Bipolar Disorder

1) Bipolar Disorder – What is it? - a condition where a person has an experience of alternating periods of depressed moods and periods of manic or excited moods - No one knows what exactly causes bipolar disorder. A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry reports “the extra signal-sending cells may lead to a kind of overstimulation, which makes sense considering the symptoms of bipolar disorder.” Researchers have known for decades that a link exists between …

…psychotherapy can help a person with bipolar disorder and his/her family learn to cope with this illness. Although most individuals who experience a manic episode return to full functioning, they remain at risk for recurrent episodes of mania. Medicines like lithium, Depakote, or Tegretol may be used long term to help to prevent the recurrent episodes of mania and/or depression. Usually, the severity of the manic and depressive cycles lessens with increased age.