Archive for the ‘Bipolar’ Category
What To Do If You Have A Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
Living with a bipolar disorder diagnosis isn’t easy. However, knowing, as they say, is half the battle. Once a diagnosis is established, a person has two main choices right off. They are whether to let the disorder take control of one’s life, or to fight it with every weapon in the modern psychiatric and psychological arsenal.
If fighting for normalcy is the answer, then a bipolar disorder diagnosis can make one aware of what one is fighting. Bipolar disorder can touch every aspect of a person’s life, so someone with a bipolar disorder diagnosis will need to be wary on all fronts.
First of all, if there is a bipolar disorder diagnosis then there must have been some sign of the disease. The more severe this manifestation is, the more likely one is to take notice. It is important, though, to treat the illness as soon as a bipolar disorder diagnosis is obtained.
Early treatment can often help prevent some of the more extreme manic highs and depressive lows of bipolar disorder. The earlier treatment is successfully begun, the less the devastating effects of the disease on the person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis.
Early treatment is helpful. The challenge is to keep someone interested in taking medications or engaging in talk therapy when there has been no crisis to set him or her on this path. Such a person needs to be convinced that their bipolar disorder diagnosis is accurate.
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For others, the first signs of illness are so overwhelming they consider their bipolar disorder diagnosis to be a relief. For them, it is just good to know that there is a name for what is happening to them and that there are treatments.
For these people, it is extremely important to keep taking medications that are prescribed. This is a responsibility one has to oneself when he or she gets a bipolar disorder diagnosis. If the medication seems to be causing problems, it is important to contact the prescribing doctor to discuss the matter. If no satisfaction can be obtained, finding another doctor is even preferable to simply stopping the medications on one’s own.
Those with a bipolar disorder diagnosis usually are given the recommendation to take some form of counseling, or talk therapy. Some may balk at the notion that talking to a therapist can effect their disease. The truth is that these therapies have been shown to have a positive effect on those with bipolar disorder diagnosis.
There are other actions a person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis can take to help lessen their illness. These include the ways a person takes care of him or herself in day to day life. It may seem obvious that a person should eat and sleep in reasonable amounts and times, or do an adequate but reasonable amount of exercise. A person with a bipolar disorder diagnosis will probably find that these common acts do not come naturally. However, with some conscious effort they can begin to see some difference.
A bipolar disorder diagnosis can certainly seem to complicate one’s life. It can lead one to take medications, submit him or herself to talk therapy, and take the time and energy to regulate his or her own personal habits. On the other hand, all these concessions to the disease can help a person to live a much calmer and more fulfilling life than that person would had he or she never gotten their bipolar disorder diagnosis. In other words, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.
There’s no doubt that the topic of Bipolar can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Bipolar, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.
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Causes of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness that manifests itself as mood swings that cycle between manic, depressed, and normal moods. The illness effects over two percent of Americans, and accounts for about thirty percent of psychiatric hospitalizations each year.
The cause of bipolar disorder is not fully understood by psychiatrists and psychologists. However, researchers have been making steady progress toward understanding how the brain functions, and what actually causes bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. It is typically understood that bipolar disorder is caused by a combination of physical, biological, emotional, and environmental factors.
One theory of biological cause for bipolar disorder is the discovery of additional brain cells in some bipolar patients. According to the research, some patients have thirty percent more signal producing brain cells in two areas of the brain that normal people. It is speculated that these signal producing brain cells are those that regulate moods, pleasure responses, and stress responses.
Bipolar disorder has been known to run in families, although not everyone diagnosed with bipolar disorder has a family history of mental illness. This hereditary nature of the illness indicates that genetics may come into play as a cause of bipolar disorder.
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The neurotransmitter system has also been studied in conjunction with bipolar disorder. It is believed that various neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norephinephrine, and dopomaine may have increased or decreased levels, imbalanced levels in relation to other neurotransmitters, or sensitivity in the nerve cells to the neurotransmitters may be linked to the cause of bipolar disorder. This imbalance has been found to be hereditary as well.
It is widely believed by psychologists that the biological causes of bipolar actually do not cause bipolar per se, but make a person more receptive or predetermined toward bipolar disorder. Triggers produced through situations, tragedies, environments, and childhoods must be present in order to put the biological tendencies toward bipolar disorder into motion. These triggers can be anything from a death in the family, childhood abuse, sexual abuse, rape, violent environments, or controlling relationships. The same is true when speaking of the mood cycling related to bipolar disorder. Mood cycling, or the changing between moods of mania and depression, is typically triggered by stress, environment, emotional situations, and tragic circumstances.
Drug and alcohol abuse may also play a part in triggering bipolar disorder. However, it is often difficult for doctors to determine which came first. Those with mood disorders often attempt to control their own moods through drugs and alcohol. However, those with obsessive drug and alcohol abuse can experience symptoms or trigger bipolar disorder.
In the end, it is clear that more research is necessary to determine the exact causes of bipolar disorder. As more information is gathered and discovered in areas of neurology, psychology, psychiatry, and genetics, more will become known about bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. As technology advances, more and more research becomes possible and more answers come to light. When bipolar disorder causes are truly known for a certainty, more viable and successful treatments will then become a possibility.
So now you know a little bit about Bipolar. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.
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Prozac for Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, and Anxiety
The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.
Prozac is a medication often prescribed for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety disorders. The medication is highly effective because it acts as a serotonin inhibitor, which means that it helps balance serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin levels are responsible for mood stability, depressive states, and control of anxiety, fears, or phobias.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that is caused by a combination of biological, neurological, emotional, and situational factors. The true causes of bipolar disorder are not yet fully understood. However, it is understood that imbalances in the neurotransmitters of the brain, such as serotonin, are partially responsible for the predisposition of bipolar disorder in some patients.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the patient eats excessively then purges themselves of the food they have eaten through either vomiting or induced bowel movements. Bulimia is caused by a combination of psychological and emotional factors, and in some cases environmental factors. The emotional factors relating to bulimia are very similar if not identical to factors involved with depression and low self worth issues, which are connected to serotonin levels in the brain.
Anxiety disorders are thought to be caused by erratic fluctuations in brain chemistry. Anxiety is defined as the intense somewhat debilitating feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Everyone feels anxiety at some point, but typically the normal person has a logical reason to feel anxious. With anxiety disorders, the reason for the anxiety may not be known, or it may not be logical if it is known.
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Prozac is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety because it controls and balances the serotonin levels in the brain. In bipolar patients, it is often prescribed in conjunction with other medications. Prozac is an effective treatment for depression, but may cause manic episodes to worsen. For this reason, Prozac is generally prescribed along with an anti-psychotic drug that helps tone down manic episodes. Therapy sessions or counseling is also generally a part of treatment.
In bulimia patients, Prozac is often the only prescription given. However, it is combined with treatment of symptoms via counseling and therapy. The idea behind this counseling is to identify why the patient has developed a sense of self-worth, and to allow the patient to learn that what they perceive is not necessarily reality. This is very helpful in bulimia patients who binge and purge as a result of how they perceive their bodies.
Anxiety patients are often prescribed Prozac with great success. Counseling may also be a part of treatment. In therapy sessions, patients may learn techniques to control their anxiety through rationalization of situations that may not at first appear rational. For example, if a patient feels anxiety over a cigarette burning in an ashtray, they can learn techniques to allow their mind to rationalize the situation and understand that there is no real danger of fire, and therefore no reason for the anxiety. These techniques are very successful in conjunction with Prozac for treating anxiety.
Overall, Prozac is an effective treatment for many mood disorders. Along with Lithium, it is often considered a miracle drug, helping patients gain stability and normal lives while living with an unstable, unrealistic view of themselves or their surroundings.
Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on Bipolar.
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Concerns of Bipolar Disorder Self Injury
In bipolar disorder, there is sometimes concern about bipolar disorder self injury. This can take many shapes, but is always serious.
One form of bipolar disorder self injury that is coming most recently into the public consciousness is self mutilation, or “cutting”. This practice is found in people with other diagnoses, too. Bipolar people are just some of those who self injure.
Cutting, burning or other self harming behaviors are often seen in adolescent girls and others, even in men. Much of this is a part of bipolar disorder self injury.
Although people who self mutilate are often depressed or beyond that, suicidal, these acts are not intended as suicide attempts. They are often desperate acts of those who feel out of control, worthless, or angry. It is no wonder, given the similar symptoms, that this is often a case of bipolar disorder self injury.
Suicide, of course, is the most extreme form of bipolar disorder self injury. Before suicide, there may be suicidal ideations, plans for suicide, and possibly many attempts before suicide is committed, if it ever is. In any case, all threats of bipolar disorder self injury should be taken seriously.
Suicidal thoughts may cloud the thinking of a depressed person to the extent that he or she can think of nothing else. It may seem that the world would be better off without them, or that they can show others that they should have been treated better. At this stage there is concern of bipolar disorder self injury, but the ideas are just at a simmer.
When a person begins to make plans, the danger of bipolar disorder self injury becomes more imminent. A person may make elaborate plans for years. Another person may only think of a plausible way to go about it. The trouble is that either of these people may at any time actually commit suicide. It is never easy to predict the likelihood of bipolar disorder self injury.
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Many times a person’s suicidal tendencies will not be noted unless an attempt is made. While some attempts seem more serious than others, a wise person will treat all attempts seriously. More serious attempts could be those where a note was found, or the outcome was more certain in comparison to other sorts of attempts. Bipolar disorder self injury is always possible in these situations.
Whatever the method of attempt at bipolar disorder self injury, there is seriousness attached to it. After all, people who have attempted suicide in the past are 40 times more likely to commit suicide than those who never have attempted it before.
If a person begins to make final arrangements, or to set his or her affairs in order for no particular reason, suicide may be on his or her mind. It could be as simple as giving away possessions, or as complex as making financial arrangements. If this is suddenly seen in a bipolar individual, it should be determined whether or not that person is in danger of bipolar disorder self injury.
Many thoughts, plans, or attempts actually do end in suicide. 11 percent of deaths in the US are as a result of suicide. More women than men attempt suicide, but 80 percent of the deaths by suicide are by males. More and more adolescents are committing suicide every year. Bipolar disorder self injury, then, is a distinct and growing problem.
It is difficult enough dealing with the affective, social, legal, and physical consequences of the disease. Self harm and suicide make attention to bipolar disorder self injury most necessary.
There’s a lot to understand about Bipolar. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
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Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding Bipolar. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about Bipolar.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness which causes mood swings and mood cycling. Mood cycling refers to the transition between mania and depression. Mania, or manic episodes, typically consist of feelings of elation and invincibility, and cause disorientation, lack of sleep, and obsessive behaviors. Depression typically consists of feelings of overwhelming sadness and low self worth.
There are many treatments available for bipolar disorder, ranging from medications to therapy. There are too many medications to be discussed here in depth. There are also many forms therapy can take, and techniques that can be learned to assist the patient in gaining some control over their bipolar disorder.
Typically, bipolar disorder is treated with more than one medication. This is due to the dual nature of bipolar disorder. Most patients need at least two medications: one to control depression and one to control mania. The combination of these two types of medication works to obtain balance in moods and stop mood cycling. Often, a third medication, called a mood stabilizer, is also prescribed. The most common mood stabilizer is Topomax.
Popular medications for treatment of mania in bipolar patients include lithium, valproate (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and ziprasidone (Geodon). Lithium has long been considered the miracle drug of bipolar disorder. It is a sodium based medication that helps to balance the chemical imbalance in the brain that causes manic episodes in bipolar patients.
Valproate, or Depakote, was originally developed as a seizure medication. However, its effects on bipolar patients who have rapid cycling bipolar (moods that cycle every few hours or days rather than weeks or months), it has been quite effective. Carbamazepine, or Tegretol, is another anti-seizure medication. While it appears to have similar effects on bipolar disorder as Depakote, it has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a bipolar disorder treatment.
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Olanzapine, or Zyprexa, and Ziprasidone, or Geodon, are both anti-psychotic drugs, and are particularly effective for treatment of bipolar disorder in which mania becomes so severe that psychotic symptoms are present.
Medications for treatment of depression are called anti-depressants. Common anti-depressants include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). All of these medications have been proven to be successful treatments for depression, although Celexa and Prozac are the most commonly prescribed.
Typically, treatment of bipolar disorder includes a combination of medications and therapy, or counseling. However, in some cases, medication may not be necessary for milder cases of bipolar disorder. In other cases, medication may not be desired by the patient, and the patient may wish to seek out other alternatives to medication for treatment of their bipolar disorder.
For these patients, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be quite effective. CBT is a method of bipolar disorder treatment that involves teaching the patient techniques to recognize triggers and symptoms of their mood cycling, and use that information and recognition to prevent the triggers from occurring, or the mood cycling from being quite as severe. Most of these techniques require the patient to develop cognitive thinking skills as well as critical thinking and problem solving capabilities. If the bipolar disorder is severe to the point that the patient is unable to engage in these thinking abilities and skills, CBT may not be a viable form of treatment in and of itself.
Overall, there are many treatments available for bipolar disorder. There are many options for the patient that can be discussed with the patient’s doctors. If a patient is not satisfied with the form their treatment is taking, they should discuss it with their doctor, and not be afraid to change doctors in order to change treatment methods. All in all, effective and successful treatment of bipolar disorder rests in the hands of the patient.
That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.
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Medications for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder, is a mental health condition that causes patients to experience mood swings such as periods of depression, mania, hypomania, or mixed episodes. There are many treatment options for bipolar disorder, but most cases of bipolar disorder are treated with a combination of medications and counseling or therapy.
Medications for bipolar disorder are typically categorized as mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressants. Usually, bipolar patients are given two or more of these types of medications in conjunction for therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Amoxapine, also known as Asendin, is an anti-depressant often prescribed for treatment of clinical depression and bipolar depression. Common side effects include dizziness, cotton mouth, drowsiness, headache, nausea, increased appetite, and weight gain. Less common side effects include diarrhea, heartburn, increased sweating, sleeplessness, and vomiting. Aventyl, otherwise known as Palemor, is another anti-depressant medication that has successfully treated bipolar depression. This medication has similar side effects.
The most commonly prescribed anti-depressant medication for bipolar disorder is Zyban, also known as Wellbutrin, or Bupropian. This medication is chemically unrelated to other antidepressants, and the reason it has been so successful as a treatment for bipolar disorder is still unknown.
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Ativan is a common anti-anxiety medication that has had great success in treating symptoms of extreme anxiety in bipolar disorder patients. Side effects of Ativan include imbalance, dizziness, drowsiness, and slurred speech. Less common side effects include blurred vision, abdominal pain, cotton mouth, headache, nausea, trembling or shakiness, and weakness. Klonopin is another popular anti-anxiety medication that has had very impressive results when prescribed to bipolar disorder patients.
Tegretol is a anti-seizure medication that was later approved for use as an anti-psychotic in bipolar disorder patients. Tegretol is commonly prescribed as a mood stabilizer with great success, particularly in Type 1 Bipolar Disorder. Common side effects include shakiness, dizziness, drowsiness, and vomiting. Depakote is another anti-seizure medication found to have mood stabilizing properties in bipolar disorder patients. The side effects are similar to Tegretol, although they can be more severe. In recent years, Tegretol has gained popularity over Depakote as a mood stabilizer.
Verapamil is a calcium blocker used for treatment of mania in bipolar disorder patients. This medication is part of a family of blood pressure medications. Early studies showed that it had mood stabilizing properties. However, interest in the medication as a mood stabilizer has declined as further studies showed little or no improvement in bipolar disorder patients.
There are many other medications that are available for treatment of bipolar disorder, far too many to list here. The important thing to remember is that there are options. If your doctor places you on medication for bipolar disorder that makes you feel in any way worse, either physically or mentally, you should let your doctor know immediately so that alternative medication options can be discussed and tried. Medication treatment for bipolar disorder is largely trial and error at this stage, and this will continue to be so until more is known about the biological causes of bipolar disorder. However, medication combined with therapy will allow you to successfully overcome your bipolar disorder.
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Celexa and Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that manifests itself as mood swings or mood cycling between depressed, manic, or normal moods. There are two types of bipolar disorder. The first type, sometimes called raging bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant mild mania, with periods of sever mania alternating with depression. Mixed episodes where the patient displays both manic and depressive symptoms at the same time can also occur with this type of bipolar disorder.
The second type, sometimes called rapid cycling bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant depression, with alternating periods of mania and severe depression that can often last a few hours or a few days before cycling to the next episode.
Depression symptoms include oversleeping, extreme sadness, feelings of worthlessness or despair, irritability, anger, and withdrawl. Manic symptoms include sleeplessness, increased energy levels, distractibility, racing thoughts, obsessive behaviors, and extreme happiness.
There are many treatment options for bipolar disorder. Most patients with bipolar disorder require a combination of medication and therapy or counseling for successful treatment of symptoms. However, minor cases of bipolar disorder may not require medication, but may require instead cognitive behavioral therapy. There are some cases, such as in patients with a history of drug abuse, where medication may be recommended but is not a viable treatment option. These cases typically also use cognitive behavioral therapy to assist patients in coping with their illness.
Celexa is an anti-depressant, commonly used with bipolar patients. Celexa, or citalopram, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. This family of medications has the effect of balancing serotonin levels in the brain, which are thought to be responsible for mood stabilization.
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Celexa is most successful as a treatment for unipolar depression and bipolar disorder type two patients. This is because it is an anti-depressant. Serotonin, the chemical in the brain that balances moods and particularly controls strong emotions, often presents imbalances in the form of depression. Celexa corrects these imbalances, giving the patient relief from depression.
Celexa is most successful as a treatment for bipolar disorder type one patients when used in combination with a mood stabilizer. As an anti-depressant, Celexa alone causes bipolar disorder type one patients to swing into a manic episode. Used in combination with a mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic, however, can allow for a balance of moods to take place, ending rapid or raging mood cycling.
Celexa has several possible minor side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common side effects include drowsiness, cotton mouth, nausea, and trouble sleeping. Less common side effects include abdominal pain, anxiety, gas, headache, heartburn, increased sweating, pain in muscles or joints, increases or decreases in weight, weakness, and vomiting. If these side effects persist or become unbearable, you should contact your doctor.
Celexa can also have several possible major side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common major side effects include a decrease in sexual desire or ability. Less common major side effects include agitation, confusion, blurred vision, fever, increase in urinal frequency, lack of emotion, decreased memory, skin rashes, and trouble breathing. If you experience any of these side effects you should contact your doctor immediately.
Friends, family and patients with bipolar disorder should keep in mind that even when using anti-depressants such as Celexa, suicide, suicide threats, and suicide attempts can still occur. Always be aware of the signs that can lead to suicide so that medical treatment can be found before an attempt is made.
Bipolar disorder should, in all cases, be treated with a combination of Celexa, or other medications, in conjunction with therapy or counseling. Bipolar disorder patients are encouraged to take active part in their treatment plans. Additionally bipolar patients should not attempt to self medicate or treat symptoms with medication alone. If you show symptoms of bipolar disorder, you should contact your doctor about Celexa and other treatment options.
That’s the latest from the Bipolar authorities. Once you’re familiar with these ideas, you’ll be ready to move to the next level.
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Bipolar Disorder in Children
Bipolar disorder is a being diagnosed in children as young as six years old in recent years. Some doctors think this is a good assessment of many children while others think the diagnosis is overdone. While it may be just an intellectual controversy to some, others who know a child who may have bipolar disorder will not be amused. It is important therefore to take into account all the facets of the disorder.
It is a tricky diagnosis to say the least. Bipolar disorder in children often appears similar to ADHD, or as simply rambunctious childhood behavior. Young children may cycle fast, meaning that they go from a depressed state to a manic state and back, etc. very quickly, often within weeks or even days.
Suicide attempts often happen on the spur of the moment, with little or no warning. This is different than in most adults where the depression is often long-lasting and suicide attempts may be well thought-out. For this reason it is imperative that children with the disorder be treated successfully.
Bipolar disorder in children often presents in mania. In the younger children this is often likely to come with hallucinations, both auditory and visual. It may seem that these would be difficult to distinguish from a healthy imagination. Sometimes, in fact, it is. Many times, though, the visions and voices are more disturbing and threatening than a healthy child would imagine.
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Teens with bipolar disorder are, for the most part, similar in their symptoms to adults. A major complicating factor with teens is the use of drugs and alcohol. As with adults, this practice of trying to use street drugs and alcohol to control mood swings, is called “self-medicating.” It is a dangerous business and often masks the symptoms of the disorder. Bipolar disorder in children should always be considered when drugs are being used by them, if only to rule it out.
Bipolar disorder in children who are older, such as teenagers, is still different from the adult disorder in that the person with the disorder is still a minor. This leads to situations where the older child has an adversarial relationship with authorities and is therefore hard to convince that treatment is a good thing.
There are some ways to cut down on the confusion. Speaking with the child’s teachers gives an outside opinion of how the child is doing day-to-day. Also, this shows how the child fares in a different setting from the home environment. Bipolar disorder in children, if it is masquerading as some other form of disorder or behavior, is more likely to be found out if more people are alert to its symptoms.
Getting a second opinion is also very important, since so many doctors disagree on bipolar disorder in children. Once the second opinion is obtained, the family can make a more informed decision as to what the problem is and how to proceed. Doctors may not all agree on bipolar disorder in children, but a second opinion should help to clarify the situation. The parent or guardian can listen carefully and determine if the doctor’s explanation sounds accurate. Then, ultimately, it is the parents’ job to make the call. Misdiagnosis and wrong treatment would be unthinkable, but if bipolar disorder in children is the correct diagnosis, it is surely better to accept it.
Now you can be a confident expert on Bipolar. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Bipolar.
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Celexa and Bipolar Disorder
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Bipolar to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Bipolar experts.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that manifests itself as mood swings or mood cycling between depressed, manic, or normal moods. There are two types of bipolar disorder. The first type, sometimes called raging bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant mild mania, with periods of sever mania alternating with depression. Mixed episodes where the patient displays both manic and depressive symptoms at the same time can also occur with this type of bipolar disorder.
The second type, sometimes called rapid cycling bipolar, manifests itself as almost constant depression, with alternating periods of mania and severe depression that can often last a few hours or a few days before cycling to the next episode.
Depression symptoms include oversleeping, extreme sadness, feelings of worthlessness or despair, irritability, anger, and withdrawl. Manic symptoms include sleeplessness, increased energy levels, distractibility, racing thoughts, obsessive behaviors, and extreme happiness.
There are many treatment options for bipolar disorder. Most patients with bipolar disorder require a combination of medication and therapy or counseling for successful treatment of symptoms. However, minor cases of bipolar disorder may not require medication, but may require instead cognitive behavioral therapy. There are some cases, such as in patients with a history of drug abuse, where medication may be recommended but is not a viable treatment option. These cases typically also use cognitive behavioral therapy to assist patients in coping with their illness.
Celexa is an anti-depressant, commonly used with bipolar patients. Celexa, or citalopram, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. This family of medications has the effect of balancing serotonin levels in the brain, which are thought to be responsible for mood stabilization.
Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.
Celexa is most successful as a treatment for unipolar depression and bipolar disorder type two patients. This is because it is an anti-depressant. Serotonin, the chemical in the brain that balances moods and particularly controls strong emotions, often presents imbalances in the form of depression. Celexa corrects these imbalances, giving the patient relief from depression.
Celexa is most successful as a treatment for bipolar disorder type one patients when used in combination with a mood stabilizer. As an anti-depressant, Celexa alone causes bipolar disorder type one patients to swing into a manic episode. Used in combination with a mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic, however, can allow for a balance of moods to take place, ending rapid or raging mood cycling.
Celexa has several possible minor side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common side effects include drowsiness, cotton mouth, nausea, and trouble sleeping. Less common side effects include abdominal pain, anxiety, gas, headache, heartburn, increased sweating, pain in muscles or joints, increases or decreases in weight, weakness, and vomiting. If these side effects persist or become unbearable, you should contact your doctor.
Celexa can also have several possible major side effects when used for treatment of bipolar disorder. Common major side effects include a decrease in sexual desire or ability. Less common major side effects include agitation, confusion, blurred vision, fever, increase in urinal frequency, lack of emotion, decreased memory, skin rashes, and trouble breathing. If you experience any of these side effects you should contact your doctor immediately.
Friends, family and patients with bipolar disorder should keep in mind that even when using anti-depressants such as Celexa, suicide, suicide threats, and suicide attempts can still occur. Always be aware of the signs that can lead to suicide so that medical treatment can be found before an attempt is made.
Bipolar disorder should, in all cases, be treated with a combination of Celexa, or other medications, in conjunction with therapy or counseling. Bipolar disorder patients are encouraged to take active part in their treatment plans. Additionally bipolar patients should not attempt to self medicate or treat symptoms with medication alone. If you show symptoms of bipolar disorder, you should contact your doctor about Celexa and other treatment options.
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Prozac for Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, and Anxiety
Prozac is a medication often prescribed for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety disorders. The medication is highly effective because it acts as a serotonin inhibitor, which means that it helps balance serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin levels are responsible for mood stability, depressive states, and control of anxiety, fears, or phobias.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that is caused by a combination of biological, neurological, emotional, and situational factors. The true causes of bipolar disorder are not yet fully understood. However, it is understood that imbalances in the neurotransmitters of the brain, such as serotonin, are partially responsible for the predisposition of bipolar disorder in some patients.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the patient eats excessively then purges themselves of the food they have eaten through either vomiting or induced bowel movements. Bulimia is caused by a combination of psychological and emotional factors, and in some cases environmental factors. The emotional factors relating to bulimia are very similar if not identical to factors involved with depression and low self worth issues, which are connected to serotonin levels in the brain.
Anxiety disorders are thought to be caused by erratic fluctuations in brain chemistry. Anxiety is defined as the intense somewhat debilitating feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Everyone feels anxiety at some point, but typically the normal person has a logical reason to feel anxious. With anxiety disorders, the reason for the anxiety may not be known, or it may not be logical if it is known.
Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Bipolar than you may have first thought.
Prozac is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety because it controls and balances the serotonin levels in the brain. In bipolar patients, it is often prescribed in conjunction with other medications. Prozac is an effective treatment for depression, but may cause manic episodes to worsen. For this reason, Prozac is generally prescribed along with an anti-psychotic drug that helps tone down manic episodes. Therapy sessions or counseling is also generally a part of treatment.
In bulimia patients, Prozac is often the only prescription given. However, it is combined with treatment of symptoms via counseling and therapy. The idea behind this counseling is to identify why the patient has developed a sense of self-worth, and to allow the patient to learn that what they perceive is not necessarily reality. This is very helpful in bulimia patients who binge and purge as a result of how they perceive their bodies.
Anxiety patients are often prescribed Prozac with great success. Counseling may also be a part of treatment. In therapy sessions, patients may learn techniques to control their anxiety through rationalization of situations that may not at first appear rational. For example, if a patient feels anxiety over a cigarette burning in an ashtray, they can learn techniques to allow their mind to rationalize the situation and understand that there is no real danger of fire, and therefore no reason for the anxiety. These techniques are very successful in conjunction with Prozac for treating anxiety.
Overall, Prozac is an effective treatment for many mood disorders. Along with Lithium, it is often considered a miracle drug, helping patients gain stability and normal lives while living with an unstable, unrealistic view of themselves or their surroundings.
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