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Bipolar Disorder: Frequently Asked Questions

Is bipolar disorder genetic?

Bipolar disorder, among all psychiatric illnesses, may have the greatest genetic contribution. For instance, if an individual has a parent with bipolar disorder, the chance that the individual's child will have bipolar disorder is about nine-fold greater than in the general population, with the risk rising from about 1% to about 10%. The inheritability of this illness is estimated to be anywhere from 50% to 80%. ...

What Is Pediatric Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is a neurobiological brain disorder . It was formerly called manic-depression. Until about 10 -15 years ago, most doctors did not believe children could have Bipolar, and this is still an issue of some controversy. However, as more research is done and the information from that research is distributed, more and more doctors are becoming familiar with Pediatric Bipolar Disorder. Pediatric Bipolar is also known as EOBP (Early Onset Bipolar) and COBP (Childhood Onset Bipolar). ...

IS BIPOLAR DISORDER HEREDITARY?

It is more correct to say that there is evidence of a strong family history and genetic relationship to bipolar disorder.
Source: www.isbd.org
Yes. The National Institute of Mental Health says that more than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness or with clinical, or "unipolar," depression. Read more about the link between genetics and bipolar disorder.
Studies show some evidence that bipolar disorder tend to run in the family.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

The recommended treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of medication, education and therapy. Medication is usually prescribed initially to treat an episode of mania, hypomania or depression and this medication is then continued on a long-term basis to prevent future episodes. The main medications used for controlling bipolar disorder are mood stabilizers, however, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications may also be used. These medications are used individually or in combination. ...
Source: www.case.edu
Bipolar disorder is typically treated with medication that is designed to control mood swings. Antidepressants or antipsychotic medications may also be needed. Group psychotherapy and support from family or loved ones are also important.
Bipolar disorder is best treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy (talk therapy). Finding the right medication and staying on it is critical to treating the illness. Read more about treating bipolar disorder and the use of medication and psychotherapy.
Bipolar Disorder is usually treated with a combination of mood stabilisers and atypical antipsychotics to treat the mania, and antidepressants to treat the depression, with maintenance (aimed at preventing recurrence) usually relying on a mood stabiliser (or sometimes an antidepressant) alone. Psychological therapies by themselves are ineffective and inappropriate, but can be a useful adjunct to the physical treatment.

Is bipolar disorder inherited?

Bipolar disorder tends to run in families. But like other complex inherited disorders, the illness only occurs in a fraction of the individuals at genetic risk. In an individual with one bipolar parent, there is a 1 in 7 chance that he or she will develop the disorder. This risk may increase if there are a number of other relatives with bipolar disorder or depression.
Source: www.case.edu

How common is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder affects about 1 in 100 people and is now recognised to be one of the most important causes of disability worldwide.
Bipolar Disorder affects about 10 to 30 out of every 1000 people (or 1 to 3%) in the U.S.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder affects more than 2 million American adults—just over 1% of the population. This illness can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnic group, or socioeconomic background. For more information, read these facts about bipolar disorder.

What causes bipolar disorder?

The cause of bipolar disorder is not known but it is likely that it is caused by a number of factors. It tends to run in families and so genes may play a part - perhaps by altering the brain's chemistry. However despite vigorous research efforts, a specific genetic defect associated with the illness has not yet been detected. ...
Researchers don't know exactly what causes bipolar disorder, though they have identified genes that appear to be related to the disease. In some people, the disease is hereditary. But in others, it appears for no apparent reason. Read more about what causes bipolar disorder.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) is a treatable illness marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior. It is known as bipolar disorder because a person's mood can alternate between the "poles" of mania (high, elevated mood) and depression (low, depressed mood). This change in the mood or "mood swing" can last for hours, days, weeks or even months. Click here to learn more about bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder, previously called manic-depressive disorder, is a condition that usually causes people to alternate between periods of depression and extreme excitement or agitation. There are different types of bipolar disorders. Some people may be manic and depressed at the same time. Others have manic episodes without any depression.
Bipolar disorder, also known as "manic-depressive illness," is a mental illness that causes dramatic mood swings—from "high" feelings of extreme euphoria or irritability (mania) to deep despair (depression). These periods of mania or depression change a person's energy level, thought process, and behavior, and can last for hours, weeks, or even months. Get a more detailed description of the illness.
Bipolar Disorder is the name now given to what used to be called manic depression and other related disorders, with milder versions called Bipolar II. The term describes the exaggerated swings of mood from one extreme to the other that are characteristic of the illness. People with this illness suffer recurrent episodes of high, or elevated, mood (mania or hypomania) and of depression. A very small percentage of sufferers of Bipolar Disorder only experience the 'highs'. Most experience both the highs and the lows.
Bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed after a person has one or more manic episodes. People who have the classic form of bipolar disorder experience alternating periods of depressed moods and periods of manic or excited moods. This condition is sometimes referred to as "mood swings" or manic depressive disorder. Other people with bipolar disorder have episodes of a manic mood without episodes of depression. ...

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Each phase of bipolar disorder—mania and depression—has its own set of symptoms. The main feature of mania is extreme happiness (euphoria) and/or extreme irritability along with several related symptoms. Depression includes feelings of sadness or numbness along with a loss of interest or pleasure in things you usually enjoy. People with bipolar disorder do not always experience manic and depressive symptoms equally. Read a full list of bipolar symptoms.

Is there a cure for bipolar disorder?

No, there is not yet a cure for depression or bipolar disorder. But research is underway to determine the exact cause of these illnesses, to develop better treatments and eventually a cure

What is the treatment for bipolar disorder?

Mood stabilizing medications (also called thymoleptics) are the rule. There are 3 medications with FDA approval for the treatment of mania: lithium; Depakote; and Zyprexa. Other medications may be helpful, such as Tegretol, but they do not have the specific FDA indication. Antidepressants also may help, once the mood has been stabilized, but they may also increase the risk of mania and convert someone into rapid-cycling.

How to diagnose Bipolar disorder?

To diagnose bipolar disorder one should have symptoms of mania or symptoms of mania and depression. The symptoms of mania are unrestrained buying sprees, talkativeness, inflated self-esteem, flight of ideas, sleeplessness, distractibility, etc. To diagnose depression the symptoms are recurrent thoughts of death, insomnia, loss of energy, weight loss, psychomotor agitation, markedly diminished interest, etc.
Source: bpdfaqs.com

What about Bipolar disorder?

The mood swings that present in Bipolar disorder can be controlled in the same way as depression using the principles on REM sleep balance, getting innate needs met and reinstating emotional stability explained in this website.

What are the challenges of bipolar disorder?

There are still people who do not respond well to available medication. Compliance with treatment still remains a problem, as does access to treatment for many patients. People with serious psychiatric illnesses sometimes have problems obtaining appropriate mental health insurance coverage. Furthermore, bipolar disorder is still underrecognized and underappreciated in the general population. People with bipolar disorder require individualized treatment. ...

How Is Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treated?

Bipolar Disorder is treated through the use of medications and environmental interventions . Medication is the first line of defense. Stress reduction is important, as is learning to recognize and manage symptoms appropriately, and therapy can at times be an asset. Each individual treatment won't work for everyone, so it's a process of trial and error to find what works for each person. Because there is still so much to learn about how and why Bipolar develops, there is no one "right answer" for treatment. ...

How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?

Patients are more likely to report episodes of depression than mania, making an accurate diagnosis very difficult. In fact, a recent survey reported patients receive an average of 3.5 misdiagnoses and go an average of 8-10 years without an accurate diagnosis. [ii]  During that time, bipolar disorder can cause significant harm and disruption in a person’s life. ...

What is the relationship between bipolar disorder and suicide?

The most serious risk of bipolar disorder is suicide, which is associated most often with the depressive phase. [vii] Â Without effective treatment, bipolar disorder may lead to suicide in nearly 10-15 percent of cases, [viii] making it one of the most serious and deadly psychiatric illnesses.Â

Does Bipolar Disorder run in families?

This is very difficult area, both in terms of the concerns it may raise for family members, and because our understanding of the genetic component is very limited. We can talk about the family incidence of bipolar disorder in only a very general way. Whilst we know that children of people who have bipolar disorder have an increased risk of developing the condition themselves, this needs to be put in context. ...
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