Circles of Madness by wena
Thoughts and opinions about mental illness
Borderline personality disorder is a mental disorder that belongs to the group of mental illnesses called personality disorders. Therefore, like other personality disorders, it is characterized by a consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and interacting with others and with the world that tends to cause significant problems for the sufferer. Specifically, BPD tends to be associated with a pattern of unstable ways of seeing oneself, feeling, behaving, and relating to others that markedly interferes with the individual's ability to function.
Borderline Personality Disorder had been thought to be a set of symptoms that include both mood problems and distortions of reality psychosis, and therefore was thought to be on the borderline between mood problems and schizophrenia. However, while the symptoms of may be similar , this illness is more closely related to other personality disorders in terms of how it may develop and occur within families. Borderline Personality Disorder occurs equally in men and women in general, while primarily in women in groups of people who are receiving mental-health treatment.
While men with are more likely to also have a substance-use disorder. Borderline personality disorder is more likely to be associated with eating disorders symptoms in women. In adolescents, Borderline Personality Disorder often cooccurs with more anxious and odd personality disorders like schizotypal and passive aggressive personality disorder.
Borderline Personality Disorder is not recognized worldwide. It is diagnosed as emotionally unstable personality disorder in some parts of the world. Although there is no specific cause for Borderline personality disorder, like most mental disorders, it is probable a combination of biological vulnerabilities, ways of thinking, contribute.
It can somewhat run in families. A person is more vulnerable to have difficulty managing their emotions, particularly impulsive aggression. Their social tendencies make for great difficulty in their relationships. These people are more likely to have suffered in their childhood abuse or neglectful parenting
Adults who come from families where divorce, neglect, sexual abuse, substance abuse, or death occurred are at higher risk of developing Borderline Personality Disorder. In children, the risk for developing this disorder appears to increase when they have a learning problem or certain temperaments. Adolescents with an alcohol-use disorder are also at higher risk of compared to those who do not.
Unstable self-image, in that they may drastically and rapidly change in the way they perceive their own likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and intrinsic value as a person Unstable relationships, in that individuals with this disorder rapidly, drastically, and often frequently change from seeing another person as nearly perfect, to seeing the other person as being worthlessness; unstable emotions ,affect, in that they experience marked, rapid changes in feelings; for example, severe anger, joy, euphoria, anxiety, including panic attacks and depression that are stress related, even if the stresses may be seen as minor or negligible to others; frequent efforts to avoid being abandoned, whether the abandonment is real or imagined. Significant impulsivity, in that the person with they act before thinking to the point that it is self-damaging; sexual behaviors, spending habits, eating habits, driving behaviors, or in the use of substances ; recurring suicidal behaviors, threats, or attempts ; chronic feelings of emptiness; inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty managing their anger when it occurs Transient, stress related paranoia or severe dissociation , having lapses in memory is often commonly found in Borderline Personality Disorder
Personality disorders are long term patterns of thoughts and behaviors that cause serious problems with relationships and daily life. People with personality disorders have difficulty dealing with everyday stresses and problems. They often have difficulty with relationships with other people.
The exact cause of personality disorders is not known but genes and childhood experiences may play a role.
Symptoms vary depending on the specific personality disorder. Treatment usually includes psychotherapy and sometimes medicine.
Paranoid personality disorder is people who show paranoid behavior are always suspicious of others, and often become irritable and hostile. Older adults may have paranoid delusions, become very agitated, or even assault someone.
People who show schizoid behavior are not usually interested in social relationships and may behave oddly or in ways that isolates and separates them from others. Older adults with schizoid behavior may have poor, strained, and sometimes no relationships.
In schizotypal behavior, people may have strange, unusual, or inappropriate behaviors or beliefs that may lead to conflicts with other people.
Behavior that is antisocial shows little regard or respect for standard rules and laws of society. Antisocial people often do not seem to have a conscience or care about others.
People who show borderline behavior have unstable emotions, which lead to unstable relationships. They may have emotional outbursts or injure themselves.
People who show histrionic behavior are over emotional and want to be the center of attention. They are often disorganized and lack inhibitions.
People who are narcissistic think that they should have and think that they are entitled to whatever they want. They often act superior, self-important, and arrogant. They do not seem to care about others.
People who show avoidant behavior are shy, inhibited, and very sensitive to rejection and how others look at them. This often leads to having not many social relationships and little support.
People who show dependent behavior rely completely or almost completely on others to make decisions and for support.
People who are obsessive-compulsive are constantly worried about cleanliness and keeping everything in order. They are perfectionists and do not want to compromise.
In passive-aggressive behavior, people tend to resist authority or any demands placed on them by not taking any action, procrastinating. These people often criticize and resent others.
People who show depressive behavior view life as always gloomy and miserable, with no hope of change in the future. These people often have low self-esteem and feel guilty. They often have major or clinical depression in later life.
The causes of personality disorder is both early life experiences and genetic. Severe changes in personality may develop during later life because of the stresses experienced by older adults. Many older adults become overwhelmed by losses, medical problems, and stresses that build up over time. Especially people who are not able to cope well or do not have the personal, social, or financial resources to shield them from these stresses. Being admitted to a hospital or nursing home can be a particularly stressful event, because of the loss of familiar environment, personal items, privacy, and the control over one's schedule.
Personality disorders can be diagnosed only by a psychiatrist. The diagnosis can be very difficult in older adults. It requires a detailed lifetime history. People with some types of personality disorders may be reluctant to speak openly with a psychiatrist. This means that mental health professionals often need to observe someone for a long time before being able to make a diagnosis.
Separating personality disorders from underlying medical or psychological problems is also difficult. For example, major or clinical depression, psychosis, or other psychiatric problems can distort personality features. Brain damage or tumors can also lead to dramatic changes in personality.
In personality disorder, extreme, inflexible, and difficult personality traits become a part of someone's overall personality. Many older adults who appear to have troubling personality problems do not have a personality disorder. Some people just have trouble adapting to changes. An adjustment disorder develops when a healthy and well-adjusted person suddenly shows personality changes as a result of severe stress.
Personality disorders may continue unchanged over time, or they may fluctuate in progress. Treatment for personality disorders includes many forms of psychotherapy, depending on the situation. Medication treatments are used, including medications for depression, anxiety, and psychoses. The best treatment approach is usually a combination of psychotherapy and drug treatment.
The term Mood Disorder is the general name for illnesses where depression is a significant factor. Mood disorders are similar to normal reactions to everyday life, except in mood disorders the symptoms are more drastic and last for extended period, which may be as short as two weeks or as long as two years. A mood disorder is diagnosed when the symptoms interfere with normal day to day functioning or is chronic; early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
The different types of mood disorders are, bipolar disorders, also called manic-depressive disorders and unipolar disorders depressive disorders without a manic phase or rarely seen mania without depression.
Bipolar Disorders are cycles of extreme mood swings. A cycle typically begins with the manic state where the individual experiences exaggerated feelings of happiness, energy, mental and physical activity, also known as highs. From there, the individual generally crashes into depression, in some cases a period of normalcy between episodes then, usually the depressed mood appears. Normal m periods also follow a cycle of mania. In some instances the person may cycle with depression preceding the manic phase of the illness.
Bipolar I is the classic type of the disorder and is usually diagnosed when an individual has experienced at least one episode of intense mania followed by a period of severe depression. Bipolar II disorder is diagnosed when the patient has experienced a period of depression and at least one episode of a milder form of mania, termed hypomania. Cyclothymic disorder is less severe than bipolar II, and is distinguished by the irregularity in cycles of mania and depression. Mixed bipolar state is a rare type of bipolar disorder when an individual experiences episodes of mania and depression in a short time period or a cycle which has the symptoms of mania and depression together.
Unipolar disorders are types of depressive illnesses that don’t include a manic phase or a depressive phase.
Unipolar mood disorders are divided into separate illnesses including Major Depression, Atypical Depression, Psychotic Depression, and Dysthymia. They differ from bipolar states because the highs or manias that bipolar patients experience are not present.
Major Depression is the most common form of a Unipolar mood disorder. It is the most severe type of depression. Although major depression can be caused by a traumatic event, it may also evolve over many years. In addition, some individuals develop major depression with no external cause. A single episode may last from six months to a year.
Atypical Depression is a common type of major depression. While the individual experiences the same depressive symptoms as one with clinical depression, this type of mood disorder is temporarily lifted by positive events.
Psychotic Depression is a severe mood disorder that is characterized by hallucinations and delusions. The hallucinations may be either visual or auditory. Along with hallucinations, the individual experiences the symptoms associated with other types of depression. Many individuals are aware that they are hallucinating, but unable to prevent their delusions.
Dysthymia is a primary mood disorder that may be life long. Many individuals who have dysthymia go through life dissatisfied, pessimistic, frightened, and feeling guilty without a reason. They are unaware of the lighter side of life and live with feelings of misery.
Sadness is a normal response to many life situations such as loss of a significant person in their lives or other type of stressor. When the sadness lasts for an abnormal length of time it is time to seek help. Most people can recover from a mood disorder with treatment with medication or therapy. People with a mood disorder can find relief from the emotional rollercoaster that they find themselves on.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Although bipolar disorder more common in young adults, it can appear in young children. Some experts believe it is rare; others think that it occurs frequently.
If your child is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a second opinion before starting a treatment plan is strongly recommended. Diagnosing Bipolar disorder in young children is difficult; many of the symptoms are similar to those of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or just normal childhood behavior. The major problem is that the medication used for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are stimulants, which can trigger in mania in children with bipolar disorder.
Young children in a manic phase are more irritable than adults psychotic symptoms, with hallucinations can be present. During a depressive episode, the common symptom is of physical symptoms, like aches and pains.
One of the most drastic differences is that bipolar disorder in children is that they cycle much more quickly; called rapid cycling in adults. While manic and depressive periods may be separated by weeks, months, or years in adults, they can happen within a single day in child.
Bipolar disorder is an illness of brain which is also referred as manic-depressive illness. Bipolar disorder in children can be recognized by the swings in their mood which are frequent and unusual. Some times they will be in a high mood and hyperactive which is termed as mania. Some times they exhibit a mood of sadness without any reason and their performance in their regular activities are not enjoyed as usual. This situation is called depression.
Bipolar disorder in children and teens cannot be compared with the bipolar disorder in adults as both show different symptoms of the disease. Adults who suffer bipolar disorder have symptoms of mood swing episodes that are distinct and the episodes of depression and mania may last longer. The mood swings are faster and more frequent in children. Children and teens with this disease can be known by the excessive spending of money, use of alcohol or drugs.
Bipolar children are unable to acquire knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. They are poor performers academically. They are irregular in attending classes. Researchers are still studying Bipolar disorder in children however; effective medication and treatment has been not been determined yet. The treatment is a team work which needs involvement of doctor, parents and the children with bipolar disorder. Often psychotherapy can relieve the bipolar disorder symptoms and the doctor may recommend the type of therapy needed. The child needs support and therapy can help them to connect with their feelings and gives them a place to communicate the emotional turmoil that they are experiencing.
The fact that mental disorders can not occur in children is a fallacy. Children can have a mental illness the same as adults. The fact is that although there are different symptoms children and teens make up a large percentage of the mentally ill in the U.S.
There are many physical factors heredity and brain chemistry that might be involved in the development of a mental disorder. Many mental disorders can be effectively treated with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both.
Diagnosis of mental disorders in children is difficult for normal medical health care providers. Children differ from adults in that they experience many physical, mental, and emotional changes as they progress through they development and are often seen as growing pains. They also are in the process of learning how to cope with, adapt, and relate to others and the world around them. Each child matures at their own pace, and there is a range ofwhat is considered normal for children is a varity of behavior and abilities. A diagnosis of a mental disorder depends on how well a child functions at home, within the family, at school, and with peers, as well as age and symptoms.
There are several different types of mental disorders that can affect children and adolescents. Children with anxiety disorders respond to certain things or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety nervousness; rapid heartbeat and sweating. Children with Attention deficient disorder generally have problems paying attention or concentrating; can't seem to follow directions; they are easily bored and/frustrated with tasks. They also tend to move constantly and are impulsive and are hyperactive. Children with these disorders tend to defy rules and often are disruptive in structured environments, such as school.
Development disorders in children and they are often confused in their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around them. Eating disorders involve intense emotions and attitudes, as well as unusual behaviors associated with weight. Disorders that affect behavior related to using the bathroom.
Children with learning disorders have problems remembering and using the information learned and their thoughts and ideas. Mood disorders are persistent feelings of sadness and/ rapidly changing moods, and include depression and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia is a disorder involves distorted perceptions and thoughts. Tics, these disorders cause a person to perform repeated, sudden, involuntary and often meaningless movements and sounds, called tics.
Some of these disorders, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia, can occur in adults as well as children. Others begin in childhood only, although they can continue into adulthood..
Symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms are the abuse of drugs/or alcohol; inability to cope with daily problems and activities; changes in sleeping/or eating habits; excessive complaints of physical ailments; defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property; fear of gaining weight; lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death; outbursts of anger; changes in school poor grades despite strong effort; loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoyed; an
increase in time spent alone; excessive worrying or anxiety; hyperactivity; nightmares or night terrors; disobedience or aggressive behavior; abnormal temper tantrums; hearing voices or seeing things that are not there hallucinations.
The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stress may be involved.
Genetics have a part in mental illnesses and tend to run in families, which means the risk of developing a mental disorder may be passed on from parents to their children. Some mental disorders have been linked to chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain. If these chemicals are out of balance, messages in the brain may not connect, leading to symptoms. Defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental illnesses.
Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma; severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse; the loss of a parent. Stressful or traumatic events can trigger a mental illness in a person with who is vulnerable, and can cause a mental disorder.
Mental illnesses are not limited to adults. Children can also be afflicted and often the symptoms are overlooked or mistaken for other problems. The aid of a qualified doctor is the only way to find out the nature of the problem.
Much of the discrimination and stigma associated with the mentally ill is because of the myth that the mentally ill are violent in the minds of the general public. The belief that persons with mental illness are dangerous has developed into a stigma and the result is discrimination. The effects of stigma and discrimination are profound. Stigma leads others to avoid living; socializing; and working with; renting to; and hiring people with mental disorders especially those with severe disorders. It leads to low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessness. It prevents the public from seeking and wanting to pay for the necessary care. People with mental illnesses become so embarrassed and ashamed that they often try to conceal symptoms and refuse to seek treatment.
This stigma is reinforced by the entertainment and news media. For example, actors and actresses in prime time television; persons with a mental illness are portrayed as the dangerous and involved in crime or violence. Most news accounts describe people with mental illness as dangerous. The majority of news stories on mental illness focus on negative characteristics related to people with a disorder or receive mental health treatments. The positive stories that illustrate the recovery of many persons with even the most serious of mental illnesses are often not revealed. Inaccurate and stereotypes of the mental ill still exists in other mass media; films; music; and novels.
Most citizens believe persons with mental illnesses are violent. The majority of Americans believe that persons with mental illnesses are a threat for violence to others and themselves.
Americans are cautious when interacting with people who have mental illnesses. Often they are unwilling to be friends with someone having mental health difficulties.
People have little reason for these fears. There may be a link between mental illnesses and violence, but the percentage of the violence committed is small, People with mental illnesses with violent behavior is more common when there is the presence of other factors substance abuse or dependence; a history of violence ; physical abuse; and recent stressors.
The risk of violence among the mentally ill as is still very small; only a small percentage of the violence in our society are committed by persons who are mentally ill.
People with psychiatric disabilities are more often victims rather than the person who commit the acts of violence
People with mental illnesses can and do recover. People with mental illnesses can recover or manage their conditions and go on to lead happy, healthy, productive lives. They can contribute to society. People can often benefit from medication, rehabilitation, therapy, or a combination of treatment.
Most people who suffer from a mental disorder are not violent there is no need to fear them. They are normal human beings with difficulties, they need be treated with an open mind, caring, and helpful support. The discrimination is just a unfair as avoiding a person with a medical disorder, like cancer, because you fear catching the disease. People with a mental illness are a part of our society and are entitled to their basic human rights as are all of us citizens.
Mental illness can happen to anyone. Each year, more than 54 million Americans are affected by one or more mental disorders.
Although medical science has advanced doctors and researchers are continuously working at solving unidentified working of the brain. No one fully understands how the brain works or why it malfunctions. Researchers believe that many mental illnesses are probably the result of chemical unbalance in the brain. These unbalances may be inherited, or may develop because of excessive stress or substance abuse. People with mental illnesses have many types of behaviors such as extreme sadness and irritability, and in more severe cases, they may also suffer from hallucinations and total withdrawal. The general public has no empathy or understanding, people with mental illnesses often encounter hostility, discrimination and stigma.
The media is responsible for many of the misunderstandings which persist about people with mental illnesses. Newspapers often stress a history of mental illness in the backgrounds of people who commit crimes of violence. Television news programs frequently dramatize crimes when persons with mental illnesses are involved. The media is one of the ways that stigma can be eradicated through education and influencing public opinion.
A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, perception and behavior. These disturbances can significantly impair a person’s ability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines; proper treatment is needed by a doctor. With the care and treatment of a mental illness, a person can recover and resume normal activities. Many mental illnesses are believed to have biological causes, like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but some mental disorders are caused by a person’s environment and experiences.
Some common misconceptions about mental illness are: young people and children don’t suffer from mental disorders; it is estimated that more than 6 million young people in America suffer from a mental health disorder that severely disrupts their ability to function at home, in school, or in their community. People who need psychiatric care should be locked away in institutions; most people can lead productive lives within their communities with a support, programs, and medications. A person who has had a mental illness can never be normal; people with mental illnesses can recover and resume normal activities. The mentally ill are dangerous; the majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent. In the cases when violence does occur, the incidence usually results from a feeling being threatened or excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs. People with mental illnesses can work low-level jobs but aren’t suited for really important or responsible positions; people with mental illnesses, like everyone else, have the potential to work at any level depending on their own abilities, experience and motivation.
Stigma can disappear with education, understanding, and compassion. Share your experience with mental illness. Convey to others that having a mental illness is nothing to be embarrassed about. Help people with mental illness reenter society. Supporting their efforts to obtain housing and jobs is vital. Clarify the false statements about mental illness or people with mental illnesses. Many people have wrong and damaging ideas. Facts and information can help change both their ideas and actions.
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The Circles of Destiny by wena
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012
The two most common symptoms of bipolar depression are extreme mania and deep depression. These two symptoms are on opposite ends of the mood spectrum, making mood swings in a bipolar person.
A bipolar sufferer in manic mode can experience euphoria and happiness. When the episodes is hypomania person exhibits very creative and motivated characteristics. They can also be very productive. Ideas come easily and they can be infectious and motivate other. In extreme the full blown mania their feelings, behavior and thoughts become irritable and often angry; fits of rage can occur when they at the height of mania. They can become hostile and destroy property. When they experience delusions and hallucinations the condition is called a state of out of touch with reality. At this point there is a burst of unnecessary move in order to release the anxiety from the endless energy. The emotions are confused and their thinking and speech is often illogical to the point of sounding like gibberish. Mania can often bring the person to suicide. Suicide is seen in depression but can be found in manic people who have the energy to carry out the act.
Bipolar depression is also experience of deep depression. While in this state a person has feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, loss of interest in family and work, anxiety, pessimism and extreme fatigue. The person is unable to complete even the simplest actions and often neglect themselves and daily activities. Bipolar depression includes weight loss or gain, suicidal thoughts and actions and physical complaints. In the most severe hospitalization is needed in order to protect the person from starving themselves or other actions that can cause harm to themselves.
Given time this disorder may progress from having hypomania and mild depression to mania and clinical depression.
Causes are thought to be by many different things. A stressful incident or serious of stresses early in life may trigger the first manic episode. Research is being done to prove that bipolar disorder is genetic and may be passed down through family members. Brain scans show that the brain of bipolar people differs and can also play a role in bipolar depression.
A bipolar sufferer in manic mode can experience euphoria and happiness. When the episodes is hypomania person exhibits very creative and motivated characteristics. They can also be very productive. Ideas come easily and they can be infectious and motivate other. In extreme the full blown mania their feelings, behavior and thoughts become irritable and often angry; fits of rage can occur when they at the height of mania. They can become hostile and destroy property. When they experience delusions and hallucinations the condition is called a state of out of touch with reality. At this point there is a burst of unnecessary move in order to release the anxiety from the endless energy. The emotions are confused and their thinking and speech is often illogical to the point of sounding like gibberish. Mania can often bring the person to suicide. Suicide is seen in depression but can be found in manic people who have the energy to carry out the act.
Bipolar depression is also experience of deep depression. While in this state a person has feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, loss of interest in family and work, anxiety, pessimism and extreme fatigue. The person is unable to complete even the simplest actions and often neglect themselves and daily activities. Bipolar depression includes weight loss or gain, suicidal thoughts and actions and physical complaints. In the most severe hospitalization is needed in order to protect the person from starving themselves or other actions that can cause harm to themselves.
Given time this disorder may progress from having hypomania and mild depression to mania and clinical depression.
Causes are thought to be by many different things. A stressful incident or serious of stresses early in life may trigger the first manic episode. Research is being done to prove that bipolar disorder is genetic and may be passed down through family members. Brain scans show that the brain of bipolar people differs and can also play a role in bipolar depression.
When these drugs are used along with psychotherapy there is a good chance that persons with bipolar disorder can live normal lives. Bipolar disorder needs not be as debilitating and self destructive. With all of the research that is being done the pain of living with bipolar disorder can be diminished. The anguish of the depression the instability of mood swings and unpredictable episodes are treatable and the outlook of people with bipolar disorder looks more promising
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012
Losing a job ranks almost as high as the death of a spouse and divorce as one of life’s greatest stressors. Your risk of becoming clinically depressed is greater.
When you lose a job, you may feel frustrated, guilty, hopeless, and angry. You miss the routine and the feeling of belonging. It can be a humbling, even humiliating experience. If it was an economic layoff, it is difficult to accept, but if we were fired, it is much more difficult to explain it to family and friends.
It is important to watch for signs of depression. If you’re sleeping or eating too much or too little, if you’re finding it difficult to take care of yourself or if you’re becoming so paralyzed that you can not take action with your job hunt, it may be time to get help. Along with depression, anxiety which can result from the stress of unemployment.
Physical symptoms such as upset stomach, and chest pains, headaches or shortness of breath can indicate panic attacks. Talk to your doctor. Becoming productive is answer to avoid a setback. Avoid isolating yourself. Let others be supportive. Stay active. Stick to a routine, try for the one you had when you were working. Get up, have breakfast and get dressed about the same time every morning.
What can not be stressed more is be aware of the symptoms that you may have out of the ordinary. Stay tuned with you health mental and physical. Avoid stressors as much as possible. There is life after a setback like unemployment how you face the challenge is up to you. Unemployment is a part of life and should be recognized as that just one other part of life.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2012
In order to recover from depression requires action and the ability to focus on the ultimate end to the nightmare of depression.
Depression recovery is to start with a few small goals and slowly build from there. Take things one day at a time and reward yourself for each accomplishment. Stay focused on your goal to feel better.
Getting the support you need plays a big role in lifting the fog of depression and keeping it away. On your own, it can be difficult to maintain perspective and sustain the effort required to beat depression. But the depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. Isolation and loneliness make depression even worse, so maintaining your relationships and social activities are important. The thought of reaching out to even family members and friends can seem overwhelming. You may feel ashamed, too exhausted to talk. When you are depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into a shell. But being around other people will make you feel less depressed
Try to stop being so hard on yourself. Think about less harsh statements and turn them into more realistic descriptions. Try to avoid self imposed stress by challenging your negative ways of thinking. You are not perfect none of us are; try to look at a negative thought as an outsider and try to change the negative into a positive.
Socialize with positive people. Notice how people who always look on the bright side deal with challenges, even minor ones, like not being able to find a parking space. Then consider how you would react in the same situation. Even if you have to pretend, try to adopt their optimism and persistence in the face of difficulty.
Whenever you experience a negative thought, write down the thought and what triggered it in a journal. Keep track daily. Read the journal when you mood lifts. Think about other ways to view the situation.
In order to overcome depression, you have to take care of yourself.
Depression involves sleep problems. Whether you are sleeping too little or too much, your mood worsens. Get on a sleep schedule if you find a change work on healthy sleep habits Lack of sunlight can make depression worse. Taking a short walk in the sunshine, drinking your coffee outside, or just sitting out in the garden will \help to lift the depression.
Stress can depression worse, and it can also trigger it. Try to find out all the things in your life that are stressing you out. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can make a plan to avoid them or minimize their impact.
Practice relaxation techniques. A daily relaxation practice can help relieve symptoms of depression, and reduce stress.
Try to push yourself to do things, even when you may not feel like it. You will gradually feel more energetic as you make time for fun activities.
To sustain mood benefits exercise regularly. Choose activities that are moderately strenuous walking, swimming, dancing, biking, or yoga. Start slowly, and do not overdo it. Start a healthy, mood boosting diet. A balanced diet of protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables will help lift your mood. Don’t skip meals. . Minimize sugar. You may crave sugar, cake, or pasta or french fries. But they lead to a crash in mood and energy Foods such as baked potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain breads, and bananas can satisfy your cravings without a crash.
If you find your depression getting worse and worse, seek the help from a doctor. Sometimes the negative thinking when depressed can make you feel like you are a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better.
Medications for Bipolar Disorder
If you have bipolar disorder, you will need medication. You will need medication for the rest of your life.
Bipolar disorder is a real medical illness. Taking medication is just like taking medication for high blood pressure or heart disease.
Along with medication, ongoing psychotherapy has an important role in treatment for bipolar disorder. During therapy, you can discuss feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that cause you problems. Therapy can help you understand and overcome any problems that impair your ability to function well in life. It also helps with medication compliance and helps you deal with effects of bipolar disorder on your social and work life. Also it can help you maintain a positive self-image.
Types of psychotherapy used in the treatment of bipolar disorder are: Behavioral therapy; this focuses on behaviors that decrease stress. Cognitive therapy; this type of therapy involves learning to identify and modify the patterns of thinking that accompany mood shifts. Interpersonal therapy; this involves relationships and aims to reduce strains that the illness may place upon them.
Bipolar disorder distorts your view of things; medication assists seeing more clearly.
Doctors use a number of different classes and brands of drugs to treat bipolar disorder. Treatment for bipolar mania may include lithium, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines.
Many people who have bipolar disorder keep taking these medications for years after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder manic to stay healthy. This is called maintenance therapy for bipolar disorder.
During a period of bipolar depression, you might need other medications. Lithium and other mood stabilizers, antipsychotic drugs, and sometimes antidepressants are used to treat bipolar depression. For bipolar patients with severe mania or mixed episodes an antipsychotic medication combined with either lithium or the anticonvulsant Depakote is the drug of choice.
Anticonvulsants offer more treatment options for those with bipolar disorder. Anticonvulsants may be combined with lithium or with other anticonvulsants for optimal effect. Some commonly used anticonvulsants include Lamictal, Depakote, Tegretol, and Trileptal.
For some it may seem that there life is in the control of a doctor or therapist. But the actually you have the control over any medications by taking control of your symptoms of bipolar disorder. A life long medication regime may seem to be the end of your normal life but in reality it is the beginning of a new life with recovery.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012
Women and Bipolar Disorder
Research shows that women experience more periods of depression than men. In bipolar disorder, women develop bipolar II meaning they do reach severe mania but have milder episodes of hypomania alternating with depression.
Women are more prone to rapid cycling, having four or more mood episodes in one year. hormones antidepressants may contribute to rapid cycling.
Women who are pregnant run the risk with prescribed medication it has been shown that the risk of birth defects and certain medical issues in newborns and the risks may outweigh the benefits.
Women who have bipolar disorder and plan to become pregnant should talk with their psychiatrist about the risks that are involved.
The hormone fluctuations of menopause can cause mood disorders in woman in general not just those with bipolar disorder. For those already having troubles with major depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders there can be an increase in symptoms. Women during menopause may experience more frequent episodes of depression because of lowering of estrogen levels. Women with bipolar disorder sometimes mistake their mood swings for PMS.
Women with Bipolar disorder looks is different in women than in men doctors sometimes make a wrong diagnosis the same way that women with heart disease because the symptoms differs from the symptoms of the disease.
Women with Bipolar disorder looks is different in women than in men doctors sometimes make a wrong diagnosis the same way that women with heart disease because the symptoms differs from the symptoms of the disease.
Most people with bipolar disorder have their first manic episodes in their 20s or 30s, and research has shown that women develop symptoms of the disorder three to five years later than men
Taking all into consideration there are many ways that women can have episodes that are unique. Their episodes may change for various reasons. Women must be aware of the changes and communicate their concerns with their doctor.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012
Self-injury, also known as cutting, is when someone intentionally and repeatedly harms themselves the most often type used is cutting but other common behaviors such as burning, or drinking something damaging like bleach or detergent.
Approximately two million people in the U.S. injure themselves in some way. The majority are teenagers or young adults with women more than men. They are of all races and backgrounds.
Some people say they hurt themselves to express emotional pain or feelings. Some people who engage in self-injury may do so methodically or regularly, almost as if self injury were a ritual.
Other people may use self-injury impulsively as a way to get immediate release for built up tension. They may use self-injury either as a way to regulate intense emotions or as a distraction technique.
It can be a way to have control over your body when it is difficult having control over anything else in your life. A lot of people who cut themselves also have an eating disorder.
Some people who engage in self-injury may do so methodically or regularly, almost as if self-injury were a ritual. Other people may use self-injury impulsively as a way to get immediate release for built up tension. They may use self-injury either as a way to regulate intense emotions or as a distraction technique to find a way to stop thoughts that they are unable to control.
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They usually are not trying to kill themselves sometimes they are unable to control the injury and can diefrom an injury accidentally.
Suicide is a major risk for people with a mood disorder. But people who engage in self injury to get rid of bad feelings are not necessarily suicidal.
Though self-injury and suicide are different, self injury is not a small problem. Self injury is physical damage to one's body. It's important for the self-injurer to seek help.
No matter how self-injury is used, it is unhealthy and dangerous and can leave scars, physically and emotionally.
There are healthy ways to relieve stress, exercise can bring relief from the pent up tension, and there are also healthy ways to cope with negative feelings. For some people, self-injury is a coping mechanism.
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Long-term service needed by chronically disabled people to carry out activities of daily life have traditionally been viewed as targeted to the elderly. However, these services are needed also by persons with cognitive or mental impairment from a severe mental illness.
At the present time long term hospitalization is restricted by age; if you are under 21 or 65 and older there you can take advantage of the state’s Medicaid assistance and get the help you need with long term hospitalization in state hospitals. However, there are people with severe chronic mental illnesses that need the time to be stabilized on proper medication. Sometimes for non responsive people the time needed to be stabilized and t5o be able to function in society is lo0nger than 30 or 90 days. Medication is the only option for severe mental disorders like Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
That such services may also be needed by younger persons with disabilities, including not only individuals with physical disabilities but also persons with cognitive or mental impairments due to mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or severe mental illness. Currently people with physically disorders are covered by Medicaid but for the mentally ill there is no such provision in the laws of Medicaid. The widespread closure of the state hospitals has added to the discrimination of the mentally ill.
Widespread homelessness among mentally ill New Yorkers became a fact of life in the 1980s due to the failure of policy makers to create adequate community-based care for mentally ill people released from long-term hospitalizations. Deinstitulization has become a failure of the government to give its’ citizens basic human rights. It did not create the promise of programs to provide psychiatrically disabled New Yorkers with whatever assistance they need to move from the streets to independent living and employment. The goal was to give clients the tools they need to live more and more independently. It unsuccessfully provided the necessary aid to it’s’ citizens and fellow man.
Indigent persons who need treatment in a hospital can count on Medicaid to pay for diseases of the heart, liver, blood and most physical body organs. Medicaid will not cover the individual if he or she is between the ages of 21 and 65 and has a disease in their brain and needs care in a psychiatric hospital. The Federal government's IMD Exclusion prohibits Medicaid from covering any treatment in state and private psychiatric hospitals and other IMDs. To view the brain the organ the body needs to survive is a travesty and a tragedy and totally biased and discrimination of the highest degree. The mentally ill are people you may know it may even be a family member mental illness does not discriminate it can strike anyone any age any nationality.
Medicaid's denial of coverage results in homelessness, incarceration, victimization and even death for many people who are so ill they are unable to care for themselves. These people desperately need aid to conquer their diseases contact you state Medicaid office, call your congressman appeal to the government to repeal the IMD exclusion law which is outdated, a total failure and prejudice taken to the extreme.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Bipolar II disorder is a mental illness Bipolar II is similar to Bipolar I Disorder, with moods cycling between high and low over time.
However, in bipolar II disorder, the highs never reach full mania. The less intense elevated moods in bipolar II disorder are called hypomania.
A person affected by bipolar II disorder has had at least one hypomanic episode in life. Most people with bipolar II disorder also suffer from episodes of depression.
In between episodes of hypomania and depression, many people with bipolar II disorder return to normal states. Bipolar II is fairly common and anyone can develop bipolar II disorder. Almost six million people in the United States have Bipolar Disorder.
Most people are in their late teens or early 20s when the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder first start. Usually everyone with bipolar II disorder develops it before age 50 and people with an immediate family member with bipolar are at higher risk.
During a hypomanic episode, elevated mood can be either euphoria or irritability.
Symptoms during hypomanic episodes include: Thoughts that suddenly jump from one idea to the next, rapid, and loud speech, increased energy, with hyperactivity and a decreased need for sleep
People experiencing hypomanic episodes can be pleasant to be around. They can often making joke, taking an intense interest in other people and activities, and have a very positive mood. However, hypomania can also lead to erratic and unhealthy behavior. People in hypomanic episodes might spend money they don't have, have sex with people they normally would not, and engage in impulsive or risky behaviors.
Also, people with bipolar II disorder experience significant depressive episodes. These can occur soon after hypomania subsides, or much later. Some people cycle back and forth between hypomania and depression, while others have long periods of normal mood in between episodes.
Untreated, an episode of hypomania can last for a few days to several years. Usually the symptoms continue for a few weeks to a few months.
Depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder are similar to clinical depression, with depressed mood, loss of pleasure, low energy and activity, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and thoughts of death and suicide. Depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder can last weeks, months.
Hypomania often seen as happiness and relentless optimism; when hypomania is not causing unhealthy behavior, it generally goes untreated. This is in contrast to true mania, which nearly always requires treatment with medication. For some people Bipolar II can progress into Bipolar I more research is being done on this supposition.
Bipolar II should not go untreated; usually the episodes are mild and do not require medication, but it may be necessary to use antidepressents for the depression they may experience. Therapy proves helpful and most people can return to their normal lives.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s inevitable challenges, build strong relationships, and lead productive, fulfilling lives. When bad things happen, they are able to bounce back and move on.
Unfortunately, too many people take their mental and emotional health for granted focusing on it only when they develop problems. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. The more time and energy you invest in your emotional health, the stronger it will be. The good news is that there are many things you can do to boost your mood, build resilience, and get more enjoyment out of life.
Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.
Good mental health is not just the being free of mental health problems. Being mentally and emotionally healthy is to have positive characteristics. Some people may not have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health.
People who are mentally and emotionally healthy have: a sense of contentment; the ability to laugh and have fun; the ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity; a sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships. the ability to learn new things and adapt to change; a healthy balance between work and play, rest and activity; the ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships; self-confidence and high self-esteem.
These positive characteristics allow you to participate in life to the fullest; through productive, meaningful activities and strong relationships. These positive characteristics also help you cope when faced with life's challenges and stresses.
Resilience in mental and emotional health means that even through bad times or experiencing emotional problems; which wee all go through disappointments, loss, and change. This is a normal part of life; they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress.
The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to come back and learn from adversity, trauma, and stress. People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the coping skills for dealing with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They are focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good.
One factor with resilience is the ability to balance your emotions. The capacity to recognize your emotions and express them appropriately helps you to avoid depression, anxiety, and the various negative mood states. Also having a strong support network; people you can turn to for encouragement and support will boost your resilience in tough times.
Resilience entails maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as stressful circumstances and traumatic events occur in your life. You can build resilience in many ways: allowing yourself to experience strong emotions, and also realizing when you may need to avoid experiencing them in order to continue functioning; taking action to deal with your problems and meet the demands of daily living, and also giving time to rest and reenergize yourself; spending time with family and friends to gain support and encouragement; relying on yourself.
Physical health is related to the body’s overall health; taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are connected. When your physical health is enhanced, you experience better mental and emotional well-being. Exercise strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, chemicals that lift our mood.
To have good mental and emotional health, it is important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally. Learn good nutrition and practice it. The more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.
Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression.
Get a more sunlight. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get some sun per day.
Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health and physical health.
Monitoring and maintaining your health both physically and mentally will lead to positive thoughts and emotions; this leads to emotional and mental wellbeing
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression, or unipolar depression, is an illness characterized by an extremely sad mood that lasts for a long period of time and a lack of interest or pleasure in doing things that a person usually enjoys.
Someone with depression also has problems sleeping , either sleeping too much or too little; trouble thinking and concentrating; low levels of energy; unexpected changes in weight; either gaining or losing weight; and feelings of nervousness or agitation. With severe depression, there can also be recurrent thoughts about dying or suicide attempts.
If people experience these symptoms for at least two weeks, they might be diagnosed as having a major depressive episode. Untreated, some major depressive episodes last for months. After a depressive episode ends, the person might return to feeling normal. However, after experiencing the first major depressive episode, the person is at more risk for experiencing a second one, and with each new episode the odds only get worse that and the depressive episodes will keep coming. Getting treatment for depression is important even if the person’s most recent depressive episode has ended.
Depression is not a sign of weakness or an inability to cope with normal problems. Most people with depression cannot treat the problem by themselves; they have a very pessimistic view about themselves, the world, and life in general. People with depression think of themselves as incapable of handling their problems, which is both a result of the disorder or its cause. Depression is a very serious problem that can affect anyone.
When people are suffering with depression, there are probably many days when they don’t feel like getting out of bed. Either they feel too tired or maybe they think thar since life in general feels hopeless or pointless so it is not worth trying. Depressed people feel sad, blue, sluggish, unmotivated, and empty inside, like there’s a part of themselves that’s missing. They might even experience headaches or body aches for which there are no apparent causes, feel restless and agitated, and find it difficult to concentrate.
In most cases of depression, the person no longer has an interest in pleasurable activities, like hobbies, exercising, socializing, or even sex. The person may be preoccupied with thoughts about death and dying. Often people with depression think about ways to kill themselves. A number of them actually try to commit suicide. Others who are no longer concerned if they live or die might frequently take dangerous risks..
Depression can also cause many problems in people’s relationships, especially marriages. Often, people who are depressed have problematic beliefs about their relationships. They may believe that they shouldn’t disagree with their partner, which puts added stress on both people. Some people who are depressed seek constant reassurance from their friends and loved ones, which strains those relationships. People with depression may do this to determine to find out if they’re still loved. But no amount of reassurance from the partner or friend ever seems to be enough.
Another type of depression is dysthymia; a type of depression that’s longer-lasting and seems to stay with the person for his or her entire life. In some ways, dysthymia might not be as severe or debilitating as a major depressive episode, because often the person can still function in everyday life. People with dysthymia also might not have as many problems with sleeping, thinking, or weight changes.
But because dysthymia is so constant and long lasting, it becomes a part of a person’s personality. A person with dysthymia might look generally unhappy or sad all of the time, and his or her mood might never return to a healthy state. A person with dysthymia might also experience depressive episodes at times. Depression and dysthymia, along with the bipolar disorders, are collectively referred to as mood disorders.
There are very effective treatments for depression that could help people avoid the long-term disability associated with the disorder. In general, more than 80 percent of the people who get appropriate treatment for their depression experience an improvement in their lives.
The majority of people who seek help for depression are given antidepressant medications. For some causes of depression, such as heredity, biology, illnesses, medications, and other substances, antidepressant medications might be the best initial treatment. In other cases, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants might be necessary, especially to treat chronic depression.
Whatever the treatment may be it is crucial that there is some sort of treatment plan. The risks of living depressed are to great and to live a life of misery and sadness is too much of a strain on a person physically and mentally. It is essential that the person receives treatment for themselves and for the people in their environment. Depression is a treatable disease and can be controlled so that the person can live their life with peace free from the chains of depression.
People with anger problems often quickly react in aggressive ways when they feel insulted, or offended, especially when they think they are being ill-treated. People struggling with this problem often blow up or hit the roof at others. They also tend to blame other people for their problems, without considering the role they might be playing in the situation.
Everyone gets angry sometimes. This is normal, and sometimes it is even necessary and healthy. If a person is being hurt, it might be beneficial to their health and survival to get angry and tell the other person to stop. In other, less threatening situations, some people try to communicate and find compromises, some try to think of nonthreatening responses, and others try to distance themselves from the situation before reacting.
However, people with an anger problem react in a way that is more intense and aggressive than the situation calls for. Some of them physically hurt others or themselves. Some take their frustrations out on objects by punching walls or kicking doors. Others argue aggressively. They call others insulting names, make threatening gestures, or even hold all their anger inside and let the hostility simmer, perhaps while plotting how to take revenge.
People with this problem frequently have disruptive relationships and family life. A person’s anger might even lead to physical fights with his or her spouse or partner, the person’s children, or maybe even strangers. In these situations, It can be exceptionally violent and dangerous to the individual and others.
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When angry, the person probably notices excessive physical sensations related to stress. Their heart races, their face and ears get hot and flushed, muscles become very tense, breathing gets faster and deeper, the palms get sweaty, and the person feels edgy or nervous. The person may feel a sick in the stomach, much like. Then, when the episode of intense anger has ended, the person with may feel guilty when they see that others who witnessed the situation feel uneasy and upset.
Having high levels of anger can lead to problems sleeping at night; increased daytime fatigue as a result of not sleeping. It’s also has been shown that men who commit domestic violence against their spouses and partners consistently have higher levels of anger and hostility when compared with men who don’t commit these acts of violence. Excessive anger is often associated with other disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality problems, self focused personality problems, and borderline personality disorder.
The exact causes of anger problems are unknown, but studies find that there are biological and social factors that contribute to its development. One supposition is that the emotion of anger activates the behavioral activation system within the larger human nervous system. When a person is confronted with an anger inducing situation, the behavioral activation system causes that person either to confront the situation and express the anger, or to escape the situation and suppress the anger. The choice someone makes in that situation is influenced by a combination of social factors and inheritable genetic tendencies
Anger is a fundamental emotion that is expressed and seen in every culture around the world; but the way in which a person expresses anger is largely determined by what is considered acceptable by that person’s culture. Some cultural groups are more likely to suppress their anger, while other groups are more likely to express their anger. Children imitate aggressive behaviors they observe in other people, especially when that type of behavior is rewarded. So if a person grows up in a family or culture where excessive anger is frequently displayed or accepted as normal, that person has a greater chance of developing an anger control problem
There are some very successful treatments to help people with anger problems reduce their anger. Many of these treatment, often referred to as anger management, help people identify the triggers for their anger and then learn how to create distance between the triggers and their angry responses.
Many people feel as though their anger quickly overwhelms them and leaves them little choice but to get angry. Anger management treatment aims to create time between the moment a person feels angry and the moment when he or she responds, providing the person with time to choose a different more constructive response.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be beneficial. This treatment often uses relaxation skills to help manage angry feelings, thought processing to help recognize triggering situations, and skills training to learn new types of responses to these situations.
Other forms of successful treatment include anger management group therapy, and mindfulness therapy. Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness techniques, and it can be effective for anger control
Help someone close to you find and continue to take the medication needed for a balanced life.
It is essential that a person with a mental health problem takes proper medication in order to manage the symptoms of their illness. Family and friends of this person need to know what the medication is, the effects it has, and the doctor who prescribes it. If for some reason the medication is no longer effective, the person quits taking the medication, or the side effects become unmanageable, it is the family and friends who often need to intervene and help the person to continue with their treatment plan.
Along with medication, some form of therapy is critical for someone with mental health problems. Family and friends can be invaluable in supporting this need for counseling and in assisting the person find the right therapist; who can help the person cope with the mental illness. It is also valuable for the family and friends to seek some form of therapy themselves in order to support the patient.
Learn as much as we can about their mental health problems. The more we know about the mental illness, the more you can understand their behavior, thoughts, and feelings. You can assist in developing a healthy self-esteem. Many people with a mental health problem suffer from problems with their self-esteem. Their self-esteem is often either too low or too high. People who are close to the person are in a position to observe the level of self-esteem and to respond appropriately.
Accept the mental health problem they may be having even if this mental health problem does not cover all of life.
A mental disorder can become the focus of the life of a person with mental health problems There are two steps to you can take in order to be supportive: to accept the fact of the mental health problem; once this fact is acknowledged, it is crucial to accept that the disorders not the only problems in their life, that there are also other parts of life that deserve attention and focus.
Take an active effort to have: proper exercise, sleep, diet, relationships, and by monitoring our feelings.
Often a person with mental illness requires special attention from family and friends. Become a supportive network who knows about the mental health problem and to act in their best interest as far as we are possible. A network of support can make it easier to deal with a person’s mental illness; a shared knowledge of the illness and a shared responsibility offers the best opportunity for everyone. This network will therefore require commitment to the loved one and to each other, including a commitment to resolving conflicts when they arise.
Identify the early warning signs that precede an onset of a problem and try to assist the person when these signs emerge.
You may have to monitor and identify early warning signs of a change in the thinking or behavior. Often a change in medication or the effectiveness of a medication, a stressful situation in life, a change in a relationship will trigger a more difficult stage of the mental illness. When those close to the person can identify this change, they can intervene and help the person to regain control over the mental illness.
Most people in our society acknowledge a belief in a Supreme Being whom many identify as God fostering that belief can be encouraging and supportive. In coping mental illness, many family and friends know that their efforts, support, and effectiveness are limited. Incorporating our belief in God or a Supreme Being we can understand that belief, makes coping with the mental illness easier and it more possible for the person stay in control.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Maybe you have only recently been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, but, you have probably travelled this road for a long time. You may have been undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. You may have been up and down with severe mood swings and relapses. You may feel your current treatment is not working, or you may be plagued by the side effects from medication.
Bipolar Disorder is a serious illness, and each individual’s symptoms are different. Taking an active a role in your treatment plan is the first step toward managing your disorder.
If your symptoms are not under control friends and family may feel confused by your changes in mood. Family therapy may help to promote understanding and strengthen relationships. Friends and family can be a great source of support. They can help you with compliance with your treatment plan and encourage you to avoid triggers; and learn the warning signs of an episode.
To get the most from your treatment, make sure you confide in your doctor about how you are feeling on your medication and any side effects you may be experiencing. Ask about alternate or additional treatment to help treat your symptoms.
There is no cure for Bipolar Disorder, but, there are effective treatments to help manage the symptoms. Some options may include: therapy, group therapy, and prescription medication or a combination.
Some healthcare teams encourage patients to track their moods and discuss mood changes with a therapist. Many doctors agree that sharing this information and establishing a supportive and consistent relationship between Bipolar patients and a therapist can be an essential part of the treatment plan. In addition to having the opportunity to discuss current problems and ways to cope with symptoms; patients with Bipolar Disorder may also be able to discuss and better understand past episodes and behaviors.
Self-esteem is the amount of respect or self-worth that a person has for them. People are often described as having either high self-esteem, meaning they think very well of themselves and their abilities, or low self-esteem, meaning they are filled with doubts and criticisms about themselves and their abilities. People with low self-esteem may experience many problems in their lives. Low self-esteem” is only a description of the way a person thinks or feels; it is not a diagnosis of a mental health problem. Mental health professionals do agree that healthy self-esteem is important to many aspects of a person’s life.
People with low self-esteem often think of themselves in very critical ways, such as I am a failure, or I cannot do anything right. With these thoughts there are upsetting feelings, these include: sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, and worthlessness. People with low self-esteem have difficulty making decisions, because they doubt that they will be successful. They also find it harder to make friends, because they are often shy or they do not think other people will like them. People with low self-esteem frequently stay away from situations in which they might be judged, so they avoid taking chances or trying new things.
People with higher self-esteem often have happier and more satisfying lives. They are confident about their abilities to cope with problems and take on new challenges, and more open to new people to make friends.
But despite these aptitudes, many doctors still doubtful about the benefits of helping people increase their level of self-esteem. Some researchers claim that encouraging people to raise their self-esteem does more harm than good. For people who recognize that their lives are not satisfying because of their critical, judgmental thoughts about themselves, increasing self-esteem can have many lasting benefits.
Because of the fact that low self esteem results in judgmental thoughts and troubling feelings about oneself; low self-esteem can lead to more serious problems. Research shows that it often results in problems like eating disorders and depression.
Low self-esteem can be particularly damaging during adolescence; it can be marked with aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Low-self esteem during adolescence was related to an increased likelihood of later problems in adulthood, including anxiety, depression, poor physical health, increased criminal behavior, and greater employment difficulties
Because of the possibility of low self-esteem leading to more serious problems, people who do suffer with this problem should get help before the issue develops into a more serious disorder.
There are many reasons why people think of themselves and their abilities, including social, economic, cultural, and biological factors. Children in families who interact towards each other in positive ways often had higher levels of self-esteem. One study found that African-Americans and Latino Americans had higher self-esteem than their peers, when they were involved with their religious organizations. Also it was found that boys were more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem than girls. There are many factors that can influence a person’s self-esteem.
People with low self-esteem often think of themselves as being unworthy of happiness, unable to cope with problems, and unlikable. The combination of these thoughts and feelings causes them to avoid social events, friendships, challenges, and certain kinds of jobs, and other opportunities which all make them feel worse and judge themselves even more.
Improving a person’s self-esteem comes by attacking the self-critical thoughts that caused the problem in the first place and engaging in behaviors that have been avoided. These are the focus of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment that combines elements of both cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy examines the way people thinks about themselves, others, and how affects their mental health. Behavior therapy investigates the way people’s actions influence their own lives and their interactions with others. With the two, this type of therapy examines the way people can change their thoughts and behaviors in order to improve their lives.
The cognitive behavioral therapy treatment for self-esteem focuses on addressing the causes of the problem. In general, this treatment includes: conduct education; prove false the self-criticism; challenge cognitive distortions; develop compassion for self and others; omit should; learn to handle mistakes; learn to respond to criticism.
Changing one’s beliefs and improving self-esteem can be complicated and difficult. There will be successes and difficulties during the process. The key to long-term, healthy self-esteem is to continuing therapy and to seek professional help when needed.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
In a rut of depression or missing a High? Wishing you was more productive and creative? Well you are it is only a temporary feeling of missing something that is still within you. Start a new project; read a poem; write a poem. Delve into the arts try writing a short story; learn a new languague. Broaden yopur horizons take photos nature soothes the thoughts that race and portraits can introduce new people into your life.
Get into yourself for a while and get in tune with the emotions you feel and write them into a Blog. I was going through a similar period of feeling nonproductive and a little disgusted with me for not doing what I normally enjoyed. What did I do? I started blogging I am now the proud owner of 2 websites and over 100 blogs all written within 6 months time. Blogging is a great way to share what you know; learn what you do not know.
Get into yourself for a while and get in tune with the emotions you feel and write them into a Blog. I was going through a similar period of feeling nonproductive and a little disgusted with me for not doing what I normally enjoyed. What did I do? I started blogging I am now the proud owner of 2 websites and over 100 blogs all written within 6 months time. Blogging is a great way to share what you know; learn what you do not know.
Another thing which I find very helpful is joining online support groups all the advantages of therapy with less cost and the without the time restriction of having to keep appointments. You can login whenever you want to feel like writing at 3 am the groups are at your disposal. Medication has also proved to be helpful with soothing my tired mind and getting rid of the negative thoughts that cloud my perspective on life.
Get rid of the worries and disappointments by meditating at least twice a day and you will begin to see yourself as the person you are. Anger management can be found on the internet just learning that there are people like you, who experience the same feelings can often bring you a step closer to your goals. Make goals in life even if it to clean the baseboards in your house any goal will work to your advantage and give you something to do; keep track of you achievements and failures and you will see where you may be able to improve your life.
Get rid of the worries and disappointments by meditating at least twice a day and you will begin to see yourself as the person you are. Anger management can be found on the internet just learning that there are people like you, who experience the same feelings can often bring you a step closer to your goals. Make goals in life even if it to clean the baseboards in your house any goal will work to your advantage and give you something to do; keep track of you achievements and failures and you will see where you may be able to improve your life.
Don’t feel alone I found through research, which is always a constructive way to spend your time, a list of famous Bipolars. While it is not complete and I cannot account for the accuracy you are not alone. Millions of people have and still go through the same thing that you do. The mood swings plague many people and have since the beginning of time. Take thoughts off of yourself for a while and you will see improvement in your life. And get back to a rewarding gratifying life.
Famous Bipolars
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Information about mental illness Thoughts by wena
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012
Depression has plagued humanity since the beginning of time. There are few who have not felt its touch. Sometimes seemingly for no apparent reason we feel helpless and overwhelmingly sad. The pain is unbearable and our world turns grey. We reach out for a comforting had when nothing can comfort us and we find ourselves alone. For most this feeling is something we can feel for a moment or can dispel ourselves but for others this experience becomes an insidious part of our lives turning our world inside out never finding relief from its grip on our thoughts, emotions and behavior.
Depression is in all cultures and throughout history; it is a universal feeling which we all share. Why is it for some a burden to be carried through life never knowing the pleasures, the hopes and dreams that seem never to be in our lives? When do the endless winters cease; the icy grip of depression end in a dark cold world that only has an answer to end the pain suicide which seems the only way to stop the agony of existence.You have a choice when depressed. It can be a prison sentence on death row waiting for the inevitable or there can be a way of this prison in your mind. There can be sunlight which may set at times but returns to brighten your life.In depression there is no sympathy no comfort no loving concern for yourself. The very loneliness which it creates is a prison from which there seems to be no escape from. This prison is isolation an isolation created by yourself in which you dwell with the pain and suffering. When you alone in the dark grey fog the way out is to disperse the vapor of depression and allow the rays of happiness to penetrate your mind and soul to bring peace into your life.
Chronic depression can be subtle in coming often there is not specific reason why at other times there is a trigger some trauma which can bring on the depression. Finding what causes your depression may be obvious, a loss, and an event which brings about despair or it may have at the root a medical origin.
Depression is a major mental illness which brings about destructive behavior; it is debilitating to various degrees from common everyday blues to devastating damage to your life; touching on every part of daily activities. When you’re depressed, it can feel like you’ll never get out from under the dark shadow. However, even the most severe depression is treatable. With the right help and support, you can and will feel better.
It’s important to determine whether your depression symptoms are due to a medical condition. The severity of your depression is also a factor. The more severe the depression, the more intensive the treatment you're likely to need. Medication can relieve the symptoms of depression; long-term use may not be an option. If that is the case there are other ways to deal with the residual symptoms. There are many natural treatments available that may reduce your depression.
Cultivate your social connections, they can protect you are from depression. Talking to family members or friends, or making new connections. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.All of depression treatments take time, and it might feel overwhelming or frustrating, and slow. Recovery usually has its ups and downs.
Lifestyle changes are powerful tools in treating depression. Even if you need other treatment, lifestyle changes go a long way towards helping lift depression. And once you are feeling better they can prevent relapses ending the vicious cycle.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012
The following is information that I found on the internet by accident. The history and pictures bring back memories, as they do for many, the ones who found refuge from an unforgiving world; and the ones who’s stay was a new beginning. I started on a new journey in life and was forced to grow up in a place that was unlike any that I had ever seen. The memories that the “patients” have may have died with them or live on through the generations who were left behind.
Life in these buildings will never be erased from my mind. But I am one of the fortunate who can understand and find empathy for the lost minds that were housed there. So I am given the chance to try to relieve my anguish and move on with the hope that it will give me a release from the pain that I feel today. My life has changed in many ways but I will never forget my stay at these hospitals or the memories of the people who found themselves in these buildings. I invite to the world that you may or may not know. If you are one of the fortunate people who have never seen the inside of the life in any of these places I am sure you will have a learning\experience and to others it can be a past that is put to rest finally. From wena
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www.opacity.us/site23_pilgrim_state_hospital.htm
Photographs, history, news and information about Pilgrim State Hospital (also known as: Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, PSH), located in Brentwood, NY (United ...
Pilgrim State Hospital
In the 1920s, New York State had operated six mental hospitals to facilitate the growing need for psychiatric care, and all were extremely overcrowded. The state's answer was to build the solution to this problem that plagued the New York City area once and for all - Pilgrim State Hospital.
Originally designed to house 12,500 patients on 1,900 acres of land, Pilgrim still holds the record of being the largest psychiatric hospital in the world - its peak patient population at one time was 16,000. The original hospital constructed from 1930-1941 consisted of four large continued treatment groups, each having about six separate buildings. The hospital also included a large medical building where patients and employees with acute diseases would be diagnosed, as well as housing laboratories, consultation rooms, a nursing school, and the pathology department. This building was flanked by two large reception buildings, where new patients would stay for an average of one month to be examined and diagnosed. These two buildings were kept separate by gender, and connecting corridors on each floor allowed patients and staff to work closely and quickly between the common medical facility.
Also on campus was a tall hospital building for chronic patients, a theater, employee and nurses' homes, a bakery, laundry, firehouse, power plant, and a farm which included a horse barn and piggery. Doctors and their families lived a small community on campus, but separated from the hospital by a major road (and later the Sagitkos Parkway). A ten acre cemetery lies behind a brick water tower, where unclaimed bodies were buried with a simple headstone engraved with a patient number. In the late 1930s Pilgrim averaged one death per day.
Pilgrim Campus Map in 1938 (LIFE Magazine)
In the early 1940s the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) began constructing another large hospital on the grounds adjacent to Pilgrim, which was later completed and leased by the U.S. Army. This new facility, called Mason General Hospital, was dedicated in 1944 and served as a POW camp, tuberculosis hospital, and a psychiatric center for war veterans. The campus consisted of a massive thirteen story structure with French château roof, three eight story X-shaped buildings, theater, gym, church, power plant, residences, and a multitude of temporary military structures. It only operated under the U.S. Army until 1946, when it was given back to the state and renamed Edgewood State Hospital. Mason General's X-shaped buildings 81, 82 and 83 were given to Pilgrim, and due to patient decline they were renovated to be used as a state prison in the 1980s. Due to much local opposition, they were modernized and put back to psychiatric use in the 1990s. The annex of these buildings raised Pilgrim's capacity to a total of 15,000. Edgewood closed in 1969-1971, and was demolished in 1989-1990. To read more about Edgewood, visit edgewoodhospital.com, which has a plethora of photos, video, and information about the site.
In 1945, academy award winning director John Huston created a documentary called Let There be Light for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Filmed at Mason General Hospital, the 58 minute piece was one of the first chronicles of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but was not publicly released until thirty-five years after it was produced. Let There be Light can be viewed online, where the viewer is taken inside the wards of Mason General and shown the process of recovery.
Treatments at Pilgrim included many types of shock therapy; methods that were risky, but the only kind of relief that science could offer at the time before Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) was developed in the 1950s. They include:
· Insulin shock therapy: The patient is injected with large doses of insulin, which causes convulsion and coma. Introduced at Pilgrim in 1936.
· Metrazol shock therapy: Injections of Metrazol (or commercially known as cardiazol) quickly induces powerful seizures.
· Electric shock therapy: Currents of electricity are passed through the brain to induce grand mal seizures, commonly used to treat schizophrenia and mood disorders. Pilgrim State started using this technique in 1940, and has recently been under investigation for forcing this treatment onto patients.
Pre-frontal lobotomies were performed at Pilgrim starting in 1946, and by 1959 as many as 1,000 to 2,000 lobotomies were performed here; most procedures were done in the central medical building #23. A report on lobotomies was filmed at Pilgrim in 1992, hosted by Tom Jarriel of 20/20. It contains information on the history of the procedure, personal case studies of Pilgrim patients, as well as footage from some of the now-abandoned buildings on the Pilgrim campus. Both parts I and II can be viewed below.
After the two other major psychiatric facilities on Long Island closed down - Kings Park Psychiatric Center and Central Islip Psychiatric Center - many of their patients and programs moved to Pilgrim, but the facility was still too large for the ever dwindling need for psychiatric care. The four treatment groups at Pilgrim were shut down, and eventually the fifty buildings were demolished in early 2003 after being sold to a developer. The future of the old medical building, administration, and admission buildings are unclear, but have been abated and seem to be ready for demolition. Pilgrim still remains as a psychiatric facility to this day, currently occupying most of the buildings extant on campus. In 2011, most of the staff and doctor's private homes were demolished.
Sources of information include The Farm Colonies, a fascinating book with over 250 illustrations of the four Long Island state mental hospitals, by Leo Polaski (2003).
Kings Park Psychiatric Center
Location Data
To relieve New York City's growing mentally ill population, Kings County (now Brooklyn) set forth to build an institution where patients could be treated far away from the hectic city life. The Kings Park Lunatic Asylum was established in 1885 as an extension of the Brooklyn County Hospital complex located on Clarkson Ave. The location for the new asylum would be far away in rural Suffolk County, and it initially consisted of a few wooden buildings where residents could be rehabilitated. As need for mentally ill facilities grew, the county "Lunatic Farm" (as it was called) was handed over to New York State in 1895 where it became Long Island State Hospital. Hearkening to its roots in
Hearkening to its roots in Brooklyn, the institution was re-named Kings Park State Hospital in 1916 - and as the hospital grew in this once desolate woodland, it essentially created the town of Kings Park that we know today.
The entire hospital became a self-sufficient community; the patients and staff performed a wide variety of tasks including farming, construction, clothes-making, and food preparation. KPSH expanded to over 150 buildings, which included a power plant and a railroad spur to transport passengers, coal, and construction materials from the Long Island Rail Road. The campus included an area for TB patients, as well as a large section devoted to caring for war veterans. At the turn of the century, the hospital had already grown to 2,697 patients and 454 staff workers - making the hospital campus larger than the nearby town of Smithtown at the time! The hospital reached its peak population at 9,303 patients in 1954, and became quite overcrowded like so many other state run mental health centers at the time.
The cost to run such an enormous machine became too large of a burden for the state, and with the overall de-institutionalization policy being instated on the East Coast, the hospital began closing buildings in a slow but steady process in 1970. In 1975, the institution became known as the more familiar Kings Park Psychiatric Center, or "KPPC." Many patients were transferred to nearby Pilgrim State Hospital, nursing homes, private group homes, or were released. Finally, the entire facility closed in 1996 save for two buildings which still house patients to this day.
The big question has always been what to do with the land... hundreds of acres of property were up for grabs, but at a very expensive cleanup cost. In the year 2000, the grounds of the war veterans treatment area opened as the Nissequogue River State Park. But to develop the rest of the land, many buildings would have to be demolished or renovated, and the miles of asbestos piping would need to be carefully removed. In November 2010, the estimated cost of demolishing 57 buildings was $215 million. The only feasible way of making money from the cleanup would be to build a dense residential or commercial community, which has been a highly objectionable debate for many years.
Kings Park Psychiatric Center was one of four enormous mental health systems located in central Long Island; the others being Central Islip Psychiatric Center, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, and Mason General / Edgewood State Hospital.
Below is a documentary by Jim Fleming, filmed just before the full closure of the hospital that offers people's memories and views on the closing of Kings Park. Thanks to Steve Weber for posting it for all to watch.
Central Islip State Hospital
Location Data
While psychiatric patients from Brooklyn were being moved to the Kings County Farm Colony (later known as Kings Park State Hospital) on Long Island, the borough of Manhattan sought a similar solution to alleviate the overcrowding in their mental hospitals. In 1887 the city purchased 1,000 acres of pine barrens in Central Islip, Long Island. Forty-nine male patients were admitted in 1889, and followed by forty female patients, all working under a treatment described as "O&O" and "R&R" (Occupation and Oxygen, and Rest and Relaxation).
Much like the farm at Kings Park, the colony was eventually purchased by the state of New York and becoming the Manhattan State Hospital, where it then grew into a vast complex housing thousands of patients in over 100 buildings. Two notable structures were built here; one being several ward groups connected by corridors that stretched approximately one mile long. The elegant architecture and length of the building led to its name as the "String of Pearls." The other complex with a unique layout was called the "Sunburst," which resembled a spoked wheel - the spokes were treatment wards connected to a central hub, with a curved, circular corridor connecting them all. A fire department with 10 employees was created in 1907, and a large medical building and a secure unit were constructed in the middle of the century.
Aerial photo of the Sunburst building (Photography by Pictometry)
The hospital had its own locomotive, baggage car and wooden coach carthat was equipped with barred windows, until patients were brought in by van during the great depression. The hospital was very self-efficient, as daily tasks regarding clothes, food, laundry, craftsmanship and labor were all performed by the patients and employees. In the earlier days of the hospital, the staff lived on the grounds and were not permitted to leave the hospital campus, even during off hours, except for a few days a month.
The hospital, later renamed to Central Islip State Hospital and finally known as Central Islip Psychiatric Center, began to become severely overcrowded through the 1950s. It reached its peak population of about 10,000 patients in 1955. Lobotomies, various types of shock treatments, and finally drug therapy replaced the long-gone treatments from the 19th century. The population dwindled in the 1970s and 1980s as de-institutionalization took hold, until it finally closed in 1996. The beautiful String of Pearls was demolished for the shopping mall that now stands in its place, the large 1953 power plant was imploded for condominiums in 2006, and the large secure treatment building called Corcoran was demolished in 2008. A few buildings have survived, as some of the campus was sold to the New York Institute of Technology and the structures have found a new use by the college. Central Islip Psychiatric Center was one of four enormous mental health systems located in central Long Island; the others being Kings Park Psychiatric Center, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, and Mason General / Edgewood State Hospital.
EdgewoodHospital.com -
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Most of those who have experienced Edgewood State Hospital agree it was the most intriguing and impressive of the Long Island mental asylums. Some of the buildings belonging to the other large Long Island mental hospitals - Kings Park, and Pilgrim State - are still standing, but their future is unclear. Since Edgewood State Hospital was demolished in 1989, many urban explorers might have never seen it, or heard of it - and many are just discovering it.
Edgewood Hospital stood on Commack Road, in Deer Park. It's construction was completed by the US Army during World War 2. The Army used the complex during the war, naming it Mason General Hospital. After the war, the Army gave the Hospital back to the State, where it existed as part of Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center. Edgewood Hospital was vandalized mercilessly in the 70's and 80's, until it was finally demolished in 1989.
We hope to be successful in bringing together a community of both knowledgeable and curious people, who are interested in learning and preserving Edgewood's history. This is an interactive site, where members are encouraged to share their pictures, comments, and memories.
The site is expected to be a work in progress, as further research and visitor contribution help put the pieces of the puzzle together. All visitors have access to view the site, but if you want to add to it by uploading pictures or posting comments, you must be a registered member.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
Bipolar Affective Disorder or Manic Depression is a disorder in which there are extreme fluctuations in mood: periods of depression alternating with periods of elation and excitement known as highs or mania.Persons with bipolar disorder are at a higher risk for suicide,
However, medication can lessen the symptoms in about approximately 80 percent in most cases, reducing the risk of suicide.
Many of the chronically ill with mental illnesses require long term care; the rest make a partial recovery. Research shows that suicide risk is raised for all mental illnesses and those who are substance abuses. Suicidal thoughts and behavior, past and present, increase the risk significantly.
People with severe mental health problems are less likely to be employed or married and the illness itself may cause a situation of social isolation. By themselves they increase the risk of suicide.
Studies on people with mental disorder who have received psychiatric care as an in patient, involuntary commitment or long term hospitalization; reveals that the risk of suicide is higher for those who were admitted involuntarily. The recently discharged and recently admitted are at especially high risk.
People with mental health problems may remain at high risk of suicide even after they appear to be well.
Studies show that bipolar disorder or manic depressions have an average suicide risk on the average of 15-25 times that of the general population. The risk of suicide is increased by a past suicide attempt and alcohol abuse.
Research involving people diagnosed with major depression shows that they have an increased risk of suicide. The risk is highest in the first few weeks following discharge from hospital. Less severe forms of depression show a reduction of suicide risk. Older depressed people may be at higher risk of suicide.
Anxiety states also show higher suicide risk. Studies which have examined anxiety, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder shows that anxiety states in general have a 10-percent increased risk of suicide.
Studies on personality disorders showed that people who had received psychiatric inpatient treatment and had a severe problem were seven times more likely to be at risk of suicide more than the general public.
Personality disorders have also been found to be common in people who have been seen at hospital for self harm.
There have been little studies on the connection of mental disorder and suicide although researchers are continually trying to prove that the link between the two does exist. Further study has to be done to reduce the statistics. Fortunately the drugs of choice are very effective in reducing the risk of death by suicide and the majority of the mentally ill can be saved from this tragedy. For those who do not respond to these medications there is no real answer to the problem but in time there will be headway into the connection between suicide and mental illness.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012
Bipolar and drug abuse often occur together. Drugs or alcohol abuse or dependency may occur at some stage in about most of bipolar individuals and seems to be more often with adolescent onset bipolar disorder. Substance abuse with alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates is known to occur.
It is not known whether the drug abuse is the result of having bipolar disorder or if the symptoms similar to those of bipolar result from the drug abuse. Cocaine use is similar to mania. When substance abuse co exists with bipolar it complicates the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder. Chronic marijuana use especially in teens increases the risk of bipolar psychotic episode.
There seems to be a connection between a family predisposition to mania and drug abuse and where this exists the drug abuse may develop into bipolar I disorder.
Some psychiatrists believe that the drug abuse might be a way of self-medicating the uncontrollable mood swings of bipolar disorder. Where treatment is not sought either through ignorance or denial, there is a reason for the symptoms do not show. The drug abuse is supposed to relieve the symptoms or stabilize the moods the use of substances worsen the situation like cocaine during manic episodes and alcohol during periods of depression.
The behavior patterns and symptoms of bi polar disorder like excessive involvement in pleasurable activities, poor judgment etc make them more inclined to drug abuse.
Studies have also shown links between bipolar substance abuse and crime. Men seem to offend and get arrested more often than women. However the link to criminal activity may be part of the symptoms of mania and the problem that bipolars have with money.
There is no doubt that the symptoms of mania are like those of a substance abusers highs and lows. Perhaps this is a reason for the parallel and connection of the two. While there are many questions about this subject more research needs to be done to find the
Mania is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood or overall state of being, and energy levels. In some ways, it is the opposite of depression.
In addition to mood disorders, persons may exhibit manic behavior because of drug intoxication, medication side effects. But mania is most often associated with bipolar disorder, where episodes of mania alternate with episodes of major depression.
Mania varies in intensity, from mild mania, hypomania to full-blown mania with psychotic features, including hallucinations, delusion of grandeur, suspiciousness, catatonic behavior, aggression. Because mania and hypomania have also been associated with creativity and artistic talent, it is not always the case that the clearly manic bipolar person needs or wants medical help.
To be classified as a manic episode, while the disturbed mood is present; irritability is present. Expanded self-esteem; reduced need of sleep; talks more often and feels the urge to talk longer; thoughts race and preoccupy the person; over indulgence in enjoyable behaviors with high risk of a negative outcome, extravagant shopping, sexual adventures.
If the person is concurrently depressed, they are said to be having a mixed episode.
Some people also have physical symptoms, such as sweating, pacing, and weight loss. In full-blown mania, often the manic person will feel as, that there are no consequences or that negative consequences would be minimal, and that they need not restrain the pursuit of what they are after. Hypomania is different, as it may cause little or no impairment in function. The hypomanic person's connection with the external world, and interaction, remain intact, although intensity of moods is heightened. But those who suffer from prolonged unresolved hypomania do run the risk of developing full mania without realizing it.
One of the most prominent symptoms of mania is racing thoughts. These are usually instances in which the manic person is excessively distracted by unimportant stimuli. This experience creates absentmindedness where the manic person’s thoughts totally preoccupy them, making them unable to keep track of time, or be aware of anything besides the flow of thoughts. Racing thoughts also interfere with the ability to fall asleep.
These behaviors may increase stress in personal relationships, lead to problems at work and increase the risk of altercations with law enforcement. There is a high risk of impulsively taking part in activities potentially harmful to self and others.
Although severely elevated mood sounds somewhat desirable and enjoyable, the experience of mania is often quite unpleasant and sometimes disturbing, if not frightening, for the person and for those close to them, and it may lead to impulsive behavior that may later be regretted. It can also often be complicated by the lack of judgment and insight regarding periods of the states. Manic patients are frequently grandiose, obsessive, impulsive, irritable, belligerent, and usually refuse that there is something is wrong with them. Because mania frequently includes high energy and decreased need or ability to sleep, within a few days of a manic cycle, sleep-deprived psychosis may appear, further complicating the ability to think clearly.
There are different or states of mania. A minor state is hypomania and, like mania's characteristics, may involve increased creativity, wit, gregariousness, and ambition. Full-blown mania will make a person feel elated, but perhaps also irritable, frustrated, and even disconnected from reality.
Acute mania in bipolar disorder is treated with mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medication or a combination of both. It may be necessary to be temporarily committed until the parson is stabilized. Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers help stabilize mood of those with mania or depression.
When the manic behaviors are gone, long term treatment to stabilize the mood, through a combination of medicine and psychotherapy may prove beneficial.
With Bipolar disorder, a mental illness, a mixed stat or a mixed episode is a condition during which symptoms of mania and depression occur simultaneously. Some of the symptoms that are shown are agitation, anxiety, fatigue, guilt, impulsiveness, irritability, suicidal thoughts; there may be paranoia, pressured speech and rage. Other symptoms that may be seen are crying during a manic episode and racing thoughts during a depressive episode. One may also feel rage and at the same time have a flight of ideas. Mixed states are often the most dangerous period of mood disorders, during which makes a person more vulnerable to substance abuse, panic disorder, violence and can include suicide attempts.
Mixed episodes consist of a manic episode with depressive symptoms. Increased energy and some form of anger, from irritability to full blown rage, are the most common symptoms... Symptoms may also include auditory hallucinations, confusion, insomnia, persecutory delusions, racing thoughts, restlessness, and suicidal ideation. Alcohol, drug abuse, and some antidepressants can trigger a mixed state in certain individuals.
Treatment of mixed states is the use of mood stabilizers, which may include anticonvulsants or antipsychotics. Mood stabilizers work to reduce the manic symptoms that have the symptoms of depression that are in the mixed episode.
Treatment of a mixed episode is complicated by the presence of the depressive symptoms which do not respond to all medications. Because the medication can trigger a manic episode there is speculation about whether or not antidepressants should be used to treat mixed episodes.
The prognosis is good when medication is combined and is more effective in controlling the manic symptoms which drives the cycle. Medication may also be combined with psychotherapy once the person is stabilized on medication.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012
Mood changes and depressive disorders are more common in people who are struggling with physical illnesses, than in people who are well.
Although a person can develop depression with almost any physical illness, some lead to depression more often than others.
Depression in these conditions can be expected to respond to the same treatments medication and psychotherapy as most other depressive illness.
Some physical illnesses, especially heart disease and other sicknesses that affect the blood supply, occur can cause depression and the depression is often be the underlying cause of such diseases.
It is not that physical illnesses can lead to depression the mental disorder can often be the cause of a medical condition. This makes the recognition and treatment of depression all the more urgent.
Physical illnesses in which depression is common: diseases of the nervous system; dementia people with dementia suffer from more depressive illnesses than with other people. The difficulty these people have in communicating their disturbing symptoms so that the depression can be missed and not treated. Multiple sclerosis Depression seems to be more common in this condition, too. Heart disease; depression is more common in people with heart disease. It is two to three times more common in people after a heart attack. Depression in such cases also leads to problems for people recovering from a heart attack, making them more at risk of another heart attack. Depression with strokes is much more common in people after a stroke; high blood pressure studies have shown this also leads to increased rates of depression. Hypothyroidism; low levels of thyroid hormones can lead to depression, which may be severe viral infections, are prone to trigger depression in individuals
It is important to be aware of the possibility of depression, especially when a person is suffering from one of illnesses mentioned. The difficulty is that some of the symptoms in depression are found in these conditions, disrupted sleep patterns, poor appetite and tiredness.
This makes these symptoms less helpful for doctors when making the diagnosis of depression.
Furthermore, sadness is common following diagnosis of an illness because the sufferer comes to terms with their condition, but a prolonged 'low' mood with frequent weeping is likely to indicate depression has developed.
The cause or causes of depression in people with no physical illness are often not clear; it is also true of those who also have a physical illness.
There's good evidence that some of the above illnesses directly affect the parts of the brain and the chemical systems that control our mood and behavior.
Suddenly losing function in a limb after a stroke, or struggling to walk, after a heart attack, can lead to a number of consequences being unable to return to work, having to give up enjoyable activities. Such changes may trigger a depressive illness.
Losses affect a person’s self-esteem and their roles as a care taker and work may be changed. These factors may all contribute to the development of depression.
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