What you need to know about bipolar disorder

If you suffer from bipolar disorder, health professionals can help you find the best treatment options and manage your symptoms.

In determining an accurate diagnosis of whether you’re bipolar or not, don’t rely simply on an Internet search.

• Consult a general practitioner who can refer you to a mental health specialist who should be able to accurately prescribe the proper therapy.
• If you have suffered in silence for a long time, asking for help could do you a lot of good.

• Mood swings, which are often associated with this disease, are the result of a condition you cannot control.
• Mood swings can be intense, sometimes sudden and incomprehensible.
• It's important to remember that mood swings are not due to your personality or your character.

There are three "states" that are described as "episodes".

• A euphoric state (manic), a depressive state, then a state of well-being which can be described as feeling normal. You may feel the emotional roller-coaster is an isolated or passing event.
• Periods of mania (euphoria) or depression that extend over the course of a week or two can prevent an individual from functioning normally.

Receiving a diagnosis and treatment from a qualified health practitioner is important to regulate and stabilize an individual’s mood.

Fortunately, modern medicine has significantly improved its approach to mental health. Once you are diagnosed, you may be able to commence treatment.

• Bipolar patients are frequently prescribed multiple medications, and taking them as directed is essential.
• Often, a course of antidepressants teamed up with mood stabilizers is what many doctors suggest.
• It can take a couple of weeks for the effects of antidepressants to be felt and to know if a medication is working for the individual.
• Your doctor may decide to prescribe other medications to treat insomnia, restlessness and anxiety.

Take the time to carefully discuss your options with the prescribing health professional, and be sure to properly understand the benefits and side-effects of your different options.

• As with many disorders, the long-term prognosis varies with each individual.
• Following an initial treatment, which usually lasts between one and two years, the doctor may need to review the medication, so it's important to keep in touch with a medical professional to ensure the treatment program you're using will continue to work.

If you believe you might be suffering from bipolar disorder, it's important to consult a doctor who can decide the best treatment based on your symptoms and thus help reduce the risk of relapse or crisis.

The untreated bipolar disorder can result in suicide. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor.