Do You Have Bipolar Disorder?
Do you ever feel like you’ve had 20 energy drinks and 4 cups of coffee and have so much energy you cannot sleep or even keep your thoughts clear, without actually drinking any? Does this mood usually last about every day up to 2 weeks? Does this mood disrupt your work, school or even home life? Maybe you’re the opposite and become depressed or saddened without any apparent reason, you have no motivation to do anything resulting in restlessness and irritability. These “episodes” define Bipolar Disorder, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and sometimes the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is categorized as severe mood swings, ranging from mania to depression.
Mania: A person experiencing mania may feel immortal or full of energy. This person would be so excited for no reason, they would have thoughts of grandeur or thinking they are invincible or be so excited they would only be able to sleep for a couple hours or may not even sleep for days. Other times, that person may be irritable that a simple “hello, how are you?” may set them off the edge and arguments result.
Hypomania: A milder form of mania is called hypomania, which people may experience the same symptoms without the negative effect on their everyday life. In many cases the lack of sleep and motivation to do everything at once gets them ahead at work or school.
Depression: A person experiencing depression may feel so saddened they begin crying for no reason or so guilty over things that don’t even concern them. In more severe cases, the lack of energy to do everyday things may isolate them from friends or family, interfere with their job and could even lead to thoughts of suicide. Depression is a much more likely episode to occur than a manic mood, which makes it all the more dangerous.
Mixed: A person experiencing mixed episode will feel depressed or severely saddened while having enough energy to run a triathlon. This episode may affect someone’s appetite or sleeping patterns. The mixed episode is much more uncommon in many bipolar disorder cases.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
The causes of bipolar disorder are not certain. Many experts have come to believe that there are many factors. The first is believed to be a chemical imbalance in the brain which is controlled by neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, a stress hormone, which contributes to bipolar disorder. When these levels are too high, mania is the result. When these levels are abnormally low, depression is the result.
Another key factor in discovering the cause of bipolar disorder is genetics. If a person has a family history of bipolar disorder, they may be at risk. The biggest risk is for the identical twin of a person suffering from bipolar disorder. The risk does not occur because of one gene, but multiple genetic and environmental factors. In other cases, a period of heightened stress (mainly emotional), drug use, and an illness with no association to bipolar disorder may trigger the onset of an episode.
The picture above shows three different brain scans. The top is a “normal” or “typical” brain. There are moderate levels of activity. The second is a hypomanic brain scan, or someone experiencing hypomania. There are endless amounts of activity occurring in all different parts of the brain, which is congruent with the racing thoughts of a manic episode. The bottom is a depressed brain scan, which shows the lowers levels of brain activity.
Not everyone with severe mood swings or severe changes in one’s personality has bipolar disorder. In order to get the right diagnosis, one must seek medical care. Many other psychiatric conditions mimic bipolar disorder such as panic disorders, phobias, drug use, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia.
