You usually develop bipolar disorder before you are 20. It can develop in later life, but it rarely develops after the age of 40. You could have symptoms of bipolar disorder for some time before a doctor diagnoses you.
However, a significant number of patients have onset of illness after age 50, commonly referred to as late-onset bipolar disorder. Age of onset can have a significant impact on the nature and course of bipolar illness.
While many bipolar disorder triggers center around stressors, goal attainment and other positive events can also elicit mood episodes, particularly mania or hypomania. Events such as winning an award, getting a promotion, falling in love, or even going on vacation may act as triggers, initiating a dangerous cycle.
The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state. These conditions could cause them to lose control of their emotions and have trouble managing them.
They last at least two weeks but can last much longer, sometimes for months. Like manic or hypomanic episodes, they can severely disrupt your everyday life.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental condition. There's no cure, but you can manage it with medication, talk therapy, and other forms of treatment.
Although symptoms may come and go, bipolar disorder usually requires lifelong treatment and does not go away on its own. Bipolar disorder can be an important factor in suicide, job loss, ability to function, and family discord. However, proper treatment can lead to better functioning and improved quality of life.
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
Answer questions honestly. But don't argue or debate with a person during a manic episode. Avoid intense conversation. Don't take comments or behavior personally.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
Without ongoing treatment, a small mood change may spiral into a manic or depressive episode. Alcohol and drug abuse will increase the severity of Bipolar Disorder, so these problems must also be treated.
"Bipolar disorder can worsen if left undiagnosed and untreated. Episodes may become more frequent or more severe over time without treatment. Also, delays in getting the correct diagnosis and treatment can contribute to personal, social and work-related problems.
Do people with bipolar disorder know what they're doing? Also yes. “Many people think that a person with bipolar disorder doesn't have any control over themselves or that they're unable to take care of themselves or function in society.
“When you're in a hypomanic or manic state, you're also more likely to feel you're in love,” says Haase. “You may then act on that feeling when making major long-term life decisions, not understanding your state had something to do with what you were feeling.”
Shutting down
It is easy to become overwhelmed by the emotional rollercoaster caused by mood swings and other symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. A typical response, particularly immediately following an episode, is to shut down and temporarily avoid or ignore everything outside oneself in order to self-regulate.
In patients with bipolar disorder, admissions for manic and depressive episodes frequently follow a seasonal pattern with the peaks during either autumn or winter, or autumn and spring [3,4].
Looking back at what happened during a mood episode can stir powerful emotions. It's common to feel embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed, even worthless. There's often regret, sharpened by fear that you've alienated people in your life.