Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that effects over 2
millions American adults every single year Because it is a
recurrent illness it can be very difficult to treat; patients
may think they are feeling better and stop the treatment but
this will only see the problems recurring It is difficult to
spot bipolar disorder symptoms because the nature of the illness
means that patients spend as much time in a state of mania (up)
as they do in depression It should be fairly easy to notice
when a person who is close to you goes through this cycle on a
regular basis and the second you see evidence of it you should
make an appointment to see the sufferer’s physician They will
be able to refer you to a psychiatrist if required
Severe cases of either of the swings associated with bipolar
disease can lead to symptoms of psychosis which can include
hallucination and delusions These should also be very easy to
spot but it is unlikely that the sufferer themselves will do so
morbid thoughts are the most worrying of symptoms and many
people subconsciously ignore them in the hope they go away
However, if you suspect the patient is having morbid thoughts
and contemplating suicide you should act immediately to prevent
the worst from happening If necessary call 911
Depression can be spotted quite easily too but can be overlooked
as just being a down day A sad or anxious mood that lasts for
an extended period of time is the most obvious sign of
depression and the first thing you should look for Other signs
include a loss of interest in things that would have previously
caused excitement, including hobbies or sex
Manic episodes can be easy to spot and include an increase in
energy and a euphoric mood Obviously if a person has been
depressed for any length of time and then suddenly shows these
characteristics it is likely to be very evident and easily
noticed Other signs of mania can include an increased sex
drive, a lack of concentration, spending sprees and many more

Tags | bipolar, concentration, excitement, length, result, suicide, swings, time