There are times all of us feel sad or melancholic. There are times we feel happy for no apparent reason and want to sing and dance for joy. People have mood swings but they are not every day and not without reason. However, when you see some one who is ecstatic one moment and goes down to the depth of depression in the other, then there are chances that these are bipolar symptoms and bipolar disease is what the person is afflicted with. Most people harbor some false myths about bipolar symptoms and bipolar disease. Hence, we need to know what bipolar disorder really is.
The Truth About Bipolar Disorder
Manic depression is another popular name for bipolar disorder. Periods of euphoria or mania alternating with periods of depression are the symptoms characterized with this disorder as is indicated with the name. These periods of the symptoms are not brief and may last for hours, days and even months. The ability of the individual to lead a normal life can also be affected by these radical mood changes.
In the mania phase, the patient may feel a burst of energy, may paint, sing or dance or quit his job or shop like a madman. The mania phase is characterized by the patient feeling euphoric for no apparent reason.
On the other hand the depression phase can be recognized by periods of low or no energy. The patient may wallow in self pity, be completely depressed about everything and extremely lethargic for no reason.
These days bipolar disorder is quite a common affliction affecting almost 3% of the adult population in the US. Researches are going on to ascertain its true causes though its been linked to genetics and family history.
Its often observed that the onset of bipolar disorder takes place in the late teenage or early adult years. Hence, initially most people mistake the bipolar symptoms in teens as a typical adolescent behavior and dont pay much attention which makes the symptoms worse. Hence, early prognosis of this disease can enable the patient to lead a healthy life.
In the early days, people afflicted with the bipolar symptoms and bipolar disease, were often called "mad". Many were thought to be possessed by evil spirits as well. However, with the advent of new technology, many of these myths have been broken.
Listed below are a couple of myths about the disease that are still around today:
Having Bipolar Disorder doesnt give you the opportunity for a normal life " With the increasing number of bipolar disorder sufferers around the world having children, a great family and a perfectly normal life, we can clearly see that this statement is false. A capability to cope and manage the symptoms and a good support system is all that is required.
Patients afflicted with bipolar disorder are forever alternating between mania and depression: Manic and depression episodes do occur but there tend to be more depression episodes than mania. Most of the times, mania is so mild that its hardly noticeable. Many a times patients dont have any symptoms for a long period of time.
Medicines and therapy can be used to treat bipolar disease and bipolar symptoms. But even with these conventional cures, the unconditional love and support of loved ones is very important in ensuring a normal life for someone suffering from the disease.
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