WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
This illness is typified by moods that see-saw between
mania (over-excitement, over-activity, and unreasonably good
feelings) and depression (extreme sadness). These repeated
swings between two emotional poles have earned this illness the
name "bipolar disorder."
Causes
Bipolar disorder is thought to result from chemical
changes in the body and brain. It is sometimes triggered by a
stressful event. Your odds of developing the problem are higher
if:
-
Someone else in your family
has had a mood disorder, especially a bipolar
disorder.
-
You are in your late teens or
early twenties.
-
You are under a lot of
stress.
Signs/Symptoms
Symptoms usually begin suddenly, but occasionally develop
gradually. The mood swings may be obvious to other people
before you become aware of them. During both the manic and
depressive phases, there may be changes in
your:
-
Eating or sleeping
habits
-
Weight
-
Energy level
-
Feelings about
sex
-
Desire to be with other
people
-
Feelings about the
future
Some people with this disorder develop impulses to hurt
themselves or others..
During periods of mania, you may find
yourself:
-
Talking too
fast
-
Spending too much
money
-
Showing bad
temper
-
Abusing drugs or
alcohol
-
Saying things that don't make
sense
-
Having
hallucinations
-
Thinking very highly of
yourself
-
Becoming preoccupied with
sex
During periods of depression, you
may:
-
Prefer solitude
-
Eat too much or too
little
-
Sleep a lot or not at
all
-
Cry a lot
-
Have trouble
concentrating
-
Have difficulty making
decisions
-
Suffer low
self-esteem
-
Have thoughts of
suicide
Care
The standard treatment for this disorder is the drug
lithium, with an antidepressant sometimes added during low
periods. If the manic phase throws you totally out of control,
a hospital stay may be necessary.
At first, you will probably need to visit a clinic or
doctor's office 1 to 4 times a month. Before treatment begins,
the doctor may order blood tests, an x-ray, EKG, or a CT scan
to rule out other illnesses.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're
There
Treatment can require full-time hospitalization in a
locked inpatient unit, or a partial care program in which you
are able to return home after each day's therapy. Inpatients
may wear their own clothes, but are customarily searched for
sharp objects such as scissors or nail files, which are held in
a staff office. Patients who present a danger outside the
hospital can be involuntarily hospitalized for up to 3 days by
the police or a doctor. While hospitalized, you may encounter
the following procedures.
-
Group Therapy: These meetings are somewhat like a
support group session, allowing patients to share coping
experience. The meetings are run by medical
staff.
-
Individual Therapy: This is a time for you to meet
alone with your therapist to discuss ways of dealing with
the illness.
-
Family Meetings: In these sessions, medical staff
will prepare you and your family for your return
home.
-
Time Out: If you become unable to control yourself,
the staff may separate you from the other patients, either
in your own room or---if you seem violent---in a "safety
room."
-
Restraints: Patients who pose a danger to themselves
or others may be physically restrained with leather
bands.
-
Electroconvulsive (e-LEK-tro-kun-VUL-siv) Therapy:
If medication doesn't work for you---or isn't fast
enough---this form of treatment can be very helpful. Also
known as ECT or shock therapy, it applies a mild electric
current to the brain. Although the treatment temporarily
disrupts the memory, full recall typically returns within
two weeks.
WHAT YOU SHOULD
DO
-
Be sure to take prescribed
medication regularly, even if it seems to have no effect at
the start. Take no more lithium than prescribed; extra
doses can cause lithium poisoning. Since lithium can affect
judgment and coordination and some antidepressants can make
you drowsy, be cautious when using machinery or driving
until you know how the drugs affect you. Check with your
doctor before taking any other drugs, either prescription
or over-the counter.
-
Avoid alcohol and
recreational drugs while taking an antidepressant. They may
interact with it badly.
-
Since it's hard to avoid
stress, learn to control it with such techniques as deep
breathing, relaxing muscles, meditation, or biofeedback.
Try not to bottle-up your feelings; talk to your doctors,
family, or friends and let them help you. You may also want
to join a support group.
-
Encourage those close to you
to talk to your doctor. He can give them tips on how to
respond to the situation.
Call Your Doctor
If...
-
You feel an intense mood
swing coming on
-
You're unable to sleep well
or find that you are sleeping more than
usual.
-
You undergo a change in
appetite.
-
Your medicine makes you
drowsy, dizzy, or sick to your stomach.
-
Your medicine causes itching,
a rash, or swelling.
Seek Care Immediately
If...
-
You begin to have thoughts of
suicide or homicide.
-
Your medicine causes an
allergic reaction (swelling or trouble
breathing).
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