Bipolar Disorder

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Bipolar Disorder

• Tony Katkus

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Outline

• What Is Bipolar Disorder?
• Symptoms
• Causes
• Highs Lows
• Treatment
• Facts
• Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder

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What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder
characterized by unpredictable mood swings.
People with the disorder usually shift back and
forth with high (manic) moods and low
(depressive) moods. They do have normal moods
for amounts of time in-between though. The
extremes of mood swings and lengths of
transitions in moods varies in different people.
There may also be a genetic (hereditary) basis
for the disorder.
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Causes
The neurotransmitter system is the part of the
brain that is abnormal in people with Bipolar.
Neurotransmitters and mood disorders such as
bipolar have been linked because of relief from
drugs which alter these transmitters. A low or
high level of neurotransmitters such as
serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine is the
cause of Bipolar. An imbalance of these
substances is also problematic. A change in the
sensitivity of the receptors on nerve cells may
also be part of the cause. Further research is
still needed to find an exact cause.
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Symptoms
Bipolar is characterized by crazy, cyclical mood
swings, which usually begin in a person's late
teens or twenties and strike men and women
equally as often. When symptoms are milder they
include depression alternating with
hyperactivity, while the more severe symptoms
produce frenzied, even psychotic episodes that
may send the patient to the hospital, followed by
deep depressions.
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Facts

• Bipolar Disorder affects as much as 1.5 of the
  population.
• It affects at least 2 million Americans at any
  given time.
• It most commonly shows symptoms in people that
  are 20 to 40.
• Bipolar Disorder is found in men and women
  equally.
• The Thalamus and brain stem are the two parts of
  the brain most associated with Bipolar Disorder.

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Highs Lows

• Manic Episodes (mania)
• Racing Thoughts
• Increased Energy
• Delusions
• Restlessness
• Poor Judgment
• Rapid Speech

• Depressive Episodes (depression)
• Feelings of
• Hopelessness
• Emptiness
• Worthlessness
• Guilt
• Thoughts of
• Death
• Suicide
• Difficulty Making Decisions

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Drug Treatment

• Current treatment uses a mix of mood-stabilizing,
  anti-psychotic and antidepressant drugs, but it
  is often difficult to strike the right
  combination.

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Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is another type of treatment. It
involves talking to a psychiatrist about your
problems. This can help people with Bipolar stay
in a normal mood.
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Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder