or manic depressive disorder. Very often, the disorder is seen to develop during the late teen or early adult years, with about half of all cases occurring before the age of 25.

Bipolar Disorder Self Tracking

Bipolar disorder is a difficult condition to identify, especially in the initial stages. Often the symptoms are considered separate mood problems, and the person diagnosing fails to see that they are in fact small parts of a bigger problem. An unfortunate truth is that some people go undiagnosed for years, suffering all the while. However, there is no physical bipolar disorder test, such as a blood or saliva test, at present, to indicate that the condition exists.

If you suspect that you may suffer from this condition, these are a few steps you can take to help confirm your suspicions:

* Keep a record of how often you don’t feel like yourself and have to excuse your behavior in front of others. Be honest with your self, and make a note of both, highs and lows.
* Track your sleep patterns. On a daily basis, write down how many hours you slept the previous night and make special notes about periods of insomnia as well as times when you have felt that you couldn’t get out of bed and needed more sleep.
* Whenever you experience a period of highs and lows in your sleep patterns, also make note of your energy levels during these times. After a while, you may find certain sleep patterns correlating with mood changes. For example, too much sleep may be followed by periods of feelings of loneliness, depression, indifference or even suicidal tendencies.
* Record the times when you have indulged in irresponsible or risky actions, that put you in danger. While in a manic phase of a bipolar disorder, a person may display out-of-character behavior, such as spending or gambling away a lot of money, driving fast and recklessly, or having promiscuous sex. (more…)

Omega-3 fatty acids, otherwise known as fish oil, have been shown to stabilize the mood of people suffering from bipolar disorder. Yes, that’s right, fish oil.

Researchers at Harvard University back in 1999 made a very amazing discovery. During a research study involving omega-3s and people with bipolar disorder it was discovered that those taking fatty acid supplements made such striking progress in regards to mood stabilization that the experiment was stopped after 4 months so that the control patients, those taking placebos, could start taking fish oil. All of the people in the study suffered from bipolar disorder.

The study was initially setup with 35 test subjects. During the test they continued to take their normal bipolar medication. Among the 15 that took the fatty acids 11 of them improved after 4 months and 2 of those suffered eventual relapses. The control group of 20 was given olive oil and of those only 6 of the 20 showed any improvement and 11 experienced a relapse. The patients taking the omega-3 fatty acids had longer periods of remission and when their symptoms did reappear they were less severe.

In fact some of the patients were able to stop taking their prescription medications and remain symptom free on the supplements alone. While there were some side affects such as nausea, belching, fishy taste and loose stools, these were minor compared to the side affects of more powerful bipolar drugs and easily controlled.

Because of the relative short amount of time since this study was done the long term benefits or detriments of using fish oil to treat bipolar disorder are not known. What is interesting about this study is it shows that dietary therapy can be as effective for a major illness as prescription drugs. (more…)

What is Biploar Disorder?
Bipolar or manic depressive illness is a brain disorder that causes a typical changes in mood, energy and activity levels. Bipolar 1 disorder is diagnosed as having manic or mixed episodes, which are not normal of the person’s behaviour. The episodes last for at least a week and require medical attention. The person also experiences depressive episodes, which last approximately two weeks. In between the cycling of manic and depression, many can live normal lives. Symptoms first appear in teens or early 20s, with many developing the disorder before the age of 50.

Bipolar Disorder Medications
Many different medications are needed for the best course of treatment as patients respond to the drugs differently. The medication should be taken continuously for the prevention of a relapse. Manic episodes in bipolar I disorder require treatment with drugs, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines, and newer antipyschotics.

To track and treat the illness, the patient carries out a daily life chart of their mood symptoms, treatments, sleeping patterns and life events. Usually, the first choice of treatment is the long term use of mood stabilisers. With the exception of lithium, they are anticonvulsants to treat seizures as well as controlling mood. There are many types of mood stabilisers on the market. Lithium was the first to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is frequently effective in controlling the symptoms of mania, and preventing the recurrence of manic and depressive episodes.

Valproic acid is as effective as lithium for treating mania. Lamotrigine is the more recent for maintaining the treatment. Less prescribed anticonvulsants include gabapentin, topiramate and oxcarbazepine as they are not more effective than the mood stabilisers. It is thought that by taking valproic acid, lamotrigine and other anticonvulsants, it increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and therefore patients are closely monitored.

In addition to the disorder, patients often have problems with their thyroid gland. The overproduction or underproduction of the thyroid hormone can lead to mood and energy changes. It has been seen that hypothyroidism is associated with the rapid cycling of the bipolar disorder, occurring especially in women.

Atypical antipsychotic drugs are often used for treatment. They are usually taken with other drugs. These include: olanzapine, which is given with an antidepressant to help relieve symptoms of severe mania or psychosis. It can also be given intravenously to treat agitation of manic or mixed episodes. Aripiprazole has the same effect as olanzapine as well maintaining treatment after a severe or sudden episode. Quetiapine relieves the symptoms of severe and sudden manic episodes. Risperidone and ziprasidone are also prescribed for controlling manic or mixed episodes. (more…)