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Bipolar Disorder
A History of Bipolar DisorderAs far back as the ancient Roman Empire, the Roman physician Celsus described mood disorders, specifically unipolar depression, as “bad blood” or “black bile.” In 1899, Emil Kraepelin described manic-depressive disorder. Kraepelin monitored his patients suffering from these mood swings, and developed a set of diagnostic criteria still used today by physicians. Everyone experiences “ups and downs” in their moods. These mood swings are part of everyday responses to events in our lives. However, for people suffering from bipolar disorder, or “manic depressive illness,” the fluctuations in mood swings are severe and affect energy levels. Involvement in everyday activities becomes difficult. The medical community classifies bipolar disorders as part of a larger group of mood disorders. Bipolar disorders have more than one specific cause. Researchers know that genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are all causes of bipolar disorder. It is a brain disorder with complex symptoms and can be difficult to diagnose. What are Bipolar Disorder Mood Swings? Manic episodes are the opposite of depressive moods. However, while an individual in a manic episode may experience euphoria and great excitability, he or she may also suddenly burst out angrily or go from laughter to tears within minutes. Patient’s predominant symptoms in various episodes are agitation and emotional discomfort. Manic episodes must last longer than a week for a doctor to diagnose an individual with bipolar disorder. Psychiatrists use a mood indicator to determine how severe a person’s mood swings are and if they fall within the criteria of bipolar disorder. The scale has three categories: 1) mild, moderate, and severe depression, 2) normal and balanced mood, and 3) hypo or severe mania. Psychotic symptoms can accompany bipolar mood swings, including hallucinations of ruin and destitution or, on the opposite extreme, of being famous or extraordinarily wealthy. What are Bipolar Disorder Symptoms? Bipolar disorder consists of alternating between two opposite moods, each with their own symptoms. Symptoms of depressive moods include:
Manic episodes can interrupt or combine with depressive moods and produce the following symptoms:
What are the Types of Bipolar Disorder? The National Institute of Health categorizes bipolar disorders into four groups:
“Rapid cycling” bipolar disorder (not part of the above designated diagnoses) is when an individual suffers from at least four major episodes of depression, mania or mixed mood within a year. This condition seems to be prevalent with people who already suffer from severe bipolar disorder. Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Bipolar Disorder
People with bipolar disorder commonly suffer from substance use disorders. Using drugs and alcohol as a means to self-medicate can bring upon a switch in symptoms: going from a major depressive episode to a manic or mixed episode.(source:PubMedCentral, Michael J. Ostacher et al., “Impact of Substance Use Disorders on Recovery from Episodes of Depression in Bipolar Disorder Patients”, It is estimated that approximately half of all those suffering from bipolar disorder suffer from alcoholism as a way of mitigating the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, whether a person is misusing drugs or alcohol to deal with the bipolar disorder, the outcome tends to be that both disorders are worsened. The more one uses drugs or alcohol, the worse his or her bipolar disorder becomes. And conversely, the worse the symptoms of the bipolar disorder become, the more a person will drink or drug. Substance-Induced Mood Disorder Bipolar mood disorders can be difficult to distinguish from substance-induced mood disorders. However, substance-induced mood disorder symptoms are “in excess of those usually associated with intoxication or withdrawal,” and are “sufficiently severe enough to warrant independent clinical attention.” (Principles of Addiction Medicine, 2009, Edition 4, online version, Ch. 84, p. 1153) |
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