Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disease that causes the person suffering from it to swing drastically between two extreme moods.
Bipolar disorder causes the patient to swing between extremes of depression and mania
In medical parlance, Bipolar Disorder is called Manic Depressive Psychosis. This is an illness characterised by a disturbance in mood. It ranges from depression to the other extreme, mania. It is observed to occur equally in men and women, more in the upper class and incidence rate is 3-4/1000 persons. BPD usually starts before 30 years and the shift from depression to mania may be sudden or gradual.
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:
Depression – Sadness of mood, difficulty in thinking and psycho-motor retardation or agitation make up the classical triad.
- Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleep)
- Lack of appetite or excessive appetite leading to corresponding changes in weight.
- Inability to concentrate and slowness of thought.
- Anxiety, irritability or hallucinations.
- Feelings of hopelessness with suicidal ideas.
- Constipation, dryness of mouth, loss of libido, impotence or menstrual disturbances.
- Fatigue, lethargy and vague aches and pains.
Mania:
- Mood could be irritable, elated or euphoric.
- Speech is loud, forceful and expansive.
- Thought is incoherent with delusions of wealth, position or knowledge.
- Libido could be excessive.
- There may be a pre-occupation with looks and increased use of cosmetics, jewellery and self-care products.
- Decreased need for sleep and decreased sleep.
Causes of bipolar disorder:
- Biochemical and endocrinal: Abnormal levels of certain hormones is a major factor.
- Genetic: It tends to occur in the same family.
- Structural changes in the brain are implicated.
- Personality: Certain personalities (e.g. people having obsessive compulsive disorder) are more likely to develop BPD than others.
- Cognitive theory of Beck: he postulated that distorted and negative perception of one’s life could cause depression.
Treatment of bipolar disorder:
- Drugs: A wide range of drugs are available. Antidepressants usually take 4 weeks to produce a therapeutic response. In manic phases, lithium and anti-psychotics are used.
- Psychotherapy is an important form of treatment. It helps the person to cope in social life and to improve relationships with family and friends. It can be extended to the family to educate them about the condition and better understand the patient.
- Electro-convulsive therapy is the treatment of choice when suicidal tendencies are present.
- Behaviour and cognitive therapy: in less severe cases.
- Hospitalisation: In serious cases where there is risk of harming oneself or others.
Bipolar Disorder prevents a person from living his life to the fullest. This condition should not be ignored and can be successfully treated by a single therapy or a combination. The objective is to give the person as normal a life as possible and prevent any untoward incidents like suicide.
Written by Dr Nisreen Nakhoda, General Physician
Illustrations by Leandro Ercole, via sxc.hu
