Hi everyone in this video we will be discussing bipolar disorder
disclaimer this video contains a sensitive topic it is intended for educational purposes only and
should not be used as a diagnosis please consult a certified healthcare professional if you have
or think you may have this disorder today we'll be going over what bipolar disorder is the symptoms
associated with the disorder the three types causes diagnostic techniques and treatments
so what is bipolar disorder bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts
in mood energy activity levels concentration and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks
in canada approximately one percent of the population over 15 years of age
currently have bipolar disorder individuals with bipolar disorder have mood episodes which
are extreme and intense emotional states that occur at distinct times these mood episodes are
categorized as either manic which is categorized as feeling extremely up hypomanic which is similar
to mania except is less severe or depressive which is categorized as feeling extremely down
you can think of the three mood episodes as being on a spectrum with mania and depression being on
opposite ends and normal mood in the middle there are several conditions that can sometimes be
confused for bipolar disorder such as borderline personality disorder and schizoaffective disorder
borderline personality disorder although having similar symptoms is bipolar disorder
is a personality disorder whereas bipolar disorder is a mood disorder schizoaffective
disorder also has similar symptoms as bipolar disorder however it also has
schizophrenia symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions with bipolar disorder does not
people with bipolar disorder can have mania or hypomania which are two distinct types of episodes
but they have the same symptoms mania is more severe than hypomania and is more noticeable to
other people and causes more noticeable problems in day-to-day activities and relationships mania
may also trigger psychosis which is a break from reality which can then require hospitalization
in order to be categorized as having a manic or hypomanic episode at least three of the following
symptoms must be present abnormally upbeat jumpy or wired increased activity energy or agitation
unusual talkativeness exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence
decreased need for sleep racing thoughts distractibility
or poor and impulsive decision-making depression is on the other end of the spectrum depressive
episodes cause noticeable difficulty in day-to-day activities and relationships
in order to be categorized as having a depressive episode at least five of the following symptoms
must be present depressed mood such as feeling sad empty hopeless or tearful marked loss of interest
or feeling no pleasure in all or almost all activities significant weight loss or weight gain
insomnia or sleeping too much restlessness or slowed behavior fatigue or loss of energy feelings
of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt decreased ability to think or concentrate or
indecisiveness or thinking about planning or attempting suicide there are three main
types of bipolar disorder bipolar disorder 1 bipolar disorder 2 and psychothymic disorder
you can think of the three types as being on a graph each having a varying severity of manic
and depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder one at least one manic episode must be present
and may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes manic episodes must
last at least seven days or manic symptoms must be so severe that the person needs immediate hospital
care usually depressive episodes occur as well and typically last at least two weeks in bipolar
disorder two at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode must be present
in order to be placed into this type the individual must never have had a manic episode
one thing to note is that bipolar disorder 2 is not a milder form of bipolar disorder 1
but it is in fact a separate diagnosis while the manic episodes of bipolar disorder 1 can
be severe and dangerous individuals with bipolar disorder 2 can be depressed for longer periods
which can cause significant impairment in their daily lives in psychothymic disorder adults must
have at least two years and children and teenagers must have at least one year of
many periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms though less severe than major
depression there are many potential biological and genetic causes for bipolar disorder in a few
studies conducted where they studied the brains of individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder
they found that people with bipolar disorder appear to have physical changes in their brains
other studies show that bipolar disorder is more common in people who have a first degree
relative such as a sibling or a parent who has the disorder thus because first-degree relatives share
similar dna there are studies that are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing
bipolar disorder other than biological and genetic causes there are also factors that may increase an
individual's risk of developing bipolar disorder or can act as a trigger for the first episode
these factors include having a first degree relative with bipolar disorder periods of
high stress such as the death of a loved one or another traumatic event or drug or alcohol abuse
if you suspect you may meet the criteria for bipolar disorder or maybe an individual at risk
then it is important to contact a certified health care professional such as your family doctor for a
diagnosis bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed during late adolescence or early adulthood but
can also appear in other ages when you meet a physician they may conduct a physical exam and
lab tests to identify medical problems that could be possible causes for your symptoms physicians
may also refer you to a psychiatrist that will conduct a psychiatric assessment the psychiatrist
may give you a self-reported questionnaire or may guide you through a discussion about your thoughts
feelings and behaviors psychiatrists then may try to see if you meet the criteria for bipolar
disorder as depicted in the american psychiatric association's diagnostic and statistical manual of
mental disorders also known as dsm-5 the dsm-5 is a list of criteria and symptoms that patients must
meet before they are able to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder or any other mental disorder for
people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder there are many treatment options available one
option is medication physicians may prescribe mood stabilizers to control manic or hypomanic episodes
antipsychotics if symptoms of depression or mania remain despite treatment with other
medications antidepressants to help manage depressive episodes anti-anxiety medications
to help improve anxiety and sleep symptoms or a combination of the medications listed above
another popular option is psychotherapy also known as talk therapy
psychotherapy involves the patient talking to a mental health professional about their thoughts
feelings moods and behaviors one type of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy
which involves identifying patients unhealthy negative beliefs and behaviors and finding a
way to replace them with healthy positive beliefs and behaviors we hope that you learn
some valuable information today regarding bipolar disorder thanks for watching