The Bipolar disorder It is a disorder that accompanies throughout life, so access to adequate medical treatment is key to keeping symptoms under control.
How to manage bipolar disorder? Characteristics and treatment
Every March 30 marks World Bipolar Disorder (TB) Day. “a condition that is currently classified as a mood disorder and that is characterized by episodes of altered mood, euphoria or depression, with a high recurrence”, according to Dr. Danilo Quirozpsychiatrist and master’s degree in epidemiology from the Neuropsychiatric Foundation of Santiago (Nepsis).
It is estimated that, in Chile, 2.2% of the population lives with TB, which is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the sixth cause that generates the most disability, affecting the quality of life of people, their performance work and their social and family interactions.
Within psychiatric conditions, Quiroz indicates that «BD is a condition that, in the context of mental health conditions, behaves like a disease of quite genetic origin, such as schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorders, with high familial aggregation ”.
Bipolar disorder usually manifests with episodes of euphoria or mania, or mild euphoria or hypomania. That is why the specialist explains that euphoria corresponds to «an episode of exaltation in which the person, suddenly, for weeks or months, is in an exalted mood, irritable, with altered need for sleep, doing more things and taking risks, since this is not usually the case. However, most of the time, people with TB will present depressive episodes, recurrent over time, more than euphoria”.
Different types of bipolar disorder
Dr. Quiroz points out that the diagnosis of BD consists of the detection of mania or hypomania, with recurrent depressive episodes.
“If the person has had mania or episodes of exaltation, it will be a type I bipolar disorder, and if they have mild exaltations (hypomania), we speak of a type II bipolar disorder. Patients with bipolar I disorder can take between 3 to 5 years to be diagnosed, while those with bipolar II disorder can take between 8 and 12 because most of the time they will be depressed.
In addition, the psychiatrist of the Nepsis Foundation affirms that “bipolar disorder sometimes has seasonal components, for example, people can get depressed in winter, and gain weight, stay in bed, not go anywhere, stop studying or do poorly at work; conversely, in summer they can present an exaltation of mood, which is characterized by the fact that they sleep little, lose weight and exercise a lot”; however, this is just an example, because each patient can suffer a particular course of episodes, in any of the seasons or without a seasonal pattern, too.
The importance of family support
Family members are usually the ones who can become aware of these episodes of mood disturbance.
They perceive that the person sleeps little, skips meals, talks a lot about things without stopping, has excessive spending and risk behaviors, or smokes a lot, among other things.
On the other hand, in the depressive stage, they observe him with a low mood, little interest in activities, low self-esteem, little vital energy and sudden changes in weight in a short time.
“Indeed, when the patient is asked, in great detail, he answers that he has never been like this, he was not euphoric. However, when you ask his wife, for example, he tells you that he was a person who never played sports, but at that time he got up early in the morning and went running and at night he stayed working, and he got good for going out, he began to drink alcohol… In these cases, what the family can refer to is super important, because it is they who are often aware of the episodes of exaltation, not necessarily the patient”Quiroz explains.
Treatment helps keep symptoms under control
The National Institute of Mental Health2 notes that “treatment can help many people, including those with the most severe forms of bipolar disorder. An effective treatment plan usually includes a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness, so continued long-term treatment can help people manage these symptoms.»
Recommendations for managing TB
The specialist provides the following advice to keep this chronic condition under control, whose medications are considered within the Explicit Health Guarantees (GES):
– It is important to go to the doctor for a diagnosis and effective treatment that accompanies the patient.
– Sleep well and have orderly routines.
– Avoid substances that destabilize mood, for example, some medications such as antidepressants, corticosteroids and other drugs used for acne, among others, and substances of abuse, such as marijuana, because it is quite incisive in triggering episodes and are manic, psychotic or worsen the course of bipolar disorder or other psychiatric disorders.
– Perform physical exercise.
– Practice mindfulness.
– Use substances that stabilize mood, such as lithium and lamotrigine.
– This must be accompanied with therapies that reduce stressors, but the most important thing is to understand what the disease is about and to modify the aforementioned patterns.