Bipolar Disorder

There are two types of bipolar disorder, bipolar I and bipolar II. In a general sense, bipolar disorder is a mental state where you experience sudden episodes of extreme swings in your thoughts, behavior and moods. If you have bipolar I, you might experience manic attacks, and at times depression. On the other hand, bipolar II is considerably milder, and is characterized by hypomania.

Most bipolar disorders can be traced back to genetics, though abnormalities and disturbances in your immediate environment, or brain development could also put you at risk of developing bipolar disorder.

Given that bipolar disorder is one of the mood disorders that disrupts your emotional state, it can be quite a confusing experience because you swing through lengthy periods of extreme sadness, happiness, and at times both. This distortion ultimately disrupts your ability to function normally in your daily life, and affects your personal and professional relationships.

The first line of treatment in many cases is usually to administer mood stabilizers, and in severe situations, your caregivers might recommend electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Away from these interventions, psychotherapy has also proven to be quite an effective solution in different settings. It could be offered either in individual capacity, as a family, or even in a group setting, whichever you feel most comfortable with.