What to Expect With Bipolar Disorder

You have just been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. It can be devastating to you and your loved ones. It can be treated with medicine and a great knowledge of the disorder. You can say that it is a mood disorder. It is also known as manic depressive disorder. This disorder runs in the families.

Symptoms may include feelings of hopelessness, wanting to sleep all the time, irritability, inability to concentrate, suicide. You might even lose your job because of these.

There are three types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I; you are more manic than depressed. Bipolar II; you are more depressed than manic. And bipolar III; you can be both manic and depressed. Once your psychiatrist determines which one you have, you can start your treatment plan.

Some of the treatment plans could be counseling, group therapy, medication therapy and hospitalization. Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in your brain. To keep yourself stable you need to continue taking your medications for the rest of your life. Most bipolar patients stop taking their medications once they start to feel better. Don't do that. You must take your meds for the rest of your life.

You will start to feel better once the medication takes hold, but don't stop taking them. This will lead to relapses hospitalization or suicide. Teens that have bipolar disorder seem to want to commit suicide (if not treated) than grown adults.

Medications vary for bipolar disorder. It can be Lithium, the oldest and well known medication. It is known as a mood stabilizer. Another one is Topamax. It is an anticonvulsant drug. It is new and will help control the ups and downs of bipolar. There are many out there. Talk to your psychiatrist; work out the plan that best suits you.

This is going to be a life style change for you and your loved ones. First and foremost stop drinking and taking illegal drugs if you do. This will only cause negative consequences and can make this disorder worse. Surround yourself with upbeat, positive people. They will help you and will not lead you into bad things.

Exercise, exercise. The more the better. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals (endorphins) and that makes you feel good. Watch your diet, eat good, healthy foods. Get plenty of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. He might recommend something to help you sleep.

You may want to try alternative medicine, though you must talk to your doctor first. The medical field is not sure if these work or not. We all have heard of St. John's Wort. This helps with depression, but can also cause more severe mania in some people. Yoga may help you in depression and mood swings. Maybe get a massage, it loosens up those muscles and can make you feel a lot better. It will release a lot of your stress. The list goes on and on. Again, check with your doctor before doing anything out of the norm.

On a final note, be truthful with your doctor. Tell him everything, leaving nothing out. The only way he can help you is to know what's wrong with you. Tell them what medications you are on, do you smoke or drink.