Bipolar disorder is a mental illness defined by periodic changes of extreme mood, which affects an individual’s thoughts, mood and behaviour. It is also known as Maniac depression. It is essential to understand the symptoms and difference between the two main types of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar I- An individual suffering from Bipolar 1 might experience at least one manic episode in their lives. They might also experience major depressive episodes in their life.
Bipolar II- An individual suffering from Bipolar II might experience at least one hypomanic episode in their lives with at least one major depressive episode.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are –
Insomnia or excessive sleeping
Prolonged sadness
Hallucinations
Feeling of hopelessness
Low level of concertation
Excessive talking
Increase the desire for sex or no desire for sexual activities
Impulsive risk behaviours like spending excessive money on lavish accessories and activities like gambling
Increased aggressive behaviour
Suicidal thoughts, desire to cause self-harm
Change in weight either an individual gain or loses significant weight
Bipolar disorder symptoms in men and women are equally diagnosed. The main symptoms are different among both genders. A woman develops mild episodes in their twenty and thirties. Women tend to experience more depressive episodes than manic episodes and have at least three to four mania episodes in a year. It is known as rapid cycling. Due to more episodes of depression, they even experience migraine, anxiety, thyroid diseases and obesity. Due to hormonal changes in women, they tend to have more relapse than men. Men tend to experience symptoms at an early age in their life. Men experience more severe episodes, i.e., maniac episodes. Due to manic episodes, men often act out and face issues like alcohol and substance abuse.
It is challenging to diagnose bipolar disorder among children. The main symptoms that an individual must notice in their children are:
Manic symptoms- Children expressing over happiness and acting extremely silly
They tend to talk to others at a very rapid speed
They have insomnia and don’t tend to express tiredness
They tend to experiment with new and risky things
They have a short temper which leads to aggression at house and school
Children, especially girls, may suffer from Depressive symptoms. Some of those symptoms are- Eating disorder, i.e. a child may gain a lot of weight.
Being extremely sad all-day
The feeling of unworthiness and guilt
Too unmotivated to work or showing no motivation to do any work
They either tend to experience insomnia (no sleep) or excessive sleep
Constant pains like stomach-ache and headache
Here are some self-help tips that can really help you in improving your well-being
Maintain your schedule – It is imperative to have an adequately fixed schedule as it makes our mood more stable. You can make a weekly schedule starting from doing exercise every day to sleeping on time. When an individual keeps and maintains their schedule in their life, they gain control not only over their mood but also stability
Monitor your mood- An individual can record and maintain track of their mood. They should keep writing about their mood swings, including the impact of medications, sleep cycle, and simply write events.
Take less stress: An individual suffering from bipolar disorder should not take or work under a lot of stress. Whether you are a household woman or a student, you must take reduce stressors in your life.
Say no to drugs and alcohol use: It is essential to understand that individuals suffering from bipolar disorder are advised not to consume drugs or alcohol. Alcohol and drugs affect our mood directly and can make it worse. An individual on any kind of medication should never consume drugs and alcohol as it is hazardous.
Exercise and relaxation: An individual can regularly exercise to boost positive hormones in our brain. It improves one’s physical health and overall well-being. While relaxation helps in reducing stress and makes us attain to feel positive. An individual can try relaxation in various ways like yoga, meditation, hot bath, self-care and many more.
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