If you have a family member with bipolar disorder, find out whether screening might be a good idea for you. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder I involves either one or more manic episodes, or mixed manic and depressive episodes.
It may also include a major depressive episode, but it may not. A diagnosis of bipolar II involves one or more major depressive episodes and at least one episode of hypomania. To be diagnosed with a manic episode, you must experience symptoms that last for at least one week or that cause you to be hospitalized.
You must experience symptoms almost all day every day during this time. Major depressive episodes, on the other hand, must last for at least two weeks. Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose because mood swings can vary. This age group often has greater changes in mood, behavior, and energy levels. Episodes may happen more often or become more extreme.
Therefore, diagnosis is very important. See how bipolar disorder is diagnosed. Instead, your doctor will use several tests and exams. These may include:. Your doctor may use other tools and tests to diagnose bipolar disorder in addition to these.
Read about other tests that can help confirm a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Several treatments are available that can help you manage your bipolar disorder.
These include medications, counseling, and lifestyle changes. Some natural remedies may also be helpful. Recommended medications may include:. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of talk therapy. You and a therapist talk about ways to manage your bipolar disorder.
They will help you understand your thinking patterns. They can also help you come up with positive coping strategies. You can connect to a mental health care professional in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool. Psychoeducation is a kind of counseling that helps you and your loved ones understand the disorder. Knowing more about bipolar disorder will help you and others in your life manage it. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy IPSRT focuses on regulating daily habits, such as sleeping, eating, and exercising.
Balancing these everyday basics can help you manage your disorder. Other lifestyle changes can also help relieve depressive symptoms caused by bipolar disorder. Check out these seven ways to help manage a depressive episode. Some natural remedies may be helpful for bipolar disorder.
The following herbs and supplements may help stabilize your mood and relieve symptoms of bipolar disorder:. Several other minerals and vitamins may also reduce symptoms of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects about 60 million people around the world. One of the best things you can do is to educate yourself and those around you. There are many resources available. You can also find additional resources at the site for the National Institute of Mental Health. If you think a friend, relative, or loved one may have bipolar disorder, your support and understanding is crucial.
And read how to help someone living with bipolar disorder. People who are experiencing a depressive episode may have suicidal thoughts. You should always take any talk of suicide seriously. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, get help from a crisis or suicide prevention hotline. For children, the same is true except they have to experience both for at least a year to be diagnosed. The mania and depression in this disorder are usually less severe than that of bipolar 1 or bipolar 2.
Cyclothymic disorder causes unstable moods, meaning you may have periods of normalcy mixed with mania and depression. Treatment will depend on which type of bipolar disorder you have, and what your symptoms are. Medications that may be used include:. At Boston MindCare, our doctors offer a unique treatment option when nothing else has worked. Ketamine infusion therapy can help the symptoms of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. It works by inhibiting glutamate in your brain to stabilize your mood.
Symptoms of mania include: Difficulty sleeping Extreme energy Increased self-esteem Difficulty concentrating Racing thoughts On the opposite end of the spectrum, depression can change your emotional highs to hopeless lows.
If you have bipolar disorder with depression , symptoms you may experience include: Fatigue Sadness Decreased energy Overeating or loss of appetite Suicidal thoughts Our team at Boston MindCare take a detailed history to decipher your symptoms and give you a definitive diagnosis.
Types of bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder is a condition that affects your brain and your mental health. Bipolar II is marked by a similar pattern of mood episodes but does not include manic episodes that are typical of Bipolar I. Those with Bipolar II may experience hypomania, which is a less severe form of mania. However, friends and family may recognize these shifts between depressive and hypomanic episodes.
If left untreated, those with Bipolar II can develop severe mania or depression. NIMH defines Cyclothymic Disorder by periods of hypomanic symptoms as well as periods of depressive symptoms lasting for at least two years. Although Cyclothymic Disorder is similar, it does not meet the diagnostic requirements for hypomanic and depressive episodes for Bipolar Disorder I and II.
We can think about the three disorders like they are inside of a tunnel. With Bipolar I, the depressive episodes are so severe that they burst through the floor of the tunnel, and the manic episodes are so severe that they burst through the roof of the tunnel. The walls of the tunnel are completely damaged by Bipolar I. With Bipolar II, the depressive episodes burst through the floor of the tunnel, but the hypomanic episodes stay hovering at the roof of the tunnel, not quite busting through.
WIth Cyclothymic Disorder, the depressive and hypomanic episodes linger at the top and bottom of the tunnel, never breaking through and becoming full-blown episodes. Sometimes, a person can experience psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, during a severe episode of mania or depression.
These psychotic symptoms often reflect the mood of the manic or depressive episode. For health professionals to classify these symptoms as depression, they must last for at least 2 weeks.
Bipolar I and II may cause additional symptoms, such as anxiety or psychosis. During psychotic episodes, people lose touch with reality and may experience hallucinations or delusions. It can be difficult to identify symptoms in younger people because the signs can resemble regular developmental highs and lows.
Most people with bipolar disorder receive a diagnosis in early adulthood, after symptoms have persisted for several years.
They may:. To rule out other causes of depressive and manic symptoms, a doctor may also perform a physical examination, blood tests, or brain scans. Prescribers often recommend medications for people with bipolar disorder, with many individuals taking multiple drugs. The mood stabilizer lithium is a common treatment, with some research suggesting that it can significantly help prevent long-term relapse.
Psychotherapy can be an important treatment component for people with bipolar disorder. It can enable them to recognize changes in thoughts and mood and respond accordingly.
Therapy can also help people establish healthful routines and learn new coping skills. It may take place on a one-to-one basis, with family, or as part of a group.
Most people with bipolar disorder and other mood disorders find lifestyle changes beneficial.
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