14 early symptoms of bipolar disorder that cannot be ignored

What is bipolar disorder?

At first glance, it's okay. Just mood swings. For example, in the morning you want to sing and dance for the joy that you live. In the middle of the day, you suddenly break into colleagues who distract you from something important. Towards evening, a heavy depresnyak rolls over you when it’s impossible even to raise a hand ... Is that familiar?

The line between mood swings and manic-depressive psychosis (as the second name for this disease sounds) is thin. But she is.

The attitude of those who suffer from bipolar disorder constantly jumps between the two poles. From the extreme maximum (“What a thrill to live and do something!”) To the no less extreme minimum (“Everything is bad, we all die. So, maybe there’s nothing to wait, it’s time to put our hands on ourselves ?!”). Highs are called periods of mania. Lows - periods of depression .

Manic-depressive psychosis exhausts, worsens relationships with others, dramatically reduces the quality of life and can ultimately lead to suicide.

Where does bipolar disorder come from?

The mood swings are familiar to many and are not considered out of the ordinary. Therefore, bipolar disorder is quite difficult to diagnose. Nevertheless, scientists are coping with this all the more successfully. In 2005, for example, it was established Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of Twelve-month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) that about 5 million Americans suffer from manic-depressive psychosis in one form or another.

However, despite the large statistical sample, the exact causes of bipolar disorders have not yet been determined. It is only known that:

1. Manic-depressive psychosis can occur at any age. Although most often appears in late adolescence and early adulthood.
2. It can be caused by genetics. If one of your ancestors suffered this disease, there is a risk that it will knock on you.
3. The disorder is associated with an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Mostly serotonin .
4. The trigger sometimes becomes severe stress or trauma.

How to recognize early symptoms of bipolar disorder

To fix unhealthy mood swings, first you need to find out if you are experiencing emotional extremes - mania and depression.

7 key signs of mania

1. You experience a spiritual upsurge and a sense of happiness for long (from several hours or more) periods.
2. You have a reduced need for sleep.
3. You have a quick speech. And so much so that those around you do not always understand, and you do not have time to formulate your thoughts. As a result, chatting in instant messengers or via e-mails is easier for you than talking to people live.
4. You are an impulsive person: act first, then think.
5. You are easily distracted and jump from one thing to another. Because of this, the resulting productivity often suffers.
6. You are confident in your abilities. It seems to you that you are faster and quicker than most others.
7. Often you exhibit risky behavior. For example, you agree to have sex with a stranger, buy something that you can not afford, take part in spontaneous street racing at traffic lights.

7 key signs of depression

1. You often experience protracted (from several hours or more) periods of unmotivated sadness and hopelessness.
2. Lock yourself in. It's hard for you to get out of your own shell. Therefore, you limit contacts even with family and friends.
3. You have lost interest in those things that before you really clung, and did not acquire anything new in return.
4. Your appetite has changed: it has sharply decreased or, on the contrary, you no longer control how much and what exactly you eat.
5. You regularly feel tired and lack of energy. And such periods last quite a long time.
6. You have problems with memory, concentration, and decision making.
7. You sometimes think about suicide. Catch yourself thinking that life has lost your taste.

Manic-depressive psychosis is when you recognize yourself in almost all of the situations described above. At some point in your life, you clearly have signs of mania, and at another, symptoms of depression.

However, sometimes it also happens that the symptoms of mania and depression manifest themselves simultaneously and you cannot understand what phase you are in. This condition is called mixed mood and is also one of the signs of bipolar disorder.

What is bipolar disorder

Depending on which episodes occur more often (manic or depressive) and how pronounced they are, bipolar disorder is divided into several types Types of Bipolar Disorder .

1. The disorder of the first type. It is severe, alternating periods of mania and depression are strong and deep.
2. A disorder of the second type. Mania does not manifest itself too brightly, but it covers depression as globally as in the case of the first type. By the way, Catherine Zeta-Jones was diagnosed with just that. In the case of the actress, the trigger for the development of the disease was throat cancer, which her husband, Michael Douglas, fought for a long time.

Regardless of what type of manic-depressive psychosis is involved, the disease in any case requires treatment. And preferably faster.

What to do if you suspect you have bipolar disorder

Do not ignore your feelings. If you are familiar with 10 or more of the above symptoms, this is an occasion to consult a doctor. Especially if from time to time you catch yourself on suicidal moods.

First go to the therapist. Medic will offer Diagnosis Guide for Bipolar Disorder You should do some research, including a urine test, as well as blood tests for thyroid hormone levels. Often, hormonal problems (in particular, developing diabetes , hypo- and hyperthyroidism) are similar to bipolar disorder. It is important to exclude them. Or treat if they show up.

The next step will be a visit to a psychologist or psychiatrist. You will have to answer questions about your lifestyle, mood changes, relationships with other people, childhood memories, injuries, as well as family history of illnesses and drug incidents.

Based on the information received, a specialist will prescribe treatment. This can be both behavioral therapy and medication.

We end the phrase with the same Catherine Zeta-Jones: “There is no need to endure. Bipolar disorder can be controlled. And it’s not as difficult as it seems. ”