Helping a Loved One with Bipolar Disorder


Dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can be difficult—and not just for the person with the illness. The moods and behaviors of a person with bipolar disorder affect everyone around—especially family members and close friends. During a manic episode, they must cope with reckless antics, outrageous demands, explosive outbursts, and irresponsible decisions. And once the whirlwind of mania has passed, it often falls on them to deal with the consequences. During episodes of depression, they may have to pick up the slack for a loved one who doesn’t have the energy to meet responsibilities at home or work.

People with bipolar disorder do better when they have support from family members and friends. Those whose loved ones are involved and supportive tend to recover more quickly, experience fewer manic and depressive episodes, and have milder symptoms.
If someone close to you has bipolar disorder, your love and support can make a difference in treatment and recovery. You can help by learning about the illness, offering hope and encouragement, keeping track of symptoms, and being a partner in treatment. But caring for a person with bipolar disorder will take a toll if you neglect your own needs, so it’s important to find a balance between supporting your loved one and taking care of yourself.

In addition to traditional medical treatment by qualified medical professionals (which has no substitutes), we also tried some other “natural” ways of managing ups and downs of Bipolar Disorder Symptoms. Book Conquer Stress, Depression & Anxiety was really helpful in maintaining “normal” mood levels.

Probably the best solution to stop anxiety, panic attacks and phobias is Linden Method. We strongly recommend you to try it. It’s a comprehensive and natural method to deal with many symptoms that accompany Bipolar Disorder.

The good news is that most people with bipolar disorder can stabilize their moods with proper treatment, medication, and support—so if your friend or family member has bipolar disorder, take hope. Furthermore, you can play a significant
role in his or her recovery.

Here are some ways you can help a person with bipolar disorder:

  • Learn about bipolar disorder. Educate yourself about bipolar disorder. Learn everything you can about the symptoms and treatment options. The more you know about bipolar disorder, the better equipped you’ll be to help your loved one and keep things in perspective.
  • Encourage the person to get help. The sooner bipolar disorder is treated, the better the prognosis, so urge your friend or family member to seek professional help right away. Don’t wait to see if the person will get better without treatment.
  • Be understanding. Let your friend or family member know that you’re there if he or she needs a sympathetic ear, encouragement, or assistance with treatment. Remind the person that you care and that you’ll do
    whatever you can to help.
  • Be patient. Getting better takes time, even when a person is committed to treatment. Don’t expect a quick recovery or a permanent cure. Be patient with the pace of recovery and prepare for setbacks and challenges.
    Managing bipolar disorder is a lifelong process.

I wish you and loved ones health, happiness and success in overcoming Bipolar Symptoms. Please scroll down to next posts to read more….

Natalie K.

 

There are 5.7 million adults diagnosed of bipolar manic depressive disorder in the United States. Also, the 3.4 million American children and adolescents diagnosed of depression are highly likely to experience bipolar manic disorder symptoms or bipolar depression. The condition can reduce up to 9.2 years from your life span can also cause people to be suicidal or self-destructive behavior is stated by the National Health Institute of Mental Health. Hence, one of the leading causes of human disability is bipolar depressive or bipolar manic disorder. Bipolar is a psychiatric illness that causes unusual and sudden changes to mood, activity and energy levels, which may affect an individual’s ability to carry out his day to day tasks. Going from feeling very sad, helpless and despaired, manic depression symptoms can cause him/her to shift to feeling euphoric happiness, being overly active and practically on top of the world, which has been known to severe relationships, affect job and school performance, or even cause suicide.

Definition

Symptoms of bipolar manic disorder include sleeplessness, high energy levels, having large plans for activities, restlessness, talkativeness and uneasiness. Symptoms of bipolar depression are low energy with negative feelings like hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, and appetite loss. A patient might have many of these symptoms daily. The symptoms typically happen throughout the late teenage or early grown up years. The majority of patients begin having the symptoms at approximately twenty five years old. According to statistics, females are 3X more likely to have bipolar episodes than males are. The NIMH additionally says that a family history of the disorder might make an individual’s risk of having these symptoms higher.

Diagnosis

Physical examinations, interview, lab tests like blood work and brain scans and evaluation of the patient’s medical history is involved in the first step in diagnosis. The doctor may provide referral to a trained mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist, who is more experienced in handling bipolar disorder after a complete diagnostic evaluation. Extremely important in helping bipolar sufferers lead a normal life is proper and immediate diagnosis. To reduce the frequency or severity of the symptoms, it will also help provide the right kind of treatment.

Remedy

To effectively prevent relapse and bipolar episodes, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is usually recommended. Among bipolar patients, Mood stabilizers (lithium, valproic acid, and anticonvulsants), atypical antipsychotic (olanzapine, aripiprazolw, quetiapine, risperidone) and antipsychotic drugs may be prescribed. These are usually prescribed by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Sleep medications or sedatives are recommended to patients having trouble sleeping in some cases. Support, guidance and education among bipolar patients as well as their families is provided by Psychotherapy or ‘talk therapy’. Several approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and psycho education are involved.

Word of Caution

There are other illnesses that may coexist with bipolar manic depressive disorder, making it more difficult to diagnose and treat. Substance abuse is may prolong or trigger Bipolar Symptoms and cause behavioral problems associated with bipolar manic disorder. Anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress, social phobia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may overlap with bipolar disorder. Also, people suffering this condition have higher risks of developing thyroid disease, migraine headaches, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other physical illnesses. Hence, seeking professional help upon experiencing symptoms of bipolar depressive or bipolar manic disorder is advised.

Ken P Doyle has vast amounts of knowledge and experience in mental health issues. For additionalinformation on bipolar manic depressive disorder or bipolar manic disorder, look up his websitetoday.

Bipolar Disorder is complex in that there is not a single symptom or a single type of disorder. Some of the major symptoms are the unstable shifts of emotions and mood swings from the very high (mania) to the lowest of the low (depression) and the in between know as the middle hippo mania. The levels of the symptoms have a vast range from severe to rather mild and may include certain periods with no symptoms appearing at all.

Bipolar Signs

Bipolar disorder symptoms are not universal and not all people will experience the same symptoms or even those who do experience the same symptoms, the severity will differ. Bipolar disease has many factors that can affect it and they are unique to each family and to each individual. Bipolar disorder is common and can be very serious if it is left untreated. If signs or symptoms of bipolar disorder appear, immediately seek the attention of a psychiatrist.

There are many symptoms to depression and they are similar for severe depression. Symptoms include: increased or decreased sleep, decreased interest, feelings of guilt, decreased energy, decreased concentration, decreased or increased appetite, changes in motor activity and suicidal thoughts or plans.

Children with Bipolar

The knowledge of how to recognize and handle a child with bipolar disorder is imperative for parents, teachers, counselors, school staff and teachers. Identifying the signs and symptoms early on can be incredibly beneficial to the future treatment and well-being of the child. Co-operation between everyone involved with help alleviate future behavioral, academic and social issues.

Seeking Treatment

Both mood stabilizing medication and counseling are indicated in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It is crucial that those with bipolar disorder learn about their medication and the side effects associated with the drugs. A reliable system needs to be implemented to ensure that the patient takes their medication regularly, even when they are feeling better and stable. Not taking the medication on a regular basis will lead to severe episodes, relapses and hospitalization. Those around the bipolar patient, such as family and friends, should continue to monitor the patient’s mood, sleep patterns, change in eating habits and behaviors to prevent the onset of manic or depressive episodes. Bipolar patients should not use alcohol or drugs, even mild drugs such as marijuana can make symptoms worse. It is essential that those with bipolar disorder lead a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise. Such a healthy lifestyle will aid in lowering stress levels and improving quality of life.

About the Author:

The history of bipolar disease, or bipolar disorder, began in the 2nd century AD, but was not thoroughly studied until contemporary psychotherapy developed in the 1850s. Find out how medication began being used for treatment of Bipolar Disorder in the 1950s with information from a licensed mental health counselor in this free video on bipolar disorder.

Expert: David Thomas
Contact: www.WTGTampa.com
Bio: Dr. David Thomas has been certified as a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida since 1986 and the National Board of Certified Counselors since 1987.
Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

Duration : 0:2:7

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All of us have our daily ups and downs with some days really down and other days we are full of life. But those suffering from this mental illness called bipolar disorder, their good days are really high and their low days very, very low. Individuals with symptoms of bipolar disorder can have problems with their work, their school performance, relationships can nosedive and their day to day activities disrupted. Bipolar disorder is a treatable disease, but a lot of patients are not able to recognize the warning signs and get immediate help. It must be noted that this mental disorder can get worse if its not treated on time. Therefore it is important to know and learn the symptoms and seek help immediately. In other words relatives and friends must be able to recognize the symptoms for it is the way forward to getting bipolar symptoms under control.

Known as manic depression, bipolar disorder which is a mental disease has serious shifting of mood, energy level, thoughts, and behavior. The highs are the mania on one side and the lows depression on the other. The cycles of bipolar can last for days, and some people weeks, or even months. These mood swings are not like ordinary, mood changes because with bipolar disorder it is severe and usually interferes with day to day normal activities.

The Difference of Mania and Depression

When people are going through bipolar mania symptoms they can become impulsive and leave their jobs all of a sudden. They can accumulate credit cards with lots of credit and sleep for a few hours with lots of energy. People s going through the depressive episode, this same person can become tired even after a long rest with feelings of being helpless and hopeless.

What Causes Bipolar Disease Symptoms?

Nobody really knows what causes bipolar disorder. It is believed that this mental illness is passed on by family members, biological and environmental. Bipolar symptoms can be noticed in young children as young as two but that has to be verified by the experts. The bipolar symptoms in children can be both subtle and confusing. In adults it is straight forward, the only difficulty is other symptoms similar to bipolar showing together. It is probably the reason why many people are misdiagnosed. With the right diagnosis and treatment bipolar victims can live a normal life.

Treatment with Bipolar Medication

When doctors are treating bipolar disorder – mood stabilizers are used to help control the lows and highs of bipolar symptoms. While medication may have its side effects, they are the key in the treatment of both mania and depression symptoms. Lithium is one of the oldest but very effective mood stabilizer. It is also very effective for the treatment of bipolar mania.

About the Author:

http://fromexpert.110mb.com/bipolardisorder How To Recognize, Cope & Deal With Your Loved One’s Bipolar Disorder.Info and tools on symptoms and treatment of bipolar disorder download free ebook http://fromexpert.110mb.com/bipolardisorder

Duration : 0:0:31

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Learn about bi-polar depression symptoms with expert tips on dealing with depression in this free mental health video.

Expert: Brenda F. Dixon
Contact: www.LifeHelpNow.com
Bio: Brenda F. Dixon holds a Bachelor’s and a Masters degrees in Social Work. She has done counseling and mentor work with businesses, ministries, and individuals.
Filmmaker: Darren Dixon

Duration : 0:1:19

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http://www.1therapyplace.com. Atypical depression includes a range of Bipolar Disorders. This video does not
offer cures for depression, but does provide information about diagnosing depression.

Duration : 0:2:12

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Bipolar disease, or disorder, is commonly linked to genetic factors, though relatives are not often diagnosed, they may have displayed common bipolar symptoms. Get more information on bipolar disorder causes from a licensed mental health counselor in this free video on Bipolar Disorder.

Expert: David Thomas
Contact: www.WTGTampa.com
Bio: Dr. David Thomas has been certified as a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida since 1986 and the National Board of Certified Counselors since 1987.
Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

Duration : 0:1:41

Continue reading »

Hey Guys, In this video, Dr. Joe Bresee, with CDC’s Influenza Division, describes the symptoms of swne flu and wrning signs to look for that indicte the n…

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