BIPoLAR &
SADNESS
There are several forms of depressive disorders.
Major depression - severe symptoms that interfere with your ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. An episode can occur only once in a person’s lifetime, but more often, a person has several episodes.
Persistent depressive disorder - depressed mood that lasts for at least 2 years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive
disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for 2 years.
Some forms of depression are slightly different, or they may develop under unique circumstances. They include:
Psychotic depression, which occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false beliefs or a break with reality (delusions), or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations).
Postpartum depression, which is much more serious than the "baby blues" that many women experience after giving birth, when hormonal and physical changes and the new responsibility of caring for a newborn can be overwhelming. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
Dysthymia (recurrent, mild depression) - a type of chronic “low-grade” depression. More days than not, you feel mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood. The symptoms of dysthymia are not as strong as the symptoms of major depression, but they last a long time (at least two years).
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These chronic symptoms make it very difficult to live life to the fullest or to remember better times. Some people also experience major depressive episodes on top of dysthymia, a condition known as “double depression.” If you suffer from dysthymia, you may feel like you’ve always been depressed. Or you may think that your continuous low mood is “just the way you are.” However, dysthymia can be treated, even if your symptoms have gone unrecognized or untreated for years.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD):
When winter brings the blues
While the onset of winter can cause many of us to experience a drop in mood, some people actually develop seasonal depression, otherwise known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love. While a less common form of the disorder causes depression during the summer months, SAD usually begins in fall or winter when the days become shorter and remains until the brighter days of spring or early summer. For more, see Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
The cause of your depression helps determine the treatment Understanding the underlying cause of your depression may help you overcome the problem. For example, if you are depressed because of a dead end job, the best treatment might be finding a more satisfying career, not taking an antidepressant. If you are new to an area and feeling lonely and sad, finding new friends at work or through a hobby will probably give you more of a mood boost than going to therapy. In such cases, the depression is remedied by changing the situation. or suicidal, your problems don’t seem temporary—they seem overwhelming and permanent. But with time, you will feel better, especially if you reach out for help. If you are feeling suicidal, know that there are many people who want to support you during this difficult time, so please reach out for help!
When you’re feeling extremely depressed or suicidal, your problems don’t seem temporary—they seem overwhelming and permanent. But with time, you will feel better, especially if you reach out for help. If you are feeling suicidal, know that there are people who want to support you during this difficult time, so please reach out for help!
Read Suicide Help or call 1-800-273-TALK in the U.S. or visit IASP or Suicide.org to find a helpline in your State.
If Someone You Love is Suicidal...
If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, express your concern and seek professional help immediately. Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life! Read Suicide Prevention.
If You Are Feeling Suicidal...
Bipolar Disorder:
When Depression is Just One Side of the Coin
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is characterized by cycling mood changes including episodes of depression alternate with manic episodes, which can include impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, rapid speech, and little to no sleep. Typically, the switch from one mood extreme to the other is gradual, with each manic or depressive episode lasting for at least several weeks. When depressed, a person with bipolar disorder exhibits the usual symptoms of major depression. However, the treatments for bipolar depression are very different. In fact, antidepressants can make bipolar depression worse.
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Prevention
Mania as a result of bipolar disorder can only be prevented through ongoing pharmacologic treatment. Patient education in the form of therapy or self-help groups is crucial for training patients to recognize signs of mania and to take an active part in their treatment program. Psychotherapy is an important adjunctive treatment for patients with bipolar disorder.
CBT works in several ways to help bipolar people spot an impending mood shift, stop it, or minimize its impact:
• Psychoeducation. Educating patients about their illness is an important part of early CBT sessions. People have to fully understand bipolar disorder and the importance of sticking to their medications.
• Cognitive restructuring. The therapist works with patients to eliminate negative or hyper-positive thoughts. For instance, a person in a manic state can underestimate risky behaviors and their consequences. The therapist will help the patient challenge thoughts like “Money doesn’t matter, live for the moment!” or “I’m irresistibly attractive.” These types of thoughts can lead to huge spending sprees, risky sex, or other actions that could have dire consequences. People with bipolar disorder may also have automatic negative thoughts that distort situations and lead to depression. For example: Mary goes to a party and discovers she doesn’t know anyone there. She starts feeling anxious and sad when no one talks to her. She starts thinking, “No one likes me, I’m a loser,” and goes home. The therapist will challenge the distorted “self-talk” so that Mary can spot and stop the thoughts and replace them with more realistic ones, improving her mood.
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• CBT is a very structured bipolar therapy in which the therapist and client work on specific problems and set clear goals. It’s considered to be briefer than other forms of psychotherapy. Reilly-Harrington says 12 to 20 sessions are an average course of treatment for bipolar disorder, but the length depends on the severity of the illness and if other conditions — anxiety, for example — exist.
• “Homework is a big part of CBT; much progress can be accomplished in between sessions,” says Reilly-Harrington. Patients practice techniques to monitor their thoughts and respond to depressive or unrealistically positive thoughts. They are asked to complete daily mood charts to track mood changes, sleep cycles, and events that trigger symptoms.
• They are also asked to prepare a treatment contract. “A treatment contract is a plan for preventing and coping with future episodes,” Reilly-Harrington says. Patients name a support team to help them spot triggers and signs of relapse. “Family or support team members can attend several therapy sessions to participate in the formulation of the treatment contract,” explains Reilly-Harrington.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by both manic and depressive episodes.
Mania is an abnormally HIGH mental state, characterized by feelings of euphoria, lack of inhibitions, an affective mental illness that causes radical emotional changes and mood swings. A manic episode as an abnormally elevated mood lasting at least one week is distinguished by at least three of the following symptoms: inflated self-esteem, feelings of self-importance, elation, decreased need for sleep, talkativeness, racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, or excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences, sociability, and a desire to embark on goal-oriented activities, coupled with the less desirable characteristics of irritability, impatience, impulsiveness, hyperactivity, If the mood of the patient is irritable and not elevated.
(Note: Hypomania is a term applied to a condition resembling mania. It is characterized by persistent or elevated expansive mood, hyperactivity, inflated self esteem, etc., but of less intensity than mania).
Severe mania may have psychotic features. Mania can be induced by the use or abuse of stimulant drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines. In extreme cases, mania can induce hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms.
Sources
•American Psychiatric Association
•National Institute of Mental Health
Handbook of Psychology, Vol. 8 (John Wiley
Reprinted with permission from The Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Supported by an educational grant from Sponsored by www.MEASUREcme.org
Use the ABC, Stuck Point, and ELF Worksheets!
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Use the Relax, FIRE, EFT, and Stress Ball Exercises!
Author:
"Men Are From Mars
Woman Are From Venus"
MARS VENUS HEALTH COACH
Speaks On
Bipolar Disorder
Manic Depression.
Permission Granted by Dr. JOHN GRAY
MARS VENUS HEALTH TEAM