Living Bipolar

Is there a connection between bipolar disorder and time? Changing to and from daylight
saving time affects everyone but with bipolar disorder the change is drastic. It is
not unusual for time changes to trigger an episode in some.
Our waking sleeping cycle is thrown off and we can have an episode.
Our brain is confused until it gets back in sync.


Our bodies do not always adjust to environmental changes. For optimum sleeping habits
it responds best to consistent daily amounts of light and darkness. Sleeping at night while it is dark
and doing most activity when it is light is the ideal. Any disruption to the normal sleeping pattern is likely to result in adverse mood. Changes even in normal individuals are difficult but with bipolar getting too much light may trigger a manic episode while too little may trigger an episode of depression.


Seasonal environmental changes such as rain snow storms can cause havoc with bipolar disorder. This would explain why bipolar and time changes are not a good combination.
Summer sun is a joy for everyone but you must look out for excess for living bipolar.






Stress is our response to challenges that upset our rhythm. Everyone
has delt with stress and obstacles during life that threaten to mental and
emotional balance.
.
These challanges can be from what we are doing in our lives and what we expect we
should do or what others expect we should do. When we cant actually face the
challenge, or think that we can't brings on stress. The way we will encounter stress
and the ways we deal with it can trigger an episode.

Stress sets off a chain of chemical changes in the brain which in bipolars has the
potentially trigger both depression and mania
The ideal is to to strive for a stress free existence.


Bipolar disorder is linked with stress inducing behavior like the anxiety
and irritability when depressed or the excesses, risks and reckless
behavior during mania.


With bipolar symptoms, being aware of the danger signs can allieviate the problem.
If you know the problem and can look at it with the importance of it the effect then it is a lot
easier to prevent the occurrence/

You have to organize your life wherever possible to
ensure your psychological and physiological needs are met.



One of a manic or hypomanic episode with bipolar is excessive money
spending, compulsive shopping and impulsive purchases. The majority of
people have at some stage indulged in these activities. What is considered overspending
might seem perfectly normal to some.
Not all reckless spenders are bipolar but for anyone with bipolar disease it can
become a problem with serious consequences

.
During bipolar episodes there is often a lack of ability to see that your actions
are out of control. This might in part be due to the feelings of grandiosity
inflated, unrealistic ideas of capabilities. Also the diminished ability to
think and reason clearly but knowing why is little help when the debts pile up


For the bipolar individual and those supporting them its best to accept the
potential for unreasonable financial dealings exists and to put in place
a curb on money spending. Limiting access to credit cards is paramount. Any cash
allowance should be spread over the period rather than provided all at once.


Often it's the compulsive need to spend, regardless of the desire or need for the item, that
the act satisfies.
The opportunity to spend is always present and it is a good idea to try and limit the money available
to spend. Money management is a priority with bipolars. Taking precautions not accepting
credit cards keeping small amounts of cash available is another way of living bipolar.

Bipolar disorder usually lasts a lifetime. Episodes of mania and depression typically come back over time. Between episodes, many people with bipolar disorder are free of symptoms, but some people may have lingering symptoms.

Some people may be diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. This is when a person has four or more episodes of major depression, mania, hypomania, or mixed symptoms within a year

Some people experience more than one episode in a week, or even within one day. Rapid cycling seems to be more common in people who have severe bipolar disorder and may be more common in people who have their first episode at a younger age. One study found that people with rapid cycling had their first episode during mid to late teen years, than people without rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Rapid cycling affects more women than men.

Over time, a person may suffer more frequent and more severe episodes than when the illness first appeared. Also, delays in getting the correct diagnosis and treatment make a person more likely to experience personal, social, and work-related problems.6
Proper diagnosis and treatment helps people with bipolar disorder lead healthy and productive lives. In most cases, treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes.

Substance abuse is very common among people with bipolar disorder, Some people with bipolar disorder may try to treat their symptoms with alcohol or drugs. However, substance abuse may trigger or prolong bipolar symptoms.

Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and social phobia, also co-occur often among people with bipolar disorder.Bipolar disorder also co-esist with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which has some symptoms that overlap with bipolar disorder, such as restlessness and being easily distracted.
People with bipolar disorder are also at higher risk for thyroid disease, migraine headaches, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other physical illnesses. These illnesses may cause symptoms of mania or depression. They may also result from treatment for bipolar disorder.

Researchers are learning about the possible causes of bipolar disorder. Most agree that there is no single cause.
Bipolar disorder runs in families, researchers are looking for genes that may increase a person's chance of developing the illness. Genes help control how the body and brain work and grow. Genes are contained inside a person's cells that are passed down from parents to children.

Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are more likely to develop the illness, compared with children who do not have a family history of bipolar disorder.
Genetic research on bipolar disorder type of research is now much quicker and more far-reaching than in the past. So far, researchers using a database found that most people with bipolar disorder had:
Missed work because of their illness. Other illnesses at the same time, especially alcohol and/or substance abuse and panic disorders Been treated or hospitalized for bipolar disorder.
There are certain traits that appeared to run in families, including: History of psychiatric hospitalization. Co-existing obsessive-compulsive. Age at first manic episode andNumber and frequency of manic episodes.
　
But genes are not the only risk factor for bipolar disorder. Studies of identical twins have shown that the twin of a person with bipolar illness does not always develop the disorder. This is important because identical twins share all of the same genes.This shows there may be factors other than genes as a cause.. It is likely that there are many different genes and a person's environment are a factor.
　
The Doctors and researchers greatest concern is that the symptoms will impact daily life, such as family, relationships, or job.
Patients have said they have canceled social engagements or rearranged their appointments because of bipolar depression.
Also people with bipolar disorder comment that bipolar depressive symptoms affected their ability to do housework and errands.
Therapists and Casemanagers question patients to better understand the impact of bipolar depression on people’s lives.

People with bipolar disorder experience extreme mood swings from lows, called bipolar depression, to highs, called bipolar mania.
Many people with bipolar disorder report spending more time in the depressive phase which includes feelings of sadness and emptiness, depressed moods and inability to concentrate than in the manic Many people with bipolar disorder are feeling the effects of bipolar depression in their day-to-day lives.Bipolar disorder is a manageable disease, for most, but there are a number of factors that can get in the way of successful recovery.

Developing an appropriate treatment plan to successfully manage bipolar disorder. Patients need to feel comfortable with sharing their symptoms with their doctor. Describe how you’re feeling to the best of your ability using your own words, write down questions and concerns you have beforehand so you don’t forget them.Feel free to share anything and everything with your doctor, even if it feels personal or unimportant.

With the proper treatment medications and the right doctor bipolars can live a qualitive productive life

Creativity and Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a disorder
that affects a realitive small part of the population. Unlike unipolar
disorder, also known as major affective disorder or depression, bipolar
disorder is characterized by vacillating between periods of elation
and depression.
Bipolar disorder is not an illness that remedies itself over time; people affected with
manic depression are manic-depressives for their entire lives. Researchers have been trying to
diagnose the onset of bipolar disorder in a patient faster and to more
effectively treat it. Studies have been performed on
this disease, the occurrence between extreme creativity and manic
depression have been uncovered.
　
Patients with bipolar disorder swing between major depressive, mixed,
hypomanic, and manic episodes. A major depressive episode is when
the patient has either a depressed mood or a loss of interest/pleasure in
normal activities for a period of at least two weeks. The patient
should have a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every
day; decreased interest or pleasure in activities; weight loss or gain
di insomnia or increased sleep
psychomotor agitation or retardation; fatigue or loss of
energy; diminished ability to think or concentrate; feelings of
worthlessness; recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation or
attempt.

With the major depressive episodes, patients with manic depression also feel
periods of hypomania. A hypomanic episode must be a period of at least
four days, during which the affected person feels elevated or irritated
inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, more
talkative than usual, flight of ideas or racing thoughts, distractibility,
psychomotor agitation or an increase in goal-directed activity, excessive
involvement in pleasurable activities that may have negative consequences
and marked poor judgement. This change in mood is observable by others and medications,
substance abuse, or another medical condition does not cause the symptoms.

The next progression from hypomania is mania, which is a more extreme case of
hypomania. A manic episode is a period of an elevated or irritable mood
for at least one week. The symptoms must cause problems in daily
functioning and cannot be caused by a medical condition or drugs.
Manic symptoms are: inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need
for sleep, more talkative than usual, flight of ideas or racing thoughts,
attention easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant items, increase in
goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation, and excessive involvement
in pleasurable activities which may have negative consequences and psychotic
tendencies with hallucinations may occur.

Also bipolar disorder patients may also go through mixed episodes,
which are periods when the patient has both a manic
episode and a major depressive episode every day for at least one week.
The person may not mind the mania or may be in denial of the disease, and since it only lasts a
few hours, no one else may even notice. By the time people actually
begin to notice the manic-depressive cycle or the mania it has
reached a point where the patient is barely able to function
normally. the difference between mania and hypomania.
　
Researchers are still seeking the cause of manic depression. The most
popular theory is that the disorder is caused by an imbalance of
norepinephrine and serotonin. During manic periods there are unusually
high levels of norepinephrine and serotonin while, during depressed
periods, there are unusually low levels. The biological explanation is
also supported by genetic features. Many twin studies have been
performed which have shown a predominance of bipolar disorder among
identical and fraternal twins with the chance of inheritance in identical twins
Bipolar patients often have a family history of both bipolar and unipolar
disorder. In addition the preferred method of treatment for bipolar disorder
is medication.
　
Treatment for manic depression consists of mood stabilizers, medications
that balance the manic and depressive states experienced by patients with
bipolar disorder. The most common treatment, or the first medication
attempted, is Lithium. Lithium increases the serotonin and norepinephrine
this causes its counterbalancing effects of mania and depression.
However, many patients do not respond to Lithium
Some say that this is due to the drug, while others maintain that
it is due to lack of consistency in taking the drug.
Lithium is not effective for all types of bipolar disorder, so other
medications have been produced to help Lithium resistant individuals.

Anticonvulsants are the second medications to control the
symptoms of bipolar disorder. Valproate and Carbamazepine are
the two used more frequently. Medication seems to be the best treatment for
bipolar disorder. Psychotherapy is also helpful, particularly
a therapy which focuses on readjusting patient's
perceptions of life. However, patients still experience symptoms.


One interesting factor with bipolar disorder is the creativity of those afflicted.
This is not the normal creativity experienced by the
above-average people. This creativity is the
creative genius, which is so rare, yet a large percentage of the
well-known creative people were/are afflicted with manic depression.
Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.
Psychiatrists, realizing a connection that is not just coincidence, have
performed studies all over the world in an attempt to establish a link
between bipolar disorder and creativity.
　

Biographical studies of earlier generations of artists and writers which show that they a
greater rate of suicide as compared to the general population
The results of these studies provide proof that there is a link between
bipolar disorder and creative genius
The studies show that it is not is not whether or not there exists a connection
between the two, but why it exists.

One common feature in mania or hypomania is the increase in unusually
creative thinking and productivity. The thought processes of mania is faster and more fluent than normal
which influences creative thought,. Manic people often
speak and think in rhyme more than non-manic people.
The lifestyles of manic-depressives in their manic phase
is comparable to those of creative people. Both groups function on very
little sleep, restless attitudes, and they both exhibit depth and emotion
beyond normal. Biologically speaking, the brain functioons at a faster rate
and it can respond quickly and intellectually with
a range of changes.
The manic state is speeded upand allows more room for creativity because the person feels capable of anything.
Inhibitions do not exist in manic people, allowing
them to become creative geniuses. They understand a part of art, music,
and literature which normal people can not attempt.

The manic state is in complete opposite to the depressive phase of bipolar patients.

In the depressed phase, patients only see gloom and boundaries. They feel
helpless, and out of this helplessness comes the creativity. The only
way bipolar patients can survive their depressed phases, oftentimes, is to
release their despondency through some creative work.
Since the states of mania and depression are so different,
the two ends up being chaotic. Looking at some works of literature
or music, it can be noticed which phase the creator was in at the time of
composition. . Researchers say that most actual compositions result from this
in-between period because this is the only time when the patient can
physically deliver something worthwhile. Because the phases are so
chaotic, the ideas flow during the manic and depressive states, but the
final, developed products are formed during the normal periods.
The major problem with bipolar disorder is that drug
treatment often decreases or takes away the creativity in the patient. Before
drug therapy was not used, the creativity would be free.
But in order for the bipolar to cope with day to day
living, their creativity must be sacrificed. Doctors and
researchers are constantly searching to provide treatment for the
symptoms. In the case of bipolar disorder, the world benefits
from the mood swings exhibitedby these patients.
Though their ability to function properly in life since the
cycling between manic and depressive phases is so traumatic and energy
depleting, creativity is something to conserve. With more effective drug treatment
hopefully there will be medication that will allo the
creative genius of the patients to survive and allow them to function in society
with a better quality of life.