Bipolar Disoder Basics...Manic Depressive Free
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness

caused by a number of factors including neurological, biological,

emotional, and environmental factors.  It is typically characterized

as mood cycling from manic, or extra happy moods to depressed, or

extra sad, moods.

manic depressive


Many people are not aware that in the last few years doctors have

begun diagnosing bipolar disorder as two different types, based on

how the moods cycle in the patient.  Bipolar disorder type 1, also

known as raging bipolar disorder, is diagnosed when the patient has

at least one manic episode lasting at least one week or longer.  

Bipolar disorder type two, also known as rapid cycling bipolar

disorder, is diagnosed when the patient has at least one manic

episode and one depressive episode within four days to one week.

Hypomania is a severe form of mania that typically occurs in bipolar

disorder type 1 patients.  This state occurs because the patient is

almost constantly up; the normal state for the patient is 1 of mania.

 Therefore, mood cycling in bipolar disorder type 1 patients often

involves mania combined with the mood change.  Mania combined with

mania creates hypomania.  Hypomania also can be accompanied by

psychotic symptoms such as the patient becoming delusional or having

hallucinations.  This is a very simplistic way to describe how

hypomania and mixed episodes occur.

Mixed episodes also often occur with bipolar disorder type 1.  A

mixed episode is hard to explain to the general public.  It consists

of being both happy and sad, up and down, all at the same time.  

Generally, this translates into the patient being very depressed

emotionally, but displaying symptoms of mania such as inability to

concentrate and lack of sleep.

Bipolar disorder type 1 is the most common type of bipolar disorder,

and the most treatable.  Because bipolar disorder type 1 typically

manifests itself in the form of long manic periods with possibly one

or two short depressive periods each year, treatment options are much

more simple.  Since mania requires one type of medication and

depression requires another type of medication, the ability to treat

only mania makes finding effective medications a much simpler task.  

Mood stabilizers are also quite effective with type 1 bipolar

disorder, without the use of mania or depression medications.

The symptoms that the bipolar disorder type 1 patient experiences

determines the type of mania medication used to control the excessive

moods.  In cases of mild but constant mania, lithium is the drug of

choice.  However, in cases in which mixed mania or hypomania are

consistently present, a stronger drug or anti-psychotic, such as

Depakote, is typically prescribed.

Bipolar type 1 is also the likeliest candidate for treatment via

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  This is because the patient is

most often in a state that allows them to easily focus their mind on

rationalizing situations, recognizing triggers, and suppressing

severe episodes.  However, when the patient displays symptoms of

hypomania, as some bipolar type 1 patients often do, cognitive

behavioral therapy is not as effective during these episodes.

Overall, bipolar disorder type 1 is easily controlled through

appropriate treatment and medications.  If you experience any

symptoms of bipolar disorder type 1 you should contact your doctor to

make arrangements for diagnostic testing and to discuss treatment

options.  Ultimately, the patient is responsible for their own

illness, and therefore, their own treatment.

manic depressive
 

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