6 Essential Facts You Should Know About Bipolar Disorder

Mental health authorities estimate that more than 2 million adults have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also called manic-depression), a chemical imbalance in the brain causing extreme mood swings from manic highs to agonizing lows. Although a diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be frightening and confusing, it is a treatable and manageable condition.

If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with bipolar illness, the first step in relieving fear and uncertainty is education. The more you know about the disorder, the less control it will exert over you and others who may be affected.

The National Institute of Mental Health (www.nimh.nih.gov http://www.nimh.nih.gov>), The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (www.nami.org http://www.nami.org>), and The National Mental Health Association (www.nmha.org http://www.nmha.org>) are just a few of the recognized national organizations providing information, facts and support to anyone who may be directly or indirectly affected by bipolar disorder.

Below are some essential facts about bipolar disorder provided by these organizations that may alleviate some of your concerns and questions surrounding a recent diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder affects many people: According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million adults, or 1.2 percent of the population, in any given year.

Bipolar disorder has many potential causes: There does not appear to be one cause for bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests that many components may come into play, all of which affect the chemical balance of certain parts of the brain. Several studies on the occurrence of bipolar disorder in families demonstrate a genetic disposition toward the illness. Other factors may include extremely traumatic life events, chronic illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse.

Bipolar disorder has varied symptoms: The most pronounced symptoms of bipolar disorder are dramatic mood swings consisting of extremely "high" manic episodes to debilitating episodes of depression and then back again with relatively normal moods in between. Behaviors during a manic episode include heightened feelings of euphoria, extreme energy, decreased need for sleep, extreme irritability and distractibility, and increased aggression. Depressive episodes bring about excessive feelings of despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, and sometimes thoughts of suicide.

Bipolar disorder affects both sexes in children to adults: Manic depression is not selective in who it touches. Women and men are equally affected, as are children and adolescents (although a diagnosis in children and teens is more difficult to determine). A majority of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder have a least one family member with the illness. And children of parents with the illness are more likely to develop it themselves.

Bipolar disorder has effective treatment modalities: Bipolar disorder is treated with medications, called mood stabilizers, to assist in controlling fluctuation in moods. The important thing to understand about bipolar disorder is that it is a life-long, recurring illness requiring ongoing care. In addition to medication, psychotherapy is also prescribed in the management of the illness. Psychotherapy assists people to understand their illness and to develop coping skills to help deal with life events and stressors that may trigger manic and depressive episodes.

Bipolar disorder has no cure: As of today, there is no known cure for bipolar disorder; however, it is a treatable and manageable illness. With a close relationship with a mental health professional, a proper diagnosis, and vigilant adherence to taking medications and sticking to prescribed treatment plans, most individuals with bipolar illness lead very productive and rewarding lives.

These are just a few of the facts pertaining to bipolar disorder. It is not a simple illness, yet it is manageable and treatable. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, do not hesitate to seek information and help. Any one of the above-mentioned organizations can offer you education, guidance, and support. Obtaining knowledge is one of your first steps in alleviating the uncertainty and anxiety of dealing with such a diagnosis.

Coping With A Depressed Partner

Coping with a depressed partner can be difficult. According to the dictionary, depression, is a state of extreme dejection or morbidly excessive melancholy. Depression is a mood of hopelessness and a feeling of inadequacy, often with physical symptoms.

When you find yourself in a relationship where your partner or lover is showing signs of depression, the secret would be to try to establish the reason for this state of depression. This will assist you in coping with the situation and perhaps finding a solution. Sometimes depression can be mistaken for selfishness or mere frustration.

With A Strong Relationship, Depression Can Be overcome.

One of the most difficult cases of depression, when dealing with your lover, is if they are showing signs of " relationship depression" resulting from a broken relationship.

It is hard to watch them deal with this dark period of life. Many relationships end because of it, since there doesn't seem at first sight, to be an end to it, and the pressure begins to build on both parties.

Depression makes people think irrationally and causes them to be blind to the good things in life, like yourself. They will make you feel, that all the effort you put into the relationship, to try to make them feel better, is a waste of time. It isn't, though.

It may not appear so, but that you are there to support them means more to them than one realizes.They sometimes say terrible things, and they would not blame you for leaving, and will sometimes, due to their behaviour, attempt to make the decision easier for you. They do not want you to really leave, but want you to be with them, to help if you can.

It is important, if you want to help them cope with their depression, to educate yourself about this "Mental Disorder " so that you can understand it better.You will need to do plenty of research to find out the most common causes.There are many reasons that could have triggered the feeling of depression.The problem is that if you don't get a handle on it, it can begin to snowball, and affect your relationship, no matter how strong it is.

Depression can be contagious, so it is important to take care so that you too, do not fall into depression mode.If you do start to feel the symptoms, then you should be quick in seeking help from psychologists or counsellors. Once both of you start falling into depression it may become even more difficult to work towards a recovery.

When you feel that you cannot get on top of it, and that you are worn out, then it's time to take a step backwards, and try to take a look at the situation, from a third parties point if view.

Usually, a past relationship and depression, go hand in hand, and the trouble with this is that, when one relationship has failed, it is easy to feel that future relationships are also doomed to failure. This will no doubt put a strain on current relationships and if this is the case, professional advice should be sought.

Remember that you should not give up, and believe that the effort that you are making will reap benefits in the long run.It is important that your partner knows that they can depend on your support.

In conclusion and just to recap, be sure to diagnose the symptoms correctly, and once, you are sure that your partner is suffering from depression, go and find help, either from a marriage councillor or a psychologist.

If your relationship is strong, and you persevere, the two of you will overcome the problem.

Is Your Partner Suffering With Depression? How to Recognize the Signs and Ways to Help

Depression, in a marriage, is a major source of divorce, often called the 'silent killer', because the signs and symptoms closely mimic unhappiness, anger and resentment. Withdrawing from a partner, no communication and a simple lack of all responses can easily be interpreted as the actions of someone who no longer loves you. These actions often leave the other partner feeling hurt and wondering if they are the cause of this behavior - this is actually far from the truth. The problem is also made worse by the fact that very few of us are actually equipped to deal with this illness.

If your partner is suffering with depression, you are not alone - in the United States it is estimated that 17million people are affected yearly making it the most common medical problem diagnosed by Doctors.

Depression is an awful disease for the patient and is very emotionally draining for their family and loved ones. If you don't understand the illness, it is very easy to become frustrated and angry with the person suffering from depression but it is vitally important to remember that depression is caused by changes that occur in the brain's chemistry that the depressed person has no control over.

What are the symptoms of depression? These are the most common signs and can range from mild to severe, and can last for a few hours to a few years:

• Always tired - no motivation

• Persistent sad, anxious, or 'empty' moods

• Sleeping too much or sleeping far less than normal - awakening during the night or very early in the morning

• Reduced appetite and weight loss. The opposite might also apply - increased appetite

• Thoughts of death or suicide

• Other persistent medical problems that don't respond to treatment

• Low self-esteem

• Irritability

• Often very negative in their thoughts and actions

Depression is normally triggered by a small concern that starts to 'nag' at the sufferer, they then start to worry incessantly about the concern and then it just gets bigger and bigger until it spirals out of control into full blown depression. Nothing you do can stop it!

There are however, some keys to overcoming depression and keeping your marriage strong. As is true with all illnesses, prevention is the best medicine so here are some strategies for preventing and defeating depression:

• Educate yourself and your partner about depression - having an awareness and understanding of the signs/symptoms can greatly reduce any negative consequences

• Seek professional help as early as possible. It is extremely important that the 'patient' develops a rapport with their psychiatrist as with the help of this doctor, and anti-depressants they will recover

• Confide in your family, a close friend or even your pastor as it is important for you to also have someone to speak to when the going gets tough.

• Address any problems in your marriage or personal life as soon as they arise - do not allow them to 'fester' and thereby promote another bout of depression in your partner.

• Ensure your partner gets plenty of exercise. Regular exercise releases endorphins into the bloodstream - they are mood enhancers.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you that there is no shame in suffering with depression, remember there are 17 million other people in the US also suffering from the same disease. What is important is for you to seek help and treatment as early as possible. Please also bear in mind the vows you took when you got married "...for better or worse, through good health and sickness..." Marriage means two people stay committed, through good and bad!

Signs and Symptoms of Candida Yeast Infection and Candida Die Off Symptoms

Are you suffering from seemingly unexplainable and unpleasant symptoms like chronic tiredness, Poor memory, Brain fog, Irritability, Anger, Dizziness, Depression, Crying spells, Panic attacks, Low libido, Persistent extreme fatigue, Hyperactivity, Cravings for sweets and alcohol, Insomnia, Poor coordination and digestive issues? You may be experiencing the symptoms of a Candida Infection
Candida Symptoms;

• Frequent stomach pains and digestion problems
• Skin problems (skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, acne)
• Foggy brain / Trouble concentrating
• Constant tiredness and exhaustion
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Anger outbursts
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Intense cravings for sugars, sweets, and breads
• Itchy skin
• Extreme Fatigue
• Low Libido
• Hypertension/High Blood Pressure
• Sensitivity to heat/cold
• Irritable bowel
• Low grade fever or low body temperature
• Allergies
• Lightheadedness

These symptoms have been linked to an overgrowth of a common fungal organism known as Candida albicans - a fungus that is normally present on the skin and in the mucus membrane such as the vagina. mouth and rectum. The fungus can also travel through the blood stream and affect the intestines, throat and even the heart valves. Candida albicans becomes an infectious agent when there is some change in the body environment that allows it to grow out of control. Found in each one of us as a part of our intestinal flora. The problems arise when we eat too much sugar, take antibiotics for a period of time, or have a weakened immune system.

All these factors can ultimately lead to Candida infection, a condition that plagues so many people worldwide, yet most of them are unaware of it due to the lack of information presented in the mainstream media.

The good news is that this condition can be treated! If you are showing signs of a yeast infection there are several highly effective proven probiotic Candida Treatments available.
A big advantage of the probiotic products is that you don't have to stick to a strict diet when using them and they don't give the nasty side effects that conventional treatments can.

Candida Die off Symptoms;

Being on an anti-candida diet or taking anti-fungal (Candida) treatments will eventually cause Candida cells to "die-off".
This is a good thing because it is a sign that the Candida Yeast is actually dying but, the down side is that the dying cells of Candida may release toxins in high amounts and as a result, you may end up feeling worse than you did before you started your treatment. This is because the toxins are released often build up faster than the body can deal with via the natural elimination process. This 'die off' process is known as the Herxheimer Reaction. Common symptoms of Candida Die Off include;

• flu-like symptoms
• dizziness, brain fog
• headaches
• diarrhea or constipation
• skin rash
• sweating

These Candida Die Off Symptoms can last from one day to a week and can come and go as you continue your treatment.

There are ways you can ease the symptoms of Candida Die Off and these are outlined below.
How to Prevent Candida Die off
Chronic Candida can be quite difficult to remove from your body and it is likely that you will experience some of the symptoms of Candida Die-Off
.
A lot of these Candida Die-Off Symptoms can be avoided by following these guidelines:

• Drink plenty of purified water.
• include plenty of fibre in your diet.
• Taking Epsom salt or Baking Soda baths will help draw out the toxins.
• A sauna can help sweat out toxins.
• Increase the dosage of your anti-fungal supplements gradually according to your responses
• Take 2 activated charcoal capsules every six hours.
• Don't eat anything that may feed the Candid Yeast while taking anti fungals, this will make die of symptoms a lot worse.
• Try a Colon Cleansing product to get rid of toxins more quickly.

When taking anti-fungals or any other method of beating Candida, you must go at your own pace and not overwhelm your body by trying to kill of the Candida Yeast too quickly. The more severe reaction doesn't necessarily mean that you're killing more yeast; it just means that your body is becoming overwhelmed, and that is not good for the healing process. Candida Die-Off Symptoms can be really frustrating but stay the course. Every day the body is ridding itself of Candida is another day closer to restoring good health.

Avoiding Recurring Depression

Most experts agree that what makes depression so challenging is the very real risk of recurrence. Some studies suggest that the risk of relapse from medication may be north of 60% where the risk of relapse from behavioral therapy is more moderate. Nevertheless, kicking depression completely out of ones life is an ongoing process that takes work. In this informational article titled "Avoiding Recurring Depression" we try to explore a few areas helpful in achieving this lofty goal.
 
Depression is like a thief in the night. It can sneak up on you when least expected then lock the door. One of the keys to avoiding recurring depression is to not allow it to sneak up on you. If you have battled this condition before and won you no doubt understand what depression looks like.
 
One strategy for avoiding recurring depression is to compile a list of symptoms that are specific to you. If certain symptoms are recognized it should be construed as a subtle warning sign that depression is at the door. It is just waiting for an opportunity to come in.
 
Let's explore eleven examples:
 
*I am not thinking clearly
*I am struggling with concentration
*I seem to be experiencing more guilt than normal
*I seem to be more irritable than normal
*I have been having dark, gloomy thoughts
*I am having appetite issues (could be eating too much or too little)
*My sleep pattern is not consistent
*I am unusually tired for no particular reason
*After therapy I felt so good but now my mood has returned to a predominately pessimistic state
*I don't have a desire to communicate with my friends
*I am starting to withdraw from events I used to consider fun
 
I sure you can make a list that is better suited to you but one or more of the bullet points above should provide you with a good starting point.
 
As you may recognize many of the list of eleven are actually signs of depression if experienced over an uncharacteristically long period of time. Certainly one symptoms for one day is not something to get overly concerned about only something you should be aware of. ON the other hand when symptoms start to occur frequently or are occurring more than one at a time a warning light should go on.
 
Catch it before it starts. Take preemptive action. Nip it in the bud etc...
 
If you see your depression signs recurring don't hesitate to take action by implementing the same strategies that were successful in curing your depression previously. Additionally, you might consider something different to compliment what you already know, such as natural alternative remedies. Natural alternative remedies for depression are very safe, affordable, and have shown to be effective in supporting both emotional and mental health. If you are searching for a different treatment direction this is definitely an option worth considering.

Mental Health - Why Does Depression Hurt?

That television advertisement that asks; 'Where does depression hurt?' And the answer, 'Everywhere,' is painfully true, (no pun intended).

But why does depression hurt? After all, it's a mental illness, isn't it? So why do I keep having aches and pains for no apparent reason? Well, yes, it is mental, but it marches in lockstep to your physical make-up. By marching in lockstep, I mean that although depression is partly mental, and this is evidenced by, and in the way that, depressives dream, it has a direct bearing on our physical well-being.

Some years ago, when I suffered major, or clinical, depression, I used to have the most peculiar and vivid dreams. Until I learned more about depression, I had no idea at all that these dreams were actually the cause of my feeling aches and pains all over my body during my waking hours. The point is that people with depression dream three times as much as those who don't suffer from the condition.

The depression-free person dreams about two hours a night, two hours in twenty four, if you like. The depressive, on the other hand. dreams three times that amount. Six hours in twenty four, so he or she spends no less than a quarter of their life dreaming!

The unfortunate part is, though, that while they're dreaming, they're not having the deep, restful sleep that their bodies need to repair themselves. They're in the Rapid Eye Movement, or REM, sleep stage, which is when you dream. To put it very basically, you dream in order that the brain can flush away all the old rubbish that's been built up by your thinking during the previous day. Hardly a medical description, but since the question is; 'Why does depression hurt?' and not the causes of depression, this description will suffice for the moment.

The important point is that the depressive goes through the night in the REM sleep stage for six hours, and a mere two hours in deep sleep. With the non-depressive, this is reversed. Now, because the person with depression is only having two hours, (if they're lucky), of good, deep sleep, their bodies are simply not receiving the rest that they so desperately need. There's nothing restful about the REM sleep stage. It's called Rapid Eye Movement because your eyeballs are constantly moving very quickly from side to side as you dream.

Another problem, and another reason for the aches and pains, is that your serotonin levels drop. Serotonin helps to keep your pain threshold up, so when the levels drop, you become far more susceptible to pain and chronic fatigue.

The big mistake is in thinking that serotonin, or the lack of, is the factor that causes depression. This is totally wrong.

But that's why depression hurts. Too much REM dream sleep and vastly insufficient deep sleep, with a corresponding drop in serotonin levels. Hence, aches and pains.

Teenage Suicides - The Fatal Effect Of Teenagers Depression

The number of young men between the ages of 15 to 24 taking their lives has tripled in the last 30 years. Young women do not commit suicide as much as young men but they do have twice as many attempts. It is thought young men are more successful because they use more violent means, such as shooting or hanging themselves, whereas young women tend to use less violent means, such as overdoses and these are not always successful.

This paints a bleak and sad picture of our troubled young people. It is a sad reflection on our society that we cannot give these young people hope in the future or a feeling of their value and their self-worth; that they should feel there is nothing worth living for.

For most of us, it is hard to imagine that we could ever feel like that when we were young. Even with the growing-up pains of adolescence, it was a time when we were bubbling over with energy and happiness and looking forward to a long, full life. All our dreams were in front of us and we had everything to look forward to.

Unfortunately, those young people who fall victims to depression do not feel that way. For many, they will be helped through by caring friends and family and will regain their youthful optimism and zest for life but for others there will be years of struggling with feelings of sadness, low self-esteem and a feeling of just existing, rather than living. For a small minority there will be no future, as they see no hope other than in death.

We may be able to help some of these young people if we can recognize some of the danger signs. These are some of the signs that may mean a young person is seriously contemplating suicide:

• Talking about suicide - this could include talking or writing about death or about life being pointless


• Talking about people who have committed suicide, particularly if they are famous people - this could make it seem glamorous and there could be risk of copy-cat suicide


• Giving away personal possessions or suddenly clearing things out and tidying up - getting things in order


• Careless behaviour, taking unnecessary risks


• Withdrawing from people and not wanting to mix in a normal way


• If there have been previous attempts at self harm or suicide


• A feeling of hopelessness and difficulty in sleeping can be signs of serious depression and indicators of suicide risk


• Saying goodbye in a meaningful way or making arrangements for after they have gone, such as telling you where to find important papers


• Suddenly becoming calm or cheerful after they have been suffering from serious depression. This could mean they have made a decision and are resigned to their fate

The idea that if people talk about suicide they will not do it is a myth. We need to listen and take them seriously. This is one time we do not have to keep a confidence because their life could be at risk.

Teenage suicides are linked to serious depression in teenagers. If we know what to look for we have a better chance to intervene and to save young people from themselves. The consistent advice from health professionals is to take time listen to them and to take them seriously.