The Many Layers of Bipolarity
Bipolarity, bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized mainly by mood swings. When thinking of an individual who is bipolar, most people would think of someone who experiences a wide variety of moods in a short period of time. A person is bipolar when he/she has a behavior in which variations between moods, irritability, and sadness often occur. These changes can occur in two phases: the manic, where the person will be very happy and with high spirits and the hypomanic, where instead the person is very sad. These stages have some symptoms and characteristics that help better identify when a person is bipolar. In some cases, the two phases may overlap, which is called a mixed state.
The main feature of bipolarity is mood swings. These changes usually occur in phases ranging from manifestations of excessive joy and euphoric mood to periods of severe depression, melancholy, and destructive thoughts. Although common in many other types of conditions, difficulty in concentrating is one of the prominent features among bipolar people. Excessive difficulty concentrating on normal activities, memorizing information or making decisions can be a warning for this type of disorder. Lack of concentration is usually more evident during the stages of hypomania or mania, but it is also common in episodes of depression.
One of the important symptoms to help identify bipolarity is changes in energy level. A bipolar person may have a lot of energy and disposition on one day (during the manic or hypomanic phase) and the other may be too discouraged to do any activity. During the depressive phase, the lack of mental energy can lead to destructive thoughts such as suicide. For this reason, among others, it is very important that the person with this disorder be constantly accompanied by qualified psychiatric professionals.
Loss or increased appetite may also be related to bipolar disorder. In the manic phase, for example, it is common for a bipolar person to eat compulsively. This excess can also be observed in the consumption of alcohol and other drugs. In the depressive phase, the person usually loses the appetite, which also causes excessive weight loss. However, this is not a fixed formula, as these symptoms may present themselves in opposite ways (appetite during depression and lack of appetite in the manic phase).
Sudden changes in sleep are also a symptom of a person with bipolar disorder. In the manic phase, the individual usually suffers insomnia, with a reduction in the hours of sleep due to the feeling of constant agitation and euphoria, for example. In the depressive phase the person has increased sleep and can sleep for more hours than normal. This is due to the feeling of total physical and mental exhaustion that characterizes such episodes of depression.
There is no cure for bipolarity, but some treatments can help stabilize the condition, helping people to have a better quality of life. The main treatment is a combination of medications (antipsychotics and anticonvulsants) and psychotherapy. The use of antidepressants is avoided in most cases, as they may potentiate patient instability, according to psychiatric studies. It is critically important that the person diagnosed with bipolar disorder is constantly monitored by a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist.
References :
https://psycheducation.org/diagnosis/bipolar-diagnosis-spectrum-or-yesno/the-bipolarity-index/
