An Army veteran of the Iraq conflict, writing Sunday in The New York Times, provides a harrowing description of the psychological damage that post-traumatic stress disorder can inflict. Read more.
Scientists have traced vulnerability to depression-like behaviors in mice to out-of-balance electrical activity inside neurons of the brain’s reward circuit and experimentally reversed it – but there’s a twist. Read more.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes extreme changes in mood, energy and the ability to function. The mood usually swings from ecstatic, irritable and/or aggressive (manic) to sad and hopeless (depression). Periods of fairly normal mood can be experienced between cycles.
People with bipolar disorder type I have had at least one manic episode and periods of major depression. This was also called manic depression in the past.
People with bipolar disorder II have never had full mania. They experience hypomania (a mild form of mania) and major depressive episodes intermittently.
In cyclothymia there are, for a period of at least two years, hypomania and mild depression, which are never severe enough to be classified as a full manic and depressive disorder.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but it may be a combination of biochemical, genetic and psychological factors. Approximately 50% of patients with bipolar disorder have at least one parent with a mood disorder. The following may trigger a manic episode:
Men and women are affected equally. It usually starts between the ages of 15-25 years.
Depending on the clinical characteristics bipolar disorder is sub-classified as bipolar disorder, mania; bipolar disorder, depression; bipolar disorder, mixed. The essential characteristic is one or more manic episodes.
Symptoms of a manic episode include:
Symptoms of a depressive episode include:
Bipolar disorder requires long-term treatment, since it is a chronic, relapsing illness. The most effective treatment plan includes a combination of medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle changes and social support. Psychotherapy used to treat bipolar disorder includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family-focused therapy. Psychotherapy may help you gain self-insight, change negative thoughts and feelings, and learn new behaviours and coping strategies. Talking about your emotions with a trained professional can help reduce symptoms.
Diagnosis of this disorder can be tricky and medication should be monitored closely by a psychiatrist. Medication is used to stabilize the extreme mood swings of mania and depression.
Mood-stabilizers provide relief or prevent acute episodes of depression or mania. Anti-depressants treat the symptoms of depression. Anti-psychotics treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations which may sometimes occur in bipolar disorder. Long-term treatment is important as maintenance treatment between episodes reduces the severity and frequency of depression and mania. Bipolar medications are powerful drugs. For this reason, medication should not be stopped without a doctor’s supervision.
Over and above the normal consultations, call the doctor when there are:
The vast majority of people with bipolar disorder respond well to treatment. The first step is to discuss your symptoms with an experienced professional like your family practitioner.
The Research Unit on Anxiety and Stress Disorders, to which the MHIC is affiliated, was established by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in 1997. The Unit is located at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Stellenbosch and investigates the psychobiology and treatment of anxiety disorders, including obsessive- compulsive disorder (and related conditions), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. For more information about research trials, please visit the website below or contact the MHIC.
www.mrc.ac.za/anxiety/anxiety.htm
Download/print this page.
Science has known for some time that depression, the devastating neurological disorder, has the curious property of shrinking the sufferer’s brain. Read more.
