Left untreated, bipolar disorder can result in serious problems that affect every area of your life, such as: Problems related to drug and alcohol use. Suicide or suicide attempts. Legal or financial problems.
"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.
Research shows bipolar disorder may damage the brain over time. Experts think it's because you slowly lose amino acids. They help build the proteins that make up the insulation around your neurons.
Although bipolar disorder does not directly affect the bones and muscles, depressive episodes can have an impact on your skeletal and muscular systems. Depression can cause unexpected aches and pains, making it difficult to carry out daily activities. Due to your discomfort, you may find it difficult to exercise.
Such overlaps occur in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, sometimes making it difficult to differentiate between the two. However, these conditions are distinct from one another, and they do not always co-occur. While bipolar disorder cannot develop into schizophrenia, it's possible to experience symptoms of both.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse. the death of a close family member or loved one.
Delusions can be a symptom of both manic and depressive episodes in people with bipolar disorder. These false beliefs can be very distressing to anyone who experiences them. If you're concerned about delusions in yourself or a loved one, seek help from your primary care provider, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist.
Bipolar disorder primarily affects the brain, which is part of your central nervous system. Composed of both the brain and the spine, your central nervous system is made up of a series of nerves that are in control of different body activities. Bipolar disorder can also make it difficult to concentrate.
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania) to lows (depression).
MRIs and CT scans can provide detailed images of the brain and its structures. But currently, doctors don't use them to diagnose bipolar disorder. Detecting bipolar disorder is typically done through a diagnostic interview with a mental health professional.
Bipolar disorder can take a toll on your mental health and your physical health. Physical illnesses associated with bipolar disorder are common and considered major contributors to reduced life expectancy. According to a 2021 study , bipolar disorder is associated with higher rates of: suicide.
What's more, many people with bipolar disorder report memory loss and or difficulty remembering things. These individuals may have trouble with short and long-term memory, struggle to think things through at a quick speed, and have difficulty thinking outside of the so-called box.
If You Have Bipolar Disorder and Don't Take Medication
You may experience more severe symptoms: If you don't take medication for bipolar disorder, you may experience more severe symptoms. This can lead to a greater risk of hospitalization or suicide.
Although there is no official classification for end stage bipolar disorder, mild structural changes in the brain that lead to cognitive dysfunction can severely reduce someone's quality of life, especially toward the end of life.
“Around half of people with bipolar disorder don't take their medication which can lead to a relapse of symptoms. And this can have a knock-on impact with problems at work, strained relationships with family and friends, hospitalisation, and an increased risk of suicide.
Bipolar disorder can trigger psychotic symptoms, which may include hallucinations or delusions during mania, depression, or both. Psychosis can be distressing, but it can also be managed, treated, and even prevented with the right medications and therapy with experienced mental health professionals.
Overview. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.
Bipolar I disorder is the most severe form of the illness. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by predominantly depressive episodes accompanied by occasional hypomanic episodes. Hypomanic episodes are milder than manic episodes but can still impair functioning.
Serious mental illness includes schizophrenia; the subset of major depression called “severe, major depression”; the subset of bipolar disorder classified as “severe” and a few other disorders. Therefore total “severe” mental illness in adults by diagnosis: 5.3% of the population without accounting for overlap.
What are skin disorders in bipolar disorder? People with bipolar disorder often show increased rates of co-occurring conditions, including skin disorders. Skin disorders include psoriasis, which is a long-term autoimmune condition that accelerates the life cycle of skin cells.
Childhood trauma
Some experts believe that experiencing a lot of emotional distress as a child can cause bipolar disorder to develop. This could be because childhood trauma and distress can have a big effect on your ability to manage your emotions. This can include experiences like: Neglect.
Both the ADA and SSA consider bipolar disorder a disability. That qualifies you to get extra protection and benefits under the law. To start the process, talk with your doctor. You will need documents to prove to the government that bipolar disorder affects your ability to work.
Paranoia — a belief that people are following you or talking about you — is a symptom of psychosis in bipolar disorder that can be managed medically and with other strategies.
More than half of patients with bipolar disorder develop psychotic symptoms during their lifetime. Moreover, paranoid delusions may arise during a manic or depressive episode in those with bipolar disorder. Delusions of grandiosity are the most common delusions experienced during episodes of mania.