jnewport

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Explain the word bipolar

I need the definition of bipolar

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0 Views: 794 Answers: 2 Posted: 14 years ago

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country bumpkin

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1. Relating to or having two poles or charges.
2. Relating to a device capable of using two polarizations, such as a transistor that uses positive and negative charge carriers.
3. Relating to or involving both of the earth's polar regions.
4. Having two opposite or contradictory ideas or natures: the bipolar world of the postwar period.
5. Biology Having two poles or opposite extremities: a bipolar neuron.
6. Psychology Relating to a major affective disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania and depression.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bipolar

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior.

People who have bipolar disorder can have periods in which they feel overly happy and energized and other periods of feeling very sad, hopeless, and sluggish. In between those periods, they usually feel normal. You can think of the highs and the lows as two "poles" of mood, which is why it's called "bipolar" disorder.

The word "manic" describes the times when someone with bipolar disorder feels overly excited and confident. These feelings can also involve irritability and impulsive or reckless decision-making. About half of people during mania can also have delusions (believing things that aren't true and that they can't be talked out of) or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there).

"Hypomania" describes milder symptoms of mania, in which someone does not have delusions or hallucinations, and their high symptoms do not interfere with their everyday life.

The word "depressive" describes the times when the person feels very sad or depressed. Those symptoms are similar to depression, a condition in which someone never has manic or hypomanic episodes.

Most people with bipolar disorder spend more time in depressed phases than in manic phases.

What Are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

In bipolar disorder, the dramatic episodes of high and low moods do not follow a set pattern. Someone may feel the same mood state (depressed or manic) several times before switching to the opposite mood. These episodes can happen over a period of weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

How severe it gets differs from person to person and can also change over time, becoming more or less severe.

Symptoms of mania ("the highs"):

Excessive happiness, hopefulness, and excitement

Sudden changes from being joyful to being irritable, angry, and hostile

Restlessness

Rapid speech and poor concentration

Increased energy and less need for sleep

High sex drive

Making grand and unrealistic plans

Showing poor judgment

Drug and alcohol abuse

Becoming more impulsive

During depressive periods ("the lows"), a person with bipolar disorder may have:

Sadness

Loss of energy

Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness

Not enjoying things they once liked

Trouble concentrating

Uncontrollable crying

Trouble making decisions

Irritability

Needing more sleep

Insomnia

Appetite changes that make them lose or gain weight

Thoughts of death or suicide

Attempting suicide

Who Gets Bipolar Disorder?

When someone gets bipolar disorder, it usually starts when they're a young adult. It can happen earlier, often along with ADHD. Bipolar disorder can run in families.

Men and women are equally likely to get it. Women are somewhat more likely than men to go through "rapid cycling," which is having several distinct mood episodes within a year. Women also tend to spend more time depressed than men with bipolar disorder.

Many people with the condition abuse alcohol or other drugs. People with seasonal depression and certain anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are also more likely to have bipolar disorder.

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

There is no single cause. Genes, brain changes, and stress can all play a role.

Researchers are studying how these factors affect bipolar disorder.

How Is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?

If you or someone you know has symptoms of bipolar disorder, talk to your family doctor or a psychiatrist. They will ask questions about mental illnesses that you, or the person you're concerned about, have had, and any mental illnesses that run in the family. You'll also get a checkup.

Diagnosing bipolar disorder is all about the person's symptoms. How severe are they? How long have they lasted? How often do they happen?

The most telling symptoms are those that involve highs or lows in mood, along with changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior.

Talking to close friends and family of the person can often help the doctor distinguish bipolar disorder from major depression or other psychiatric disorders that can involve changes in mood, thinking, and behavior.

What Are the Treatments for Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder can be treated. It's a long-term condition that needs ongoing care.

Medication is the main treatment. Psychotherapy, or "talk therapy," is often recommended, too.

People who have four or more episodes of mood changes in a year, or who also have drug or alcohol problems, can have forms of the illness that are much harder to treat.

What Can I Expect After Bipolar Disorder Treatment?

For most people, a good treatment program can stabilize moods and provide symptom relief.

Ongoing treatment is more effective than dealing with problems as they come up. People who also have a substance abuse problem may need more specialized treatment.