Mental health is one of the most neglected topics in our country. According to the World Health Organization, 7.5% of the Indian population has some form of mental disorder that often goes unnoticed. Bipolar disorder is one of those forms of mental illness that is characterized by unusual mood swings. Everyone experiences mood swings from time to time, but this condition causes a person to suffer from bouts of extreme mood swings and makes it difficult to manage everyday life. Dr. Vanishree BN, Consultant Psychiatry, Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road is here to provide information on bipolar disorder and treatment to manage this condition.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a type of Disorder of encouragement. Affects mood leading to 2 phases of feeling sad and one phase of extremely happy/euphoric mood. The precise cause of this condition is still underground, but genetics, environment, altered brain structure, and chemistry can all contribute to this condition. Symptoms are different for different phases, and mood episodes can last from days to months, explains Dr. Vanishree.
What are the symptoms and causes of this disorder?
From hypomania to major depressive episodes and various stages, there are various forms of bipolar disorders, but they are broadly classified into 2 different categories: phase depression and mania. “Unpredictable changes in mood and behavior are the most common symptoms of this condition. Some bipolar disorders don’t even have a similar pattern. They can be due to an underlying medical condition or an abuse disorder,” he begins. Although the cause of bipolar disorder is still unclear, a combination of various lifestyle changes or genetics may play a role in the development of this condition. “Stress, loss of loved ones / loss of something important, family history of bipolar disorder or depression, drug abuse or addiction are the main causes of this disease,” she adds.
Depression phase: Characterized by sad mood, lack of interest in any activity, lack of motivation, lack of interaction, isolation, and suicidal thoughts.
manic phase: Characterized by extreme happiness, excessive spending of money, excessive talking, irritable mood at times, excessive sexual activity, and reduced need for sleep.
Importance of the home environment while suffering from this condition
The home environment needs to be supportive in both phases of bipolar illness and not be overly critical. “Avoid negative comments, understand that they are not doing any of it deliberately and it is because of illness. Get the opinion of a mental health expert as soon as possible. Allow them to recover and then think about your work or the continuation of your work. As a family, the most important thing is to be positive about recovery, to be supportive at every stage,” reveals Dr. Vanishree.
Treatment options to control this condition
Treatment of this condition is lifelong and requires significant lifestyle changes along with medication to relieve symptoms with effective management. “Treatment may be through outpatient care or inpatient care/psychiatric ward admission depending on the severity to be assessed by a psychiatrist. Bipolar disorder definitely needs to be treated with medication and needs regular monitoring,” she explains.
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