Learn More About Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression. The manic episodes are likely to disrupt your normal daily living routine. Most individuals with bipolar disorder experience episodes of major depression, though this is not required for the diagnosis. Thankfully, bipolar disorder is treatable with therapy and medication. Below you’ll find articles and resources to help you both understand and deal with bipolar disorder.
Featured Bipolar Articles
Treating Bipolar Disorder
Medications for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar medications are designed to moderate brain activity and allow the individual better opportunities to improve everyday life through therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Bipolar Disorder
With an educated and experienced therapist, cognitive behavioral therapy can address bipolar episodes efficiently as part of a comprehensive treatment plan alongside medication.
18 Lifestyle Tips On Living Well With Bipolar Disorder
Living with Bipolar Disorder can be extremely difficult, with recurring highs and lows in mood. Challenges include accepting the diagnosis, avoiding the risk of substance abuse, and managing variable moods. Learning various lifestyle tips to reduce the symptoms and make your life more enjoyable and fulfilling may be helpful.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I vs. Bipolar II: Understanding the Similarities & Differences
Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic-depression, is a genetically based psychiatric disorder, which involves poorly regulated changes in brain chemistry that create extreme mood swings. The manic side of bipolar mood swings is characterized as an episode of either mania or hypomania—which one someone experiences ultimately determines a diagnosis of Bipolar I or Bipolar II.
Postpartum Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments
Postpartum women are at a higher risk of experiencing bipolar disorder, which includes substantial shifts in mood, energy, thoughts, and behavior. Treatment for this condition involves a combination of medication, therapy, and self-care.
What Is Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder?
Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder is one of the more severe forms of bipolar disorder, as it can seriously impair a person’s ability to function and impede their overall quality of life. The term generally applies to those who go through four or more episodes (i.e., mood swings) within a year. These episodes may entail symptoms of depression, mania, and hypomania.
Common Co-Occurring Feelings & Disorders
Bipolar Anger: Causes & How to Cope
Bipolar anger is a lesser understood side effect of bipolar disorder. Bipolar rage can occur seemingly out of nowhere, leading to an uncontrollable, unstable, and unpredictable experience.
Bipolar Disorder & Anxiety: Connections, Symptoms, & Treatment Options
It is not uncommon for people with bipolar disorder to experience heightened anxiety. This anxiety can interact, overlap, and even become a comorbid disorder on top of the initial bipolar diagnosis, especially when untreated. Despite no known cure for bipolar disorder, there are many effective strategies for successfully treating bipolar and anxiety symptoms—even when it feels hopeless.
Addiction & Bipolar Disorder: Understanding the Connections
Research indicates a strong relationship between bipolar disorder and addiction. Though this relationship is not entirely understood, it is widely recognized that a co-occurring condition of bipolar disorder and addiction serves to exacerbate symptomology in both directions. Given that bipolar disorder and addiction are pervasive conditions, the experience may prove increasingly debilitating without appropriate intervention.
More Articles About Bipolar Disorder
What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
Researchers and mental health experts speculate that several risk factors, including genetics and environment, affect someone’s chance of developing bipolar disorder. However, they cannot pinpoint a single cause that leads to its development. While people with bipolar disorder cannot inherently control the development of their symptoms, seeking treatment can provide significant relief and help with living a fulfilling life.
Having a Bipolar Parent: Effects & How to Cope
Having a parent with bipolar disorder can be difficult, especially if the condition is undiagnosed or untreated. How to best handle the situation depends on the severity of the condition, the parent-child relationship, and a host of other factors. Still, there are healthy and effective ways to cope with these challenges that can help a person feel more secure in their relationship with the parent.
Bipolar Disorder & Blaming Others: What Is the Link?
Bipolar disorder is a challenging condition to live with, requiring various lifestyle adjustments to manage it well. At times, people with bipolar might turn to blaming others for their difficulties to avoid their own bad feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, or shame, particularly if they haven’t yet learned healthier coping skills.