What is Bipolar Disorder, causes, symptoms, home remedies

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that typically last for several weeks and months. And those emotional ups and downs are much greater than what most of us experience.

• Low or depressed – You feel extremely down, sad, and even hopeless.
• High or manic – you feel extremely happy, elated and become very active. You may develop very grandiose, delusional ideas about yourself and your abilities.
• Hypomanic —Your mood is high, but not as high as in mania.
• Mixed – You feel a mixture of mania and depression—e.g., you feel very depressed, but also have the restlessness and hyperactivity of mania.

Causes of bipolar disorder

Heredity

Bipolar disorder is more common in individuals who have one parent with the disease. Their child has a 10% chance of having the disease as well. If both parents have the disease, the child’s chance of having the disease increases by 40%.

Environmental factors

Inability to deal with stressful events can also trigger bipolar disorder – such as bad relationships, divorce, death in the family, serious illness, financial problems, etc.

Chemical imbalances in the brain

An imbalance in the levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain can also cause symptoms of bipolar disorder to develop.

Bio-psychological interactions

The development of bipolar disorder may begin with the interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental factors—for example, a stressful life event or traumatic experience may contribute to the emergence of bipolar disorder in a person with a genetic predisposition.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder

Mania

During this time, the person feels very energetic, enthusiastic, irritable or self-confident. He sleeps less and talks more, his thoughts keep changing rapidly- like-

• Feeling happy or excited, even when things aren’t going well for you.
• Full of new and exciting ideas.
• Moving quickly from one idea to the next.
• Talking very quickly.
• To make a sound that other people cannot hear.
• Being more irritable than usual.
• Not being able to fall asleep or feeling like you want to sleep.
• Decreased decision making and impulsivity.
• Confusion or in severe cases.

Hypomania

It is not as severe as mania. The person appears happy and needs little sleep. He is mentally and physically active.

Depression

Bipolar depression is often combined with general depression. A person may feel sad, hopeless, empty, or weepy. He may not be interested in or enjoy many things, such as:

• low mood.
• Having low energy or feeling tired.
• Feeling hopeless or negative.
• Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless.
• Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy doing.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
• Feeling restless and irritable.
• Sleeping too much or not being able to sleep.
• Eating less or eating more.
• Losing or gaining weight.
• Contemplating death or attempting suicide.

Minded

In this, the person sees and hears things that seem real, but they do not actually exist – such as-

• Hallucinations – this means that you may hear, see or feel things that are not there.
• Delusions – This means that you may believe things that are not true. Other people will usually find your beliefs unusual.

Fits of madness

When a person is extremely excited or irritable for most of the day, has more energy than usual and experiences at least three changes in behavior – such as:

• Sleep deprivation (feeling energetic despite sleeping much less than usual).
• Increased or louder speech.
• To get distracted.

Also read : What are mood swings, why do girls have mood swings, its home remedies

• Increased activity (restlessness, working on multiple projects at once).
• Increased risk behavior (driving recklessly, spending more money).

Similar events

It is accompanied by depression, mania and hypomania. The person may burst into tears for a moment in the midst of excitement – for example:

• Fatigue or loss of energy.
• Sleep problems.
• Concentration and memory problems.
• Unrealistic, exaggerated beliefs about one’s own abilities or strengths.
• Spending a lot of money.

Home remedies for bipolar disorder

Medicines

To stabilize the mood, the doctor may prescribe medicines such as mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Any kind of negligence in the intake of medicines can be fatal for you. Such a person should not only take medicines and therapy on time, but should also always stay in touch with the specialist and make necessary changes in his routine on his advice.

Get enough sleep

A person suffering from bipolar disorder should pay special attention to his sleep pattern. In such a situation, it is necessary for the person to sleep and wake up regularly on time. The first thing that gets disturbed in a person suffering from bipolar disorder is his sleep.

There should be no extra pressure on the brain

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder. In this, the person is either very enthusiastic and self-confident or sometimes completely depressed. Therefore, a very easy way to deal with this type of mental disorder is to not do anything that puts extra pressure on the brain. For example, do not consume intoxicants at all. Also, do not let anything dominate the brain. 

Mood Chart

A person has a lot of mood swings. Make a chart for this. Write about your daily mood in it. This will help you in self-evaluation and understanding your situation.

Stay away from drugs

Drinking alcohol or taking drugs can make your symptoms worse and increase the chance of them coming back.

Pay attention to the warning signs

Talking to your care team about symptoms can help prevent episodes from getting worse. If you notice a pattern of your bipolar episodes and what causes them, call your health care professional or mental health professional if you start having an episode of depression or mania. Ask family members or friends to watch for warning signs.

Change in routine

It is very important for a person suffering from bipolar disorder to make some changes in his daily routine. For example, such a person should exercise regularly. Some exercises like walking, running, swimming, dancing and drumming help in stabilizing their mood. 

Have a balanced diet

Diet also plays an important role in affecting mood. So include fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, omega-3 fatty acid rich foods like salmon, soybeans, flaxseeds, canola oil, pumpkin seeds etc. in your diet. Apart from this, minimise the consumption of high carbohydrate foods, fats, sugar, chocolate, caffeine and processed foods.

Yoga and exercise

One should exercise for 30 minutes every day. This physical activity helps to control mood swings. Aerobic exercises – such as walking and running – work better on bipolar depression than weight training.

Frequently asked questions about bipolar disorder

Why does bipolar disorder occur?

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. It includes emotional highs and lows, also known as mania or hypomania.

How long does bipolar disorder last?

Bipolar disorder lasts for at least 7 days.

What percent of people are bipolar?

Around 46 million people around the world suffer from bipolar disorder, but in India the number of people suffering from bipolar disorder is about 0.3%.

Who does bipolar disorder affect the most?

Bipolar disorder is quite common. About one in 100 people will be diagnosed with it at some point in their lives. Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it most often develops between the ages of 15 and 19.

How to get rid of bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness. But long-term, ongoing treatments such as medication and talk therapy can help manage your symptoms and enable you to live a healthy, purposeful life.

What is bipolar disorder called in Hindi?

Bipolar disorder is called manic depression in Hindi.