Knowing Bipolar Mania
Your friends introduced you to a new member in your theater actors’ guild. She easily caught everybody’s attention with her energy and extraordinary cheeriness. That night’s practice has ended and everybody was raring to get home. However, your newfound friend surprisingly invited you to go the disco. You declined but gave her your home number instead. You awoke to a call and heard her sobbing on the phone. She was ranting about how miserable her life is and how she just wants to end her life right there and then! Nobody would want to be in this shocking situation but what you just read is a reality of a brain disorder called bipolar mania or manic-depressive illness.
Bipolar Mania and What It’s About
Bipolar mania is a biological disorder characterized by manic as well as depressive episodes. As described above, a person with bipolar disorder shows symptoms of extreme exhilaration at one moment then severe depression the next instant. In particular, manic signs and symptoms include amplified energy, disturbing behavior, poor judgment, restiveness, and a reduced need for sleep. Meanwhile, the depressive state is recognized by feelings of hopelessness, intense grief, and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities among others. What is alarming about bipolar mania is that an individual may resort to suicide if it goes unattended.
Still, statistics have shown that bipolar mania is affecting a significant number of individuals in the United States at approximately 5 million of the total population. You would not wish it will happen to you or any of your loved ones but if it does, you have to get ready with all the vital information especially on how you can be of best help to them.
Bipolar Treatment Modalities
Bipolar mania can be treated through a combination of approaches even though it is a long term-challenge. Medical methods are one of them. Mood stabilizers are the medications available for this condition. The most common stabilizer is Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) while others are prescribed with anticonvulsant medicines such as valproate (Depakote) or carbamazepine (Tegretol). Additionally, individuals who suffer from bipolar mania must also seek mental health professionals for emotional or behavioural psychotherapy. Psychosocial approaches are also taken to bipolar mania and are considered important to the recovery as it involves family therapy, psycho education, and interpersonal therapy.
The Bipolar Support Groups
The medical and psychological approaches will not be successful if not used in conjunction with the other methods. A bipolar mania sufferer’s most valuable resource can be found by joining bipolar support groups. A variety of in depth discussions about the disorder are made in these bipolar support groups which can be very educational. These support groups help people relate well to each other by allowing them to share true-to-life experiences.
Bipolar sufferers won’t have to feel alone or alienated from others anymore while in a bipolar support group as it offers a warm environment to them. Bipolar support groups also give the opportunity to speak openly about the pains and hardships while gaining recognition from others. The group can collectively brainstorm about local resources and how to obtain support from the government.
Bipolar Mania Prognosis
Whether a person with bipolar mania can or cannot cope with the disorder is out of the question. Whether he gets into a bipolar support group which will see him through the process is the real determinant which has treatment value. Indeed, individuals with bipolar mania are on their way to a fully-functioning life with the right kind of help from the right kind of people.
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Filed under Mental Health by on Apr 14th, 2009. 
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