BIPOLAR DISORDER

What is it?

Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are three types of bipolar disorder and they all involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels.

Some symptoms of bipolar disorder are:

Manic episodes:

Feeling very ‘’up’’, happy and elevated
Talking and thinking very quickly when usually people have trouble keeping up with you
Difficulty to concentrate
Feeling that you have many new and great ideas
A sense of grandiose
Easily agitated and irritable
Feeling like you are so energetic that you don’t need to sleep at all
Sometimes, when having a manic episode you can experience hallucinations

Hypomanic episodes are very similar to manic episodes but they are less severe.

Major depressive episodes:

Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless or tearful (in children and teens, depressed mood can appear as irritability)
Losing motivation and not finding joy in activities
Either insomnia or sleeping too much
Fatigue or loss of energy
Decreased ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
Thinking about, planning or attempting suicide

Treatment – How to get help?

There are several ways to diagnose and treat bipolar disorder. With the proper help, the symptoms can be managed through a tailored care between the patient and practitioner. If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, do not hesitate to reach out. Together, we can find the right services for you.