There are mental disorders that can be described by the disturbance in an individual’s mood. These mental disorders are called mood disorders. The mood disturbance may be mild and can include depression, mania, or hypomania, or any combination of these.
There is a certain type of mood disorder called bipolar disorder. It involves swings in mood from elation to depression with no identifiable external cause. A person having bipolar disorder experiences swings from depression to mania. During the manic phase of this disorder, the patient may show extreme, unwarranted silliness. They may also show poor judgment and recklessness and may be argumentative. A manic person may speak rapidly, have unrealistic ideas, and jump from subject to subject. They may not be able to sleep. These symptoms are predominant for a certain period of time lasting for a few days . Hospitalization can often be necessary to keep the person from harming themselves and others. Bipolar disorder has another side, the depressive episode. Bipolar depressed patients often sleep more than usual and are lethargic. Distinguishing it from major depression, they usually has trouble sleeping and is agitated. During bipolar depressive episodes, a patient may also show irritability and withdrawal.
What causes mood disorders is not well known. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, that are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression and other mood disorders are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Life events such as unwanted changes in life may also contribute to a depressed mood. Also, genetic factors could be a prospect in causing bipolar disorder. Since it is related to depression, a gene may be responsible for the occurrence of the disorder. And this gene may be triggered by the environment, such as serious life-changing events. Evidence suggests that environmental factors play an important role in the development and course of bipolar disorder, and that individual psychosocial variables may interact with genetic dispositions.
Moreover, some limited long-term studies indicate that children who later receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder may show subtle early traits such as sub-threshold cyclical mood abnormalities, full major depressive episodes, and possibly ADHD with mood fluctuation. There may be hypersensitivity and irritability. There is some disagreement whether the experiences are chronic. A record of stimulant utilize in childhood is found in high numbers of bipolar patients and has been found to cause an earlier inception of bipolar disorder, worse clinical course, independent of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Bipolar disorder is often treated with mood stabilizer medications, and sometimes other psychiatric drugs. Psychotherapy also has a role, often when there has been some recovery of stability. In serious cases in which there is a threat of harm to oneself or others involuntary commitment may be used; these cases commonly entail severe manic episodes with depressive episodes with suicidal intention.
Furthermore, because the pattern of highs and lows varies for each person, bipolar disorder is a complex disease to diagnose. For some people, mania or depression can last for weeks or months, even for years. For other people, bipolar disorder takes the form of frequent and dramatic mood shifts.
According to a clinical psychiatrist named Michael Aronson, MD, there are discoveries in bipolar disorder that shows that there is a wide range of symptoms and mood changes in this disorder. It’s not always dramatic mood swings. In fact, some people seem to get along just fine. There is productivity even in manic periods. They think things are going great. The danger comes when the mania grows really worse. The change can be very dramatic, with catastrophic outcomes. People can get involved in reckless behavior, spend a lot of money, there may be sexual promiscuity, sexual risks. The depressed phases can be equally dangerous: Frequent thoughts of suicide can really harm.
