Post by ppyenews on Aug 29, 2007 4:49:13 GMT -5
Welcome to “Talkback Topic’ – I’m Phillip Pye.
All of us I guess know of people who seem to have good days and just as much, have bad days. Most of us just put up with it and soldier on but there is an unbelievable amount of people who live with this unfortunate phenomenon every day of their lives. The illness they suffer from is called bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic depression) where one day they may feel so depressed that they cannot get out of bed and similarly on another day they may feel great and full of endless energy and feel like they’re getting a lot done despite other people thinking that what they are doing is dangerous and out of control. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition that can be hard to diagnose. It is an illness that many people find difficult to understand, although it is nothing to be embarrassed about as learning more about how to manage the condition can help.
Bipolar disorder can be hard to detect because the symptoms can be similar to other mood disorders. It is not uncommon for people to have the condition for a decade or more before a correct diagnosis is made. This could be due to the symptoms as when people are feeling manic or hypomanic, they can be full of energy, usually feel good, and often don’t seek help. Alternatively, people are more likely to seek help when they experience depression. When people feel depressed, they tend to only describe depression symptoms in fact they may not mention the times when they are feeling good. It is not uncommon for many of the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder to be associated with other illnesses, such as anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. This can make it even more difficult to make a correct diagnosis.
There are four main types of Bipolar Disorder. Firstly there is Bipolar 1 Disorder where the sufferer may have had at least one episode of mania or mixed mood and often experience depression too. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes mood swings happen when the seasons change. Then there is Bipolar II Disorder where the sufferer may have had at least one episode of depression and at least one period of hypomania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania. In between, moods may be normal or happen when the seasons change. Then we have Cyclothymic Disorder which is a milder form of bipolar disorder where the sufferer may go back and forth between mild depression and a slightly elevated mood. The mood swings are shorter and less severe. Many people with cyclothymic disorder go on to have a stronger type of bipolar disorder. Finally there is Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified which is when the sufferer does not fit into the types previously mentioned and vary from person to person. The first medical breakthrough in treating bipolar disorder came in the 1950s. Mental health researchers in Melbourne have come up with what they are calling a pioneering program. The researchers have developed a behavioural treatment for the disorder, which is linked to a high percentage of suicides in Australia. The team, led by the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria says the new treatment has halved the number of relapses suffered by the program's participants. For such a debilitating illness this can only be good news.
I’m Phillip Pye.
All of us I guess know of people who seem to have good days and just as much, have bad days. Most of us just put up with it and soldier on but there is an unbelievable amount of people who live with this unfortunate phenomenon every day of their lives. The illness they suffer from is called bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic depression) where one day they may feel so depressed that they cannot get out of bed and similarly on another day they may feel great and full of endless energy and feel like they’re getting a lot done despite other people thinking that what they are doing is dangerous and out of control. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition that can be hard to diagnose. It is an illness that many people find difficult to understand, although it is nothing to be embarrassed about as learning more about how to manage the condition can help.
Bipolar disorder can be hard to detect because the symptoms can be similar to other mood disorders. It is not uncommon for people to have the condition for a decade or more before a correct diagnosis is made. This could be due to the symptoms as when people are feeling manic or hypomanic, they can be full of energy, usually feel good, and often don’t seek help. Alternatively, people are more likely to seek help when they experience depression. When people feel depressed, they tend to only describe depression symptoms in fact they may not mention the times when they are feeling good. It is not uncommon for many of the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder to be associated with other illnesses, such as anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. This can make it even more difficult to make a correct diagnosis.
There are four main types of Bipolar Disorder. Firstly there is Bipolar 1 Disorder where the sufferer may have had at least one episode of mania or mixed mood and often experience depression too. In between, your mood may be normal. Sometimes mood swings happen when the seasons change. Then there is Bipolar II Disorder where the sufferer may have had at least one episode of depression and at least one period of hypomania. Hypomania is a milder form of mania. In between, moods may be normal or happen when the seasons change. Then we have Cyclothymic Disorder which is a milder form of bipolar disorder where the sufferer may go back and forth between mild depression and a slightly elevated mood. The mood swings are shorter and less severe. Many people with cyclothymic disorder go on to have a stronger type of bipolar disorder. Finally there is Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified which is when the sufferer does not fit into the types previously mentioned and vary from person to person. The first medical breakthrough in treating bipolar disorder came in the 1950s. Mental health researchers in Melbourne have come up with what they are calling a pioneering program. The researchers have developed a behavioural treatment for the disorder, which is linked to a high percentage of suicides in Australia. The team, led by the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria says the new treatment has halved the number of relapses suffered by the program's participants. For such a debilitating illness this can only be good news.
I’m Phillip Pye.