Dysthimic Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a type of brain disorder that can make the most ordinary and normal of moods appear very extreme. Sometimes referred to as manic depression or manic-depressive illness, this disorder is characterized by unusual extremes and highs and lows of mood, activity levels, energy and the ability to do regular everyday tasks such as get out of bed and go to work in the morning.

The causes of bipolar disorder are not completely understood by the medical community. However, doctors have noted that it does tend to run in families and therefore a genetic predisposition to develop it is suspected. It is believed that bipolar disorder is related to certain chemicals in the brain that have gotten out of balance. When this happens, it then makes it more difficult for the brain to do its work. Doctors also believe that bipolar disorder and hormone levels are connected with each other. Studies have shown that a link exists between the development of bipolar disorder and thyroid hormone levels.

Presently there are 5.7 million adults in the United States who are living with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects both males and females and it does not discriminate according to race, ethnic group, geographical location or socioeconomic class. The disorder most often develops when a person is in their late teens to early twenties. In fact, it is theorized that over half of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder develop it before they reach the age of 25. Children can also develop bipolar disorder although it is less common for it to appear at this time in a person’s life. However there have been cases where bipolar disorder has been diagnosed in children who are as young as six years of age.

Bipolar disorder is frequently mistaken for depression. Depression can be sneaky in that it can sometimes obscure other elements that point to a bipolar diagnosis. If substance abuse is added to the picture then it can become even murkier and may remain undiagnosed for a lengthy period of time.

Approximately half of all individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder visited three professional members of the healthcare community before a proper diagnosis was made. In the same way, an estimated 20 percent of those who go to see their doctor because they are depressed actually suffer from bipolar disorder. It is a sorry state of affairs to discover that it takes an average of 10 years for a person with bipolar disorder who is showing the symptoms to begin treatment and therapy, because it often takes this length of time for the diagnosis to be made.

Bipolar depression, also known as manic depressive disorder, is a serious form of depression that can’t be ignored. Manic depressive illness can affect all aspects of a person’s life, from their job to their relationships.

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When you think of depression, you probably think of the term, “clinical depression.” It is more than just a low mood; it’s actually a pretty serious disease. Major depression disorder is the official medical term for clinical depression. (It’s also known as “major depressive disorder.)

The term ‘clinical depression’ is the more popular term used to describe symptoms of MDD. But MDD is so bad that usually people so affected are totally wiped out by it. There are many symptoms of MDD and they include both physical and emotional symptoms. These can include inability to focus, a lack of self-esteem, fluctuations in weight, lethargy, sleeping all day, loss of sex drive, and sadness. Some people even become suicidal.

We often think of some forms of depression such as Seasonal Affective Disorder and postpartum depression as being separate types of depression, when these are actually “sub-categories” of major depression disorder. But for a person to be considered to have major depression disorder – no matter what other sub-types of depression they may have – they must be in a down mood for at least two weeks and have five or more of the typical clinical depression symptoms. When a person has these symptoms, he or she is definitely experiencing clinical depression and should be treated as soon as possible by trained medical personnel.

Treatments for MDD have changed over the years, but one controversial treatment is still used 70 years after its introduction: ECT or ElectroConvulsive Therapy.

There’s always new treatments being explored for treating MDD, with supporters claiming effectiveness and others denouncing their effectiveness. One treatment that has ‘made the grade’ is Light Therapy for sufferers of SAD (a.k.a. “seasonal depression”). For a long time, light therapy was considered to be a far-fetched idea.

But most natural treatments – although more attractive from a side-effect standpoint – are nevertheless not proving themselves as being effective. Certain herbal remedies have been touted as being effective – such as St. John’s Wort – but have proven only mildly effective in some cases.

But some sort of treatment should be selected ASAP, because you don’t want to wait for the patient to commit suicide. What works and what doesn’t can be figured out as you go. If someone you know or love is depressed, the important thing is to get them treatment, whether that treatment is alternative or established depression treatments.

Any possible physical causes for the depression should be examined first. Often the cause is a hard-to-diagnose disease, bad diet, or simply genetic – inherited predisposition to depression.

Then emotional problems should be looked into, and this includes past trauma, bereavement, any suppressed mental struggles and so forth.

Because depression can (and often) has many causes instead of just one, it’s best to find a therapist who can be a good ‘detective’ as well as medical professional. After all, everything from alcohol to lack of sunlight to sexual abuse can be causes. These skills are necessary to discover the right causes for MDD and recommend the correct treatments.

Chuck’s miraculous survival of a suicide attempt when he was just 16 years young inspired him to write a book to help others. To discover more about Major Depression Disorder, go to his site at http://www.dealwithdepression.org

categories: major depressive disorder,clinical depression,symptoms of depression,manic depression,depression

Psychosis occurs when the person experiences hallucinations or delusions. The psychotic symptoms are sensory or cognitive misperceptions that are not based in reality.

Hallucinations can be visual, auditory, olfactory, or tactile, though most people associate hallucinations with visual hallucinations. In addition to seeing things that are not present, hallucinations can involve hearing things, smelling things, and feeling things that are not truly there.

Delusions are thoughts that are not based in reality. The difference between a mere unrealistic thought and a delusion is the degree to which the thought is unconnected to reality. For example, someone may think they want to become a professional football player though they have not played well in high school. Though it may not be realistic, it is probably not a delusion by psychiatric standards. A delusion is more extreme. The person may think they have been chosen by God, are being stalked by the FBI, or have superpowers.

The psychiatric illness that is most often associated with psychosis is schizophrenia. Psychotic symptoms can also occur with bipolar disorder and depression.

The hallucinations and delusion of schizophrenia may be of paranoia or seem random. Paranoid schizophrenia may cause delusions of being watched or having their thoughts read by outside forces.

Psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression are related to the mood disturbance. Psychotic symptoms of depression or depressive episodes can be much more severe than suicidal thoughts.

An example of a hallucination due to a depressive episode is hearing voices telling the person to commit suicide. Depression can cause delusions that the earth is a hellish place from which they must save their loved ones by killing them.

The euphoria and grandiosity of mania can cause psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder. Psychotic symptoms of mania may cause the person to have delusions that they have superpowers, are immortal, or have been chosen by God.

Bipolar disorder and depression do not commonly cause psychotic symptoms. Most people living with these psychiatric conditions will never experience psychotic episodes.

Treatment for psychosis typically includes anti-psychotic medication such as Haldol. If the person is resistant to taking the medication regularly, Haldol injections may be prescribed. Often, a Haldol injection is only needed on a monthly basis.

Once the bipolar disorder is stabilized, the psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder subside. Hallucinations and delusions seem very realistic to the person while having a psychotic episode. During the time that the person is experiencing periods of psychosis, the person may have significant stress and anxiety related to the fear of losing touch with reality.

Episodes of depression and hypomania are common experiences of people with bipolar II disorder. During a hypomanic episode, the person has symptoms of mania that are not severe enough or last long enough to be considered a manic episode.

Another psychiatric condition that causes hypomanic episodes is cyclothymic disorder. In cyclothymic disorder, the person must have numerous hypomanic episodes for at least two years.

Hypomania causes a person to have an elevated or irritable mood that is abnormal for the individual. To be considered a hypomanic episode, the mood disturbance must last at least four days. For a manic episode, the abnormally elevated or irritable mood and other symptoms must last at least a week or be severe enough to require hospitalization.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) by the American Psychiatric Association, the person must have at least three other symptoms of mania during the mood disturbance or four or more symptoms if the mood disturbance is irritibility for it to be considered a hypomanic episode. During an episode of hypomania, the person may develop distractibility and an inflated self-esteem or gradiosity which are two symptoms of mania.

The person may be more talkative than usual or have racing thoughts. The manic symptom of a decreased need for sleep can cause the person to need very little sleep without feeling tired.

An episode of hypomania can cause the person to become preoccupied with goal-oriented behavior. During a hypomanic episode, a considerable amount of time and energy may be spent in pursuit of social, work-related, or personal goals.

Hypomania can cause the person to engage in pleasurable activities without regards to the consequences of their behavior. These activities with which the person becomes excessively involved are often out of character for the person.

The symptoms of a hypomanic episode must cause an observable change in functioning. The change in functioning must not be severe enough to cause an impairment in occupational and social functioning.

If the symptoms persist for at least a week and become severe enough to cause an impairment in occupational or social functioning, the hypomanic episode may be considered a manic episode. In these cases, the person’s diagnosis may change from bipolar II disorder or cyclothymic disorder to bipolar I disorder since the presence of manic episodes is the defining trait of bipolar I disorder.