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
