Avoid antidepressants. The treatment for bipolar depression is different than for regular depression. In fact, antidepressants can actually make bipolar disorder worse or trigger a manic episode. Try
Stick to a routine
Routine is important for all creatures, but it is especially important if you live with bipolar disorder. Sticking to a regular, consistent schedule helps stabilize your moods. It can bring order to a manic phase and can push you to do something even when you are too depressed to do so.
In addition to lowering caffeine, it's important to avoid high-fat meals with some bipolar medications. High-fat meals may delay the time it takes for some bipolar medications to be absorbed into your system. Talk to your doctor about your medications and necessary dietary changes.
“Untreated bipolar disorder can worsen with age, with both the frequency of mood episodes and their duration,” says Thomas Scary, MD, MA, staff psychiatrist, Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia. “This is true even with treatment, but to a lesser extent.”
They recommend that antipsychotics should be stopped during maintenance phase, but some patients may need to continue taking antipsychotics.
Moreover, extensive use of amphetamines or cocaine may also mimic manic symptoms or may be a risk factor for a switch into a manic episode in a primarily bipolar subject.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness with the peak age of onset between 20 and 40 years.
Mangos. It's hard to beat the sweetness — and the nutritional profile — of a mango, making them an excellent food for people with bipolar disorder. According to Hackert, mangos are especially rich in: Folic acid, which may help stabilize mood.
Arguments with your spouse, chilly weather, grief — a number of scenarios may provoke bipolar mania or depression. Certain medications, seasonal changes, and alcohol could trigger bipolar mood episodes, experts say. Here's why. Bipolar disorder is characterized by unusual shifts in mood and energy.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
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.
Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.
Bipolar disorder and major depression
The most common misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder is major depressive disorder (MDD). The symptoms of major depression last for at least two weeks and can include: persistent feelings of sadness or low mood.
Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.
In the UK, bipolar disorder can legally class as a disability–but only under certain conditions. Under the Equality Act (2010), the illness must have 'substantial and long-term effects on the ability to carry out day-to-day activities'. The act states the disability must last for at least 12 months.
Is bipolar disorder a disability? Yes, bipolar disorder is a disability according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Whether you have bipolar I, bipolar II, or cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder), it can qualify if it leaves you unable to work.
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
¹ Characterized by extreme highs and lows in mood, bipolar disorder can disrupt daily life when not treated effectively. Also, because the disorder can increase the risk of substance use, suicide, and other risky behaviors, it's important to diagnose and treat the disorder as early as possible.
Most of the time, doctors will start bipolar disorder treatment by prescribing a mood-stabilizing drug like lithium.