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What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic depression, is a severe mental disorder. Someone who has BPD can experience symptoms such as moodiness and intense emotions, and as a result, experience mania or hypomania. Bipolar disorder can affect physical and mental aspects of one’s life. Commonly, Bipolar Disorder can cause sleep deprivation, energy imbalances, impulsive behavior, and foggy or distorted thoughts and thinking. Manic depressive episodes, which can cause one disconnect from reality, can last anywhere from days to months. Bipolar I, which is the most severe form of bipolar disorder, is diagnosed to people who have experienced at least a single manic episode, and multiple hypomanic and depressive episodes. Bipolar II is similar to Bipolar I, but it’s less severe in terms of the severity of episodes. Bipolar II would be diagnosed if you have major depressive episode(s) and a hypomanic episode once at least, but have never had a manic episode. Cyclothymic Disorder, the least severe bipolar disorder, is diagnosed to someone who has experienced mild hypomania and mild major depressive episodes. Manic episodes are much more severe than hypomania, and can lead to psychosis. One who is experiencing a manic depressive episode, may experience euphoria, jumpiness, agitation, insomnia, abnormal talkativeness, and poor decision making. Manic episodes can cause someone to be hospitalized because of such harsh symptoms and lack of control for the experiencer .Depressive episodes that are major can cause insomnia, abnormal weightloss, too much sleep, guilt, lack of focus, suicidal thoughts or actions, and depressing moods.
Children With Bipolar Disorder
Teenagers and children who experience Bipolar Disorder often have a hard time with things like school, work, and concentration. Children who go through manic depressive episodes oftentimes cannot focus or think straight, which can hinder their mental and physical progress. . Bipolar disorder is episodic, but many people with BPD start experiencing symptoms early in childhood. Children and teens who experience manic or depressive episodes start to feel extremely high emotions (manic), or extremely low emotions (depressive). Manic episodes in children and teenagers can trigger irritability, unusual amounts of talking, intense emotions of happiness or energy, loss of ability to focus, and risky behavior. Depressive episodes, which are almost theopposite of manic episodes, instead causes children and teens to feel unusually low, hopeless, experience physical pains in stomach or head, as well as loss of energy,feelings of fatigue more than normal, and suicidal thoughts. They may also experience an abnormal increase in sleep, hopelessness, difficulty in concentrating, and lose interest in things they normally would like to do or experience. Mainly, symptoms in children and teens can be the normal symptoms of Bipolar Disorder just like anybody else with BPD, but not completely. Many children and teens who have BPD also face Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which causes children to not be able to focus as well, and children with Bipolar Disorder also may experience anxiety as well. So overall, children with Bipolar Disorder, struggle with the same issues and experience the same symptoms anyone else might experience regardless of age. The only difference is, they can deal with some other issues because of Bipolar Disorder, like misusing drugs or not being able to focus so much that they would have ADHD as well. Bipolar disorder can be dangerous in children, causing them to feel manic or depressive, which can lead to severe mental health issues like depression, suicidality, and risky behavior that is beyond normal. Children with BPD can get treated with medication and psychotherapy, but the process can be long, because symptoms can go away and come back. Parents and families can get very stressed with a child diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. But as long as the caregiver or parent is patient with the child, and recognizes their triggers, the child or teen will get better over time.
Neurotransmitters of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a severe mental illness that can last very long, and need immediate and intense treatment. Normally, Bipolar Disorder’s main treatment is medication. Medications given for Bipolar Disorder can vary depending on the person’s age, body, and mind. But anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and SSRIs can all be drugs used to successfully treat BPD. Bipolar Disorder can cause a chemical imbalance in the brain, specifically in the neurotransmitters, such as noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. Bipolar Disorder can cause these transmitters in the brain to be imbalanced, usually 1 or more of them. For example, if the noradrenaline is imbalanced, usually the transmitter can get less activated, causing a very intense, low depression. And if over activated, the noradrenaline would be too much, causing mania and an overload of high energy. Bipolar Disorder can be caused by many things, such as a sudden loss of a loved one, an experience of any abuse, and also a breakup. Typically, any of these events normally would cause depression, but the depression can become so severe and deep, that many people start to experience Bipolar Disorder, and get depressed or manic from certain life events. Rapid cycling occurs in Bipolar Disorder symptoms, from depressive episodes and symptoms to manic symptoms. Relating to the chemical imbalances in the brain Bipolar Disorder causes, which also manifests the common symptoms, can cause things like insomnia or too much sleep, or very low energy, or very high energy. The neurotransmitters that get imbalanced due to Bipolar Disorder cause a switch in the brain, to either be manic, or depressed.
Adults with Bipolar Disorder
Adults with bipolar disorder generally experience the same symptoms and types of episodes as children with Bipolar Disorder. Adults with Bipolar Disorder, can experience more clearer episodes. Bipolar episodes in children and teens can be a cause of many problems, and are usually not as distinctive as episodes adults with BPD may have. Adults experiencing a hypomanic or manic depressive episode can last usually the same amount of time as a child or any human being with Bipolar Disorder experiencing an episode. Children with Bipolar Disorder, can have fast and unpredictable mood swings, for example, causing a child to have an episode consisting of crying, anger, and high euphoric energy all in a span of 24 hours. Adults however, usually have an episode lasting months of one mood, usually mania or depression, and experience a state of wellbeing at times during these episodes. Children with Bipolar Disorder usually have many mood swings, and usually feel a mix of happiness and sadness, or a mix of mania and depression, at once, because of these rapid mood swings. Adults with Bipolar Disorder can experience one mood for even years, but with children, BPD is far more extreme, because of the fact that children and teens with BPD rapidly have mood swings and changes in energy, and sometimes even experience a switch between mania and depression multiple times a day. Adults have already grown, and gone through puberty. But some children have not, especially not before experiencing Bipolar symptoms. This can affect their puberty, and cause them to disconnect socially, and have a hard time transitioning through puberty because of the extreme symptoms Bipolar Disorder has in children. Overall, adults with BPD experience the same symptoms as children, such as high euphoric energy, or low depressive energy, and things like loss of interest in activities one may usually enjoy, anxiety, stress, intrusive thoughts, delusions, irritability, and much more. The main difference, between adults and the youth, who experience Bipolar Disorder, is that adults experience one mood during an episode that may last very long, such as months or years. But children experience many mood swings that can be at a rate of change that is extreme.
Progression of Bipolar Disorder
People who experience Bipolar Disorder, whether they are children, teens, or adults, may experience Bipolar Disorder for a lifetime. However, the more the extreme disorder is left untreated, or mistreated with compulsive behaviors such as excessive drinking or smoking, the worse it can get, especially with age and time. Having someone in your own family, with Bipolar Disorder, who is left untreated, usually can result in a consequence of relationships having to be separated, family tension, and conflict. But the quicker one with Bipolar Disorder is treated with medications such as mood stabilizers and antidepressants, the outcome is generally good and stable. The more one with BPD relapses and has episodes, the more vulnerable they become. This is why the quicker Bipolar is treated correctly, the better. Outcomes that can also happen if Bipolar is not treated right, is that one can become suicidal or behave compulsive towards drugs and alcohol. Bipolar disorder can cause major depression, which can lead to suicide, because of the feeling major and persistent depression causes, to feel as if one does not belong or life is useless and does not matter. Depression originating from Bipolar Disorder causes more and more of a loss to enjoy, feel happy, and be content. When one has a vision like this from an mental illness like Bipolar, it is almost impossible to change with simple things like talking, and 15% of people with Bipolar Disorder die from suicide. Many people with BPD, also suffer from drug and/or alcohol abuse, which worsens the condition, because it adds another illness to one who already has a severe illness, such as Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disorder can also cause psychotic symptoms, leading to another disorder, known as psychosis. Psychosis causes hallucinations and delusions. The temporary feeling from drugs and alcohol only is more seeked to heal Bipolar Disorder symptoms, because the more one self medicated to deal with the extreme feelings and highs and lows, the worse the entire and total condition gets, even in terms of general mental health. Children who grow up with Bipolar who are left untreated never recognize normal boundaries that make us all fit in and follow society’s norms. This can cause criminal, risky behavior. The symptoms can worsen, and become more and more severe as time goes on, if left untreated.