| Bipolar disorder, also known as manic
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| | the patient believes he or she has
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| depression, is a diagnostic category
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| | inflicted on others.
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| describing a class of mood disorders
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| | Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
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| where the person experiences states or
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| | Currently bipolar disorder cannot be
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| episodes of depression and/or mania,
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| | cured but it can be managed. The emphasis
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| hypomania, and/or mixed states. Left
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| | of treatment is on effective management
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| untreated, it is a severely disabling
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| | of the long-term course of the illness,
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| psychiatric condition.
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| | which can involve treatment of emergent
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| The difference between bipolar disorder
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| | symptoms. Treatment methods include
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| and major depression is that bipolar
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| | pharmacological and psychological
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| disorder involves "energized" or
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| | techniques.
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| "activated" mood states in addition to
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| | A variety of medications are used to
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| depressed mood states. The duration and
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| | treat bipolar disorder. Most people with
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| intensity of mood states varies widely
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| | bipolar disorder require combinations of
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| among people with the illness.
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| | medications.
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| Fluctuating from one mood state to
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| | Relapse of Bipolar Disorder
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| another is called "cycling" or having
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| | Even when on medication, some people may
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| mood swings. Mood swings cause impairment
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| | still experience weaker episodes or have
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| not only in one's mood, but also in one's
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| | a complete manic or depressive episode.
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| energy level, sleep pattern, activity
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| | The following behaviors can lead to
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| level, social rhythms and thinking
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| | depressive or manic relapse:
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| abilities. Many people become fully
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| | * Discontinuing or lowering one's dose of
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| disabled, for some period of time, after
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| | medication without consulting one's
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| being diagnosed, and during this time may
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| | physician.
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| have great difficulty functioning.
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| | * Being under or over medicated.
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| The vast majority of people diagnosed
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| | Generally, taking a lower dosage of a
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| with suffer from depression. In fact,
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| | mood stabilizer can lead to relapse into
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| there is at least a 3 to 1 ratio of time
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| | mania. Taking a lower dosage of an
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| spent depressed versus time spent in a
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| | antidepressant, may cause the patient to
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| normal mood or hypomanic or manic during
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| | relapse into depression, while higher
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| the course of the bipolar I subtype of
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| | doses can cause destabilization into
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| the illness. People with the bipolar II
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| | mixed-states or mania.
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| subtype remain depressed for
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| | * Taking other psychotropic or
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| substantially longer. Up to 37 times
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| | recreational drugs such as marijuana,
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| longer than bipolar I.
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| | cocaine, or heroin. These can cause the
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| A 2003 study by Robert Hirschfeld, M.D.,
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| | condition to worsen.
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| of the University of Texas, Galveston
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| | * An inconsistent sleep schedule can
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| found bipolar patients fared worse in
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| | destabilize the illness. Too much sleep
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| their depressions than unipolar patients.
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| | can lead to depression, while too little
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| In terms of disability, lost years of
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| | sleep can lead to mixed states or mania.
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| productivity and potential for suicide,
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| | * Excessive amounts of caffeine can cause
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| bipolar depression is now recognized as
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| | destabilization of mood toward
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| the most insidious aspect of the illness.
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| | irritability, dysphoria and mania.
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| Severe depression may be accompanied by
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| | * Inadequate stress management and poor
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| symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms
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| | lifestyle choices. If unmedicated,
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| include hallucinations and delusions.
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| | excessive stress can cause the individual
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| They may also suffer from paranoid
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| | to relapse. Medication raises the stress
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| thoughts of being persecuted or monitored
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| | threshold somewhat, but too much stress
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| by some powerful entity such as the
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| | still causes relapse.
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| government or a hostile force.
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| | Disclaimer
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| Intense and unusual religious beliefs may
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| | The information presented here should not
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| also be present, such as patients' strong
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| | be interpreted as medical advice. If you
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| insistence that they have a God-given
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| | or someone you know is suffers from a
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| role to play in the world, a great and
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| | bipolar disorder, please seek
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| historic mission to accomplish, or even
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| | professional medical advice for the
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| that they possess supernatural powers.
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| | latest treatment options.
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| Delusions in a depression may be far more
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| | Permission is granted to reprint this
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| distressing, sometimes taking the form of
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| | article as long as no changes are made,
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| intense guilt for supposed wrongs that
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| | and the entire resource box is included.
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