Recognizing Bipolar Manic Depressive Disorder

By Ken P Doyle

There are 5.7 million adults diagnosed of bipolar manic depressive disorder in the United States. Also, the 3.4 million American children and adolescents diagnosed of depression are highly likely to experience bipolar manic disorder symptoms or bipolar depression. The condition can reduce up to 9.2 years from your life span can also cause people to be suicidal or self-destructive behavior is stated by the National Health Institute of Mental Health. Hence, one of the leading causes of human disability is bipolar depressive or bipolar manic disorder. Bipolar is a psychiatric illness that causes unusual and sudden changes to mood, activity and energy levels, which may affect an individual's ability to carry out his day to day tasks. Going from feeling very sad, helpless and despaired, manic depression symptoms can cause him/her to shift to feeling euphoric happiness, being overly active and practically on top of the world, which has been known to severe relationships, affect job and school performance, or even cause suicide.

Definition

Symptoms of bipolar manic disorder include sleeplessness, high energy levels, having large plans for activities, restlessness, talkativeness and uneasiness. Symptoms of bipolar depression are low energy with negative feelings like hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, and appetite loss. A patient might have many of these symptoms daily. The symptoms typically happen throughout the late teenage or early grown up years. The majority of patients begin having the symptoms at approximately twenty five years old. According to statistics, females are 3X more likely to have bipolar episodes than males are. The NIMH additionally says that a family history of the disorder might make an individual's risk of having these symptoms higher.

Analysis

The first step in diagnosis involves physical examinations, interview, lab tests like blood work and brain scans and evaluation of the patient's medical history. After a complete diagnostic evaluation, the doctor may provide referral to a trained mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist, who is more experienced in handling bipolar disorder. Proper and immediate diagnosis is extremely important in helping bipolar sufferers lead a normal life. It will also help provide the right kind of treatment that will reduce the frequency or severity of the symptoms.

Treatment method

A combination of medication and psychotherapy is usually recommended to effectively prevent relapse and bipolar episodes. Mood stabilizers (lithium, valproic acid, and anticonvulsants), atypical antipsychotic (olanzapine, aripiprazolw, quetiapine, risperidone) and antipsychotic drugs may be prescribed among bipolar patients. These are usually prescribed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. In some cases, sleep medications or sedatives are recommended to patients having trouble sleeping. Psychotherapy or 'talk therapy' provides support, guidance and education among bipolar patients as well as their families. It involves several approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and psycho education.

Caution

With bipolar manic depressive disorder, making it more difficult to diagnose and treat because there are other illnesses that may coexist. Causing behavioral problems associated with bipolar manic disorder and substance abuse may prolong or trigger bipolar symptoms. Bipolar disorder may be overlapped with anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress, social phobia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Developing thyroid disease, migraine headaches, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, other physical illnesses and people suffering this condition have higher risks also. Hence, seeking professional help is advised upon experiencing symptoms of bipolar depressive or bipolar manic disorder. - 31993

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Essential Facts on Paranoid-Type Schizophrenia

By Robert Neale

Paranoid type schizophrenia is one of five different types of schizophrenia, which is a chronic mental illness marked by detachment from reality. What makes paranoid schizophrenia different than other types is the overwhelming paranoia that people are plotting, lurking, spying and out to sabotage them. Usually, these schizophrenics are better able to communicate, memorize and express emotion than other types of schizophrenics, but they are still incapacitated by their irrational fears, delusions and suspicions.

Life with paranoid schizophrenia is frightening. The person experiences voices offering a running commentary on his or her life. "Watch out -- he's watching you from over there, hidden in the shrubbery," claims one voice. "Your teacher is hatching a plot to kill you, so you must kill first," a different voice claims. "They're looking at you out of the TV screens... break them," one more demands. Paranoid schizophrenia is characterized by positive conditions like delusions and aural hallucinations, more so than the negative indicators of speech disturbances, flattened emotions and poor memory.

To diagnose someone with paranoid-type schizophrenia, a mental health specialist will make inquiries concerning signs and symptoms and family history. They will look for paranoia, delusions and hallucinations as the important issues, with not as much stress on difficulties with memory, flat emotions, poor decision making skills and speech problems. Medical professionals will try to differentiate these kinds of thought issues from drug-induced psychosis and epilepsy. Usually, it takes one to six months to formally make a diagnosis. Oftentimes, patients suffer acute psychotic attacks and go through times of remission.

Other symptoms of paranoid type schizophrenia are the same as the other schizophrenia subtypes. For instance, social withdrawal, anxiety, loss of appetite, lack of hygiene, suicidal thoughts and a feeling of being "out of control" are all common among all schizophrenic patients. It can be difficult to define paranoid schizophrenia because the patients run the gamut from appearing normal in every way but occasionally speaking strangely, to appearing quite ill with bizarre behaviors catching attention. Some schizophrenics, for example, will wear aluminum foil hats to prevent their thoughts from "being broadcast" or will smash a TV to prevent "people from spying."

Although mental health researchers have not yet uncovered the causes of paranoid type schizophrenia, they have identified several apparent triggers. For instance, the risk of developing schizophrenia increases from 1% to 5% for people who have an aunt, uncle, cousin or grandparent with the mental disorder; 10% for people who have a parent or sibling with it; or 50% for people who have an identical twin with schizophrenia. Since identical twins are not always both schizophrenic, researchers believe that it's possible a pre-natal event, such as exposure to a virus or malnutrition while in the womb, may affect development and cause the condition to manifest later in life. Other at-risk individuals are said to have older fathers, abusive or traumatic childhoods and are between the ages of 18 and 35. - 31993

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Paranoid Schizophrenia: What You Should Know

By Robert Neale

There are a number of different kinds or diagnosis of schizophrenia, but paranoid schizophrenia is the most widespread. It is considered a chronic mental illness that can seriously hinder a person's ability to reason and interact with others.

Anxiety is usually a huge issue with those suffering from this illness. They often feel that someone is out to get them. Sometimes this is to the point where they actually believe their life is in danger. It is advised that if you know anyone that exhibits some of these symptoms, or you are having some of these symptoms, a doctor visit needs to be scheduled as soon as possible.

Depending on the type of schizophrenia a person has been diagnosed will depend on how greatly it affects the person's life. Paranoid schizophrenia can be difficult to live with but with the proper medication and treatment programs a person can live a normal life and learn how to cope. Residual schizophrenia is worse because the person just feels like giving up. They lack any sort of motivation and have no interest in anything. Catatonic schizophrenia is hard as well because the person does not seem to be responsive to any stimuli and can have muscular problems due to the unnatural body poses.

Paranoid schizophrenia can make some people dangerous if the delusions they are having tell them to harm another person or harm themselves. But for the most part patients get the help they need before things become dangerous.

Many people diagnosed with this illness are in denial for a while and often feel ashamed. You have to support them and help guide them to the right help but without pushing them. The more you push the more likely it is that the person will retreat and begin to view you as a hostile enemy out to get them. - 31993

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Say Bye To Depression, Live A Stress Free Life

By Renita D'Souza

Want to beat the winter blues? Want to eliminate stress? See & experience life yourself with a new & beautiful dimension to it.

Clinical depression goes by many names -depression, "the blues," biological depression, major depression. But it all refers to the same thing: feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months at a time, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, lack of energy, and taking little or no pleasure in things that gave you joy in the past.

Clinical depression is an awful disease. Depression turns its victims into shells of their former selves; depression patients are stripped of all the hope and joy and emotional vitality that make life worth living in the first place. The good news, though, is that depression treatment really does work, and that the right depression treatment center really can help you rediscover the world as you used to know it.

Yes, depression treatment centers are places of hope, and of healingbut they're also places of effort and of struggle, places where depression treatment patients get better only by virtue of the commitment they bring to the depression treatment process. There's no gentle way out of the depression wilderness. If you want to get better, you're going to have to work for it.

Depression matters, simply put, because depression victims matter. More to the point, depression treatment matters because depression treatment programs give depression treatment patients cause for hope, and for faith; depression treatment matters because it works, and because it saves lives. In the fight against depression, you'll never have a greater ally than a depression treatment center you can trust.

If you've made it this far, you don't have to be told how debilitating depression can be. What matters, now, is that you're ready to take the first step: that you're ready to enroll in a depression treatment program, and let depression treatment professionals help you get better. Please, for your own sake, make today the day you decide to start fixing tomorrow.

The right depression treatment center makes a world of difference in the depression treatment process. If you're going to get healed, you need depression treatment that meets your individual needs, and serves your individual interests; you need depression treatment that addresses you as you actually are, without resorting to generalities or supposedly "universal" treatment solutions. If you're going to win the fight against clinical depression, you might say, you're going to have to win it on your own terms, get started today. - 31993

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How Beneficial Is An Anger Management Course To You?

By Eddie Lamb

A problem that many people have in life is one of anger. Many people who have excessive antagonism problems could see help by taking an anger management course. It is something that will not only benefit them, but many people who deal with them on a daily basis.

But it's a difficult thing that many people will never admit too. Because they feel they are showing a sign of weakness when they seek out help for a problem. Whether it be anger or anything else in their life.

There are times that irritation is okay; in many situations it is the right reaction. But what we are referring to is the person who lets all those little things get to them. One who will blow up as they get behind a slow driver and freak out. Possibly even resorting to names being yelled and road rage.

It's not a good situation for you and your health. But it will also affect those people around you. Friends and family may avoid telling you things, or just avoid you in general. It can't be a fun thing to know that people don't want to be around you because of the ways you react to antagonism.

Don't think just because you are talking to a therapist that you have something really wrong with you. Though you should have already agreed that you do have a problem. But it is something that with a bit of patience you can learn to control.

Many of these courses will focus on new ways that you can react to the resentment that is in your life. Whether it be ways that you can avoid the things that seem to trigger the most anger or the ways that you will be able to program your mind to react in a different manner.

But avoiding the little triggers that have caused you many frustrating times in the past. Plus with learning to control that rage you will be a healthier person. Not only will the stress in your life be less. But you are going to feel better, and so will others around you.

So what are the benefits that you will see from a simple course? Less stress, better relationships and being happier are just some of them. You will need to talk about why you are angry all the time or most of the time depending on your situation. But that will help you out a lot.

With learning the right ways that you should react to that anger you feel, it is going to help other people out too. They won't feel so threatened to be around you. Workers will be able to joke around with you and you should enjoy a much better life.

Finding a reputable person who is giving the course is a must. You will need to make sure they are at least certified or qualified to degree level. You can even find these courses online if you don't want to go out of the home to take one.

Finally, make sure that you are using a person who is certified to help out in this area. Talking to the neighbor who isn't certified will not help you out, but a real course will! - 31993

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What You Should Know About Treating Schizophrenia

By Robert Neale

When looking at treating schizophrenia, it's helpful to see where people with this brain disorder end up. The majority of schizophrenics (28%) live independently, with family members (25%) or in supervised housing (20%). Another 10% live in nursing homes. While schizophrenics make up one-third of the homeless population, they only comprise 6% of those who suffer from paranoid schizophrenia in general. Another 6% of schizophrenics live in prison and 5-6% live in hospitals.

Antipsychotic medications are the principal facet of treating schizophrenia. This exclusive class of drugs can put a stop to hallucinations, get delusions under control and enhance coherence of the thoughts if used consistently on a long-term basis. Use of customary drugs, like thorazine and haloperidol often resulted in side effects, for instance stiff neck muscles, restless movements and uninhibited movements of the muscles in the face and tongue, which led a good number of individuals to cease taking them.

Frequently, folks think they've been "healed" so they don't have to take the drugs any longer. Other people want to feel more like their old self again, and so they stop taking their drugs. But when a person with schizophrenia quits taking the drugs, their problems return with increased gravity and the drugs become less effective.

In 1990, there was a major breakthrough in treating schizophrenia. The drug Clozapine was introduced to the US market and worked without all the motor side effects by regulating the flow of neurotransmitters, like seratonin and dopamine. Psychotic disorder patients who did not previously respond well to medication found that Clozapine worked on both the positive and the negative symptoms of their schizophrenia. In 1994, a similar drug called Risperidone became FDA-approved and is now the most frequently prescribed antipsychotic in the U.S. As of 1996, Olanzapine is a third drug available under this new generation of medications that has fewer side effects and better success rates.

Treating schizophrenia early and aggressively is essential. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, schizophrenics have 50 times' the risk of suicide compared to the general population. In fact, suicide is the leading cause of premature death among schizophrenics, with 10-15% taking their own lives and 40% attempting suicide at least once. This number is even higher (60%) among males. For this reason, many people with this mental illness require antidepressants to improve their motivation, their attitudes and to keep dangerous emotions at bay. - 31993

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