Bipolar what kind of disorder

Your mania may be so bad that it requires you to be hospitalized to ease the symptoms. Bipolar 2 disorder is characterized by having both manic and depressive episodes. In cyclothymic disorder, you experience both manic and depressive episodes for two years or longer.

For children, the same is true except they have to experience both for at least a year to be diagnosed. The mania and depression in this disorder are usually less severe than that of bipolar 1 or bipolar 2. Cyclothymic disorder causes unstable moods, meaning you may have periods of normalcy mixed with mania and depression. Treatment will depend on which type of bipolar disorder you have, and what your symptoms are. Medications that may be used include:.

At Boston MindCare, our doctors offer a unique treatment option when nothing else has worked. Ketamine infusion therapy can help the symptoms of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. It works by inhibiting glutamate in your brain to stabilize your mood. Symptoms of mania include: Difficulty sleeping Extreme energy Increased self-esteem Difficulty concentrating Racing thoughts On the opposite end of the spectrum, depression can change your emotional highs to hopeless lows.

If you have bipolar disorder with depression , symptoms you may experience include: Fatigue Sadness Decreased energy Overeating or loss of appetite Suicidal thoughts Our team at Boston MindCare take a detailed history to decipher your symptoms and give you a definitive diagnosis.

Types of bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder is a condition that affects your brain and your mental health. Bipolar 1 This type of bipolar disorder is characterized by manic episodes, with or without depression symptoms. A manic episode is a period of at least one week when a person is extremely high-spirited or irritable most of the day for most days, possesses more energy than usual, and experiences at least three of the following changes in behavior:.

Symptoms must be severe enough to cause dysfunction in work, family, or social activities and responsibilities. Symptoms of a manic episode commonly require a person to receive hospital care to stay safe. A hypomanic episode is characterized by less severe manic symptoms that need to last only four days in a row rather than a week.

Hypomanic symptoms do not lead to the major problems in daily functioning that manic symptoms commonly cause. A major depressive episode is a period of at least two weeks in which a person has at least five of the following symptoms including at least one of the first two symptoms :. Bipolar disorder symptoms commonly improve with treatment. Medication is the cornerstone of bipolar disorder treatment, though talk therapy psychotherapy can help many patients learn about their illness and adhere to medications, preventing future mood episodes.

These medications are believed to correct imbalanced brain signaling. Because bipolar disorder is a chronic illness in which mood episodes typically recur, ongoing preventive treatment is recommended. Bipolar disorder treatment is individualized; people with bipolar disorder may need to try different medications before finding what works best for them. In some cases, when medication and psychotherapy have not helped, an effective treatment known as electroconvulsive therapy ECT may be used.

ECT involves several rounds of a brief electrical current applied to the scalp while the patient is under anesthesia, leading to a short, controlled seizure. ECT-induced seizures are believed to remodel brain signaling pathways. From these sources, families can learn strategies for coping, participating actively in the treatment, and obtaining support.

A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder requires someone to have at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode see above. People return to their usual functioning between episodes. People with bipolar II disorder often first seek treatment as a result of their first depressive episode, since hypomanic episodes often feel pleasurable and can even increase performance at work or school. About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness.

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Get Involved Share Your Story. Get Involved Partner with Us. Advocacy Advocate for Change. Advocacy Policy Priorities. Advocacy Policy Platform. Advocacy Crisis Intervention. Advocacy State Fact Sheets. Advocacy Public Policy Reports. Bipolar Disorder. Symptoms Symptoms and their severity can vary. Causes Scientists have not yet discovered a single cause of bipolar disorder.

Currently, they believe several factors may contribute, including: Genetics. But the role of genetics is not absolute: A child from a family with a history of bipolar disorder may never develop the disorder. Studies of identical twins have found that, even if one twin develops the disorder, the other may not. A stressful event such as a death in the family, an illness, a difficult relationship, divorce or financial problems can trigger a manic or depressive episode.

Brain structure and function. Brain scans cannot diagnose bipolar disorder, yet researchers have identified subtle differences in the average size or activation of some brain structures in people with bipolar disorder.