Understanding Bipolar Disorder
First things first: Bipolar disorder isn’t just being happy and then sad when something falls off the shelf; that is just normal behavior; all of us cry when an ice cream cone hits the pavement! Bipolar disorder differs by having feelings that get much bigger over time – called episodes. Let’s Know more about Bipolar Disorder in this blog by Universal Link Media.
Mania
One type of episode is known as mania. To visualize it, picture drinking 10 sodas and trying to run a race while singing at top volume while singing the entire time – you’d feel as though you could fly! Your speech speed may increase dramatically and your desire for sleep could decrease altogether; all while speaking very rapidly. Sounds exciting right? But actually this type of episode can become dangerous because thinking clearly may become impaired and silly things might happen that are potentially unsafe.
Depression
Depression is the opposite. You feel heavy and exhausted; no desire to play, eat or even leave the bed; everything seems sad and hard.
People living with bipolar disorder are constantly shifting between two extreme states of mind, often quickly or slowly switching from one extreme to another, creating confusion for both themselves and those closest to them.
Are Children and Grown-Ups Differently Affected
Yes and no; emotions remain similar regardless of how they manifest on the outside. Your father might yell or go for a quiet walk when angry while when you get angry you might throw toys or cry very loud. Both cases demonstrate similar reactions despite any apparent differences.
Adults often display symptoms of mania by expending too much energy. When depressed, this could include staying in bed all day long without answering their phone and not going to work.
Mania in Children
How can parents recognize children suffering from mania? Children typically exhibit lots of energy; so how do you know it’s mania? Well, one way might be grumpiness instead of happiness; tantrums that last hours; incomprehensible speech patterns; pretending they are superheroes by trying to fly off furniture etc… These behaviors could all indicate something serious going on inside.
Depression in Children
Children suffering from depression may complain of stomach or head aches. They might not want to attend school. When these feelings strike them they cry over seemingly minor matters and claim no one likes them, which can be heart-breaking to witness first-hand.
Early Signs to Watch Out For
How can you tell if someone has bipolar disorder? You cannot judge someone by looking at them alone – like seeing a broken arm with its cast. Instead, you need to monitor how they act over time like being a detective.
Keep an eye out for really big tantrums from small children, such as screaming and kicking for an extended period. Also watch for sudden changes between being very happy one minute and very angry the next. If they seem energetic despite sleeping less than normal but remain very sleepy that could be a telltale sign; most kids become cranky when tired while those living with mania don’t appear tired at all.
Teenagers and adults should look out for any sudden shifts in how they act. Perhaps they used to love soccer but have now stopped participating; new friends might be doing illegal acts; perhaps they have stopped showering or brushing their teeth regularly; any mention of death should be addressed immediately; it could indicate serious mental illness and you should contact a physician immediately.
Another tell-tale sign is if it runs in the family. If a parent, grandparent, or sibling have bipolar disorder it’s more likely their offspring do too – similar to having blue eyes or curly locks; genes pass it along.
Why Does It Occur?
This is a big question. Why do some brains experience turbulent waves? Doctors are still investigating it, though some theories speculate that a combination of factors are to blame – like baking a cake using flour, sugar and eggs as ingredients but changing up your recipe results in different results.
Genetics
One key component is genes – those tiny instructions inside of you that tell your body when to grow tall or develop freckles, for instance. Furthermore, certain genes might increase the risk of bipolar disorder.
Brain Structure
Another element is brain structure. Images of people with bipolar disorder demonstrate that their brains may appear different; parts may be smaller or bigger than normal and work faster or slower compared with normal functioning; it’s like having a car engine run differently.
Stress
Stress can also be a trigger. Something as sudden and drastic as death in the family or trouble in school could set off an episode, like pressing a button that sets it off. Yet sometimes episodes occur for seemingly no discernible reason at all – making forecasting unpredictable!
Going to the Doctor
If you recognize any of these signs in yourself or someone close to you, the first step should be seeing a physician – but not any old doctor! In particular, one who specializes in feelings and brains; such professionals are known as psychiatrists or psychologists (which is difficult for some). Just think of them as feeling doctors.
The doctor will speak to you and pose numerous questions to try to uncover all aspects of your situation. They’ll probe into your moods, sleep and family; not because they want to pry; rather because they want to piece the puzzle together.
They may also speak to your parents or teachers to gain the whole picture – like piecing together a puzzle; all the pieces must come together before being seen as one image.
Bipolar disorder cannot be easily diagnosed through blood testing alone; instead, a doctor must listen closely and listen slowly when diagnosing. While waiting may be frustrating at times, taking your time ensures the correct answers come back out.
Treatment Options
Medication
Once a doctor recognizes bipolar disorder, there are ways they can assist. One such way is with medication. Think of medicine like an umbrella to keep off any rainstorms in your brain environment. It helps keep rainstorms at bay!
There are various forms of medicine designed to combat mania. They help relax the brain so it stops racing so quickly – these medications are known as mood stabilizers; think of it like applying brakes on an otherwise speeding car!
Other medications can help alleviate depression by alleviating its heavy, depressive feelings. Sometimes people need more than one type – just like wearing an umbrella and boots simultaneously.
Taking medicine can be difficult, yet taking any prescribed dose is necessary for good health. But sometimes the medicine doesn’t taste great or causes side effects like sleepiness or stomachaches; in those instances you should immediately notify the physician so they can make appropriate changes – never stop taking it on your own as this will only make matters worse!
Young children often fear taking medicine. Parents need to help their child understand why it’s necessary – it’s not because of any misdeed; their brain needs help like someone with asthma does need an inhaler.
Talking Therapy Is Key
Medicine can only take you so far; therapy provides another essential resource. Talking through feelings with a counselor is invaluable.
Imagine walking into a disorganized room filled with clothes and toys lying all around, making it hard for you to locate anything. Therapy provides the same service within your mind; by helping sort through feelings and placing things where they belong.
Therapy for Children
Therapy for kids may involve play. They might draw pictures or use dolls to express how they’re feeling; even though kids might not always be able to articulate how they’re feeling verbally, showing sadness through an object such as a doll may help convey this emotion.
Therapy for Adults
Adult therapy typically entails speaking openly about issues. Clients learn techniques for dealing with stress and anticipating episodes; similar to reading the weather report: If clouds appear overhead you know to grab an umbrella; when feeling overwhelmed or distressed use your coping skills as soon as you detect these emotions in yourself.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of talking therapy which is intended to change how we think. If we believe nobody likes us, that can cause feelings of loneliness; cognitive behavioral therapy helps change this belief into believing my friends accept me even when I make mistakes.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is also very effective. Bipolar disorder affects everyone in a household; when father is upset, his mood ripples throughout. Family therapy allows everyone to come together and understand what’s happening; it teaches everyone how to support one another better and not resort to shouting when difficult situations arise.
Lifestyle Changes That Will Have an Impact
Medicine and therapy are great, but there are other steps you can take daily to aid recovery – lifestyle changes. Things such as eating your veggies and brushing your teeth regularly help keep you healthier overall.
Sleep Is King
Sleep is of utmost importance; without it your brain becomes disgruntled. For people living with bipolar disorder who lack sufficient restful sleep it can trigger manic episodes – like adding fuel to an already burning fire.
Make yourself a habit. Go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. Your brain needs rest! Keep the room dark and quiet; avoid phones or tablets before bed as their light can wake your brain. Read a book or listen to soft music instead; this may help. Also remember the benefits of eating good food as part of this plan.
Nutrition
Food is the fuel that powers your brain. Just like putting junk into a car won’t make it perform better, similarly, eating junk will also harm your brain and its functioning.
What you eat makes a big difference for mood swings. Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of vital nutrients, and whole grains like oatmeal or brown rice will supply you with energy in a more consistent way. Sugar gives you a quick high followed by a low, very quickly; if you have too much of it, you can get mood swings.
Make sure to keep yourself well hydrated; your brain is mostly made up of water and if you are dehydrated, it will just make you even more irritable and tired than before, the answer is drinking more water!
Exercise
Exercise has the potential to significantly improve one’s mood. Running, jumping and dancing are activities that generate happy chemicals in your body and these chemicals help to either release excess energy or lift depression if needed.
Don’t feel obliged to run a marathon! Simply take a walk, ride your bike, dance in the living room to your favorite music, play tag with your dog, anything that gets your heart beating is fine exercise. Invest time daily even if only for twenty minutes as it provides your brain with the much needed break and relaxation time.
Your Routine Is Your Friend
Bipolar disorder can be such a challenge and it is sometimes very hard to predict the symptoms. Therefore, having a stay on the same track, a regular routine, through the day helps a lot in controlling anxiety. Just keep doing the same within your day: waking up, brushing your teeth, having your breakfast, going to school or work, after coming back doing homework/dinner/resting/relaxing and then sleeping. Being secure or safe is a real feeling and one of the reasons people feel this way is knowing what is going to happen next, and when they know that next thing does not surprise them, they stop worrying. Imagine you are going for a trip and you have a map with you. Staying on the well known road will be a stress free and happy journey.
Avoid Harmful Behavior
This should be mainly the concern of adult caregivers, but children will also benefit from knowing some facts: alcohol and drugs are harmful to bipolar disorder; although they might make you feel better at first, their negative side effects very soon outweigh any small relief you get from them; such as disruption of sleep cycles or medications not working properly and even worsening episodes.
Caffeine, which is present in sodas and coffee, can cause you to be more tense and fidgety, also it will prevent you from falling asleep at night. Why not choose water or milk instead for your health?
Stress Management
We are all aware that stress may be an unpleasant trigger; thus, the acquisition of good stress management skills is very necessary. You can’t avoid bad things happening, but you can still have more control over the way you react than ever before.
Deep breathing is a nice friend that can come to your rescue. When angry or scared, breathe in deeply through your nose for a count of five, and then blow out this air through your mouth as if you were blowing out a candle one, two, three, four, five performing this first step of deep breathing will send a calming signal to your brain and help it to be calm after it is already aroused.
Mindfulness is yet another way of handling problems which can be very efficient. It means experiencing only the present moment without a thought of the past or future; just taking in what is around you, for example, looking at a flower and liking its color, scent, or the way petals overlap each other, getting back to the present and reconnecting with yourself and others.
Engaging in your favorite hobbies has its advantages too. Consequently, practicing sports or engaging in artistic activities like drawing, cycling, dancing, painting, … can be really extremely helpful and have positive effects on your mental health as well as give your mind a rest. Besides, it gives you great enjoyment, pleasure. Offering your services or help to your loved ones can also make you feel really great and thus, decreasing your stress level.
Supporting a Friend With Bipolar Disorder
If your friend has bipolar disorder, the best approach is simply being there as their friend and treating them the way you would expect anyone else to treat them.
If they’re feeling sad, be there for them and listen. There’s no need to solve everything themselves; just sit with them. Perhaps bring over some cookies. Or watch a movie together – just being there helps immensely.
If their actions seem chaotic, don’t join their insanity. If they try to jump off the roof, tell them this is not safe and try doing something more calming together.
Be understanding and be patient. Sometimes they might say or do things they do not mean due to illness and do not take it personally; forgive when they apologize. Encourage them to take their medicine and visit the doctor; be their advocate and cheerleader in regards to their health. Bring up this subject at work/school as well.
School and Work Considerations
School can be difficult for children with bipolar disorder. It is noisy and there are lots of rules; it can even be stressful!
Parents should contact their teachers. Communicate what is happening, such as whether their child needs a quiet place to retreat to in case they become overwhelmed, additional time on tests or starting school later if their medication causes sleepiness.
Teachers can be invaluable resources. By knowing the signs, they can inform parents if something changes in a child’s development and play an instrumental part of a team effort.
Adult work can also be stressful, often leading to stress-induced illnesses and health concerns. At times it might be necessary for adults to take time off or change jobs altogether to find something less stressful – finding what works for you is key!
Being Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder Isn’t the End of The World
Bipolar disorder may seem daunting at first, and sometimes can be challenging; but that doesn’t have to be a death sentence; many people with this illness lead fulfilling lives despite it, including some famous faces like actors, singers, writers and presidents – they did great things but so can you!
Bipolar disorder is something to manage, similar to diabetes: you monitor your sugar and take insulin; similarly with bipolar disorder you need to keep an eye on mood fluctuations and take appropriate meds; all in all it becomes part of life but does not define who you are as an individual.
Your identity transcends illness: you are funny, smart, kind and trustworthy – don’t allow one label define you!
Recovery Can Be Ups and Downs
Making progress is rarely linear. Instead, recovery resembles hiking a mountain path – sometimes going up, sometimes down into valleys, sometimes turning back around again.
There will be days when you feel great and think, “Hey I am all better and don’t require medication anymore”. Do not be fooled by these lies – stay on course with what works.
There will be times when depression strikes again and makes you feel helpless and hopeless, but don’t listen. Remember the sun always shines again after each storm has passed.
Be kind to yourself on hard days: stay in bed if necessary, watch cartoons, eat soup, and just get through your day – tomorrow will come along soon enough. On good days, celebrate them by going out into nature or joining one of your support groups; just get through it with dignity!
Support Groups Are Fun
Finding like-minded people is essential. Finding them could be life changing!
Support groups for people living with bipolar disorder provide a space where people can talk openly about their struggles, share tips, laugh and cry freely without judgment – it feels good talking to someone who understands your situation, someone who knows exactly how you’re feeling because they too have been there themselves.
There are groups available for kids, teens, and parents – online or locally – and you should know where to look for them. Your doctor is an invaluable source of guidance when searching for resources.
Maintain a Mood Journal
Although keeping a mood journal may sound daunting, it can actually be quite enjoyable. Simply grab a notebook and every day record how you’re feeling; give a rating between one and ten; one would indicate extreme sadness while ten would signify manic energy – five should be just right!
Write down what happened in a day – were you sleeping soundly, eating healthy meals and fighting with your sister, for example. Over time you will notice patterns. Perhaps every time you eat pizza late at night you feel more grumpy the following day or take an exam you get manic.
This can help you identify triggers and detect episodes early. When your numbers begin creeping closer to an eight or nine, call your doctor immediately so he/she can stop it before it turns into something much worse. Use stickers or drawings for added flair – it is your book after all!
Myth Busting
Let us disprove a few misconceptions. Some may mistakenly believe those living with bipolar disorder as crazy; that is not accurate and doesn’t represent how their brain works differently than ours does.
Some might interpret it as an excuse for bad behavior; this is certainly not the case, however; no one wants to feel this way and controlling it can be hard work – these individuals are doing everything possible to manage it successfully and are doing all that is in their power to manage it effectively.
People may think you can simply snap out of it; but that is simply not possible; broken legs don’t heal on their own and bipolar disorder requires professional assistance to address. You need help!
Some may assume medicine turns you into an automaton; however, if that is indeed your experience it should feel just like another facet of you but more stable; otherwise another medicine needs to be changed and your voice heard! Speak out if this occurs – hope lies ahead for all of us.
Science continues to advance, with doctors exploring more about the brain, new medications being discovered, and hope growing steadily that one day there may be a cure. But until that day arrives we have good tools available for managing it effectively.
Remind yourself you are strong, courageous and brave for taking this on. Give yourself credit – you are doing an incredible job of handling this situation.
Life with bipolar disorder can be an exciting journey full of unpredictable twists and turns, yet can also be fulfilling and fulfilling. People living with this mental condition tend to feel deeply, can be highly creative and passionate individuals and see the world in vibrant colors.
Keep your chin up, take your medications as prescribed and speak to a therapist regularly, sleep soundly and exercise regularly – you are in this together and the storms won’t last forever; just like with weather patterns they will pass and the sun will eventually shine again – feeling warm on your skin again will surely follow suit.
Closing It All Up
There you have it; all of the key information on bipolar disorder. We discussed its happy highs and its sad lows; its appearance among children as well as adults; physicians’ treatments of bipolar disorders, medicine therapies used, therapy sessions offered as well as sleeping, eating and moving issues related to bipolar disorders.
As it’s a lot to take in, don’t worry if you don’t remember everything right away. Most importantly, however, remember that help is available and don’t feel alone while navigating this process.
If you or someone close to you is feeling uncertain or overwhelmed by life, talk to someone. That may include parents, teachers or doctors – being honest is the first step in feeling better and taking one day at a time is all it takes – no matter how challenging life becomes! Just continue making steps forward every day.
Whenever the storm becomes overwhelming, take comfort knowing you have an umbrella: take your medicine; contact your therapist; hug your mom – whatever works to keep you safe, loved, and assured that everything will turn out fine.
Thank you for joining me on the porch today. Now go enjoy that lemonade or maybe just have a drink of water; both will do wonders for your brain health! See ya later alligator.
One Last Thing About Safety
Please hear me out carefully: if your emotions become unbearably dark and you feel like self-harm or suicide is imminent, seeking help quickly should not wait. Speak out immediately, contact an adult, call the helpline, go directly to hospital etc – do not wait.
Your brain is misinforming you. It is telling lies when it says no one cares or values you; but in truth people do care and you matter in this world!
Hold on and reach out for help – someone will grab it. Even in darkness there’s always someone available who can offer guidance – you just have to ask. Stay safe friends. Peace out.