Bipolar disorder is a mental illness with variations in mood and depression periods. Those with bipolar disorder experience fluctuation of moods and act abnormally. Unlike depression, people suffering from bipolar disorder also tend to feel happy and have other positive feelings. This type of disorder can be categorized as a manic problem. Precisely, bipolar disorder is what we call the condition where a person acts like a manic and also like someone who is depressed during the same episode. Mostly women gets bipolar than men. Later we discuss the bipolar symptoms in women.
Mania can be explained when a person acts extremely happy, exited and energetic without any specific reason. They also show the sign of depression like acting passively, having low moods, feeling nothing is worth it, hopelessness and so on.
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Causes
Not having a specific cause, bipolar disorder can have variation in cause and sometimes can have one or more cause at once. Heredity is what we consider the major specific cause of bipolar disorder. Most of the people with this mental illness have any one of their ancestors being mentally disabled or with bipolar disorder. Genes, major illness, heredity, abnormality in brain function and structure are some of the major causes.
What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?
People with bipolar disorder have manic, depression or mixed episodes. By mixed, we mean when a person experiences both manic and depressive symptoms for more than a week which can last up to a month. People with extreme cases of mental illness may experience these symptoms all day long. For some, nights may also be dreadful. People can be very much exited because of which they won’t be able to sleep, or stay at a same place for long. When depressed, the symptoms given again causes the person to stay awake whole night. Many even require sleeping tablets instead of anti-depressants.
Mood episodes are intense with strong emotions and occur along with changes in behavior and energy levels. Most of the times, people between the age of 20 and 30 become the victim.
Bipolar Symptoms in Women/Men
- Feel very cheerful
- Feel very lively
- Feel very nervous
- Feel anxious
- Talk too fast
- Become restless
- Become irritated
- Can have trouble relaxing or sleeping
As of bipolar symptoms in women, most of them even believe they are capable of doing every possible thing at once, can be more active than usual, can do doing risky things like spending money or have sex with anyone they want. Some perform these activities because of their bitter experiences that trigger their mood to do so.
Symptoms when a person becomes depressed during bipolar disorder
- Feel very depressed
- Feel sad, anxious and empty
- Tend to have trouble concentrating
- Forget lot of things
- Lose interest in their past hobbies and become less active
- Feel tired and less energetic
- Have trouble sleeping
- Can have thoughts of suicide and harming oneself
Bipolar disorder in women
Why are women more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder? Why is bipolar symptoms in women more common? To reconsider the myth, men and women almost equally suffer from bipolar disorder. However, women suffer from depressive episode more whereas men tend to suffer from manic episode. Because of the variation in physical attributes, women suffer from depressive episodes more. Natural phenomenon such as pregnancy, menopause and mensuration is what causes women to suffer from bipolar disorder or depression. Irritability, inflexibility, high temper, hot flashes and similar other problems during these stated periods are the major cause women are more likely to suffer from depressive episodes during a bipolar disorder.
How is bipolar disorder treated?
Medicines:
The first thing used to relieve the symptoms of bipolar disorder are medications to prevent mood swings and the need for hospitalization, and the desires of suicide. When medications are not enough, other secondary techniques are applied.
Therapy:
Several forms of therapies can help to change the behavior and manage your present life. Therapists who are experts in psychosis tend to perform these kinds of therapies.
Other treatments:
People with extreme case of bipolar disorder have no effect from medications and therapies. These people are given electroconvulsive therapy that is used as a shock to fix the problem. Many of the women have no effect from therapies so bipolar symptoms in women is most of the times treated with Electroconvulsive therapy.
Sometimes people use natural herbs, for example, St. John’s wort or fatty acids omega-3. Consulting with your personal doctor is very much important before trying any kind of herbs for bipolar disorder.