Definition and causes

Bipolar disorder (formerly known as the maniodepressiv disease) is often a lifelong disease, which manifests itself in episodes of fluctuating mood (mood) beyond the normal. These mood swings can take varying degrees from slightly lifted mood in shorter time, days (hypo mania), with strong promise mood and arousal (mania) for a long time, and reduced mood for a long time (depression).

After you have had (ie diagnosed with the doctor) 2 cases of either a mania hypomania or mania, with the disease between freedom (months), it is called bipolar disease. It is also known as bipolar illness, if you have had depressionandone of the above.

The risk of developing bipolar illness is about. 1 percent of the general population. This figure increased by a factor of 10 if it is 1 degree relative of someone with the disease (eg. if your father has the disease), reflecting a large hereditary factor. The disease usually begins before 30 years of age, and half have onset before the age of 20 years. The disease often go straight to the men and women.

Besides a hereditary factor, it is felt that external stress is the primary cause of an illness episode in sensitive individuals. In this context, especially shortage of sleep is an important factor. In addition, diseases affecting the brain, for example. inflammation of the brain,blood clot, Trauma ormultiple sclerosislead development of the disease.

Abuse of hashish, alcohol and drugs are also helping to increase the risk, but only if you are already predisposed to the disease. Last believes that the reason could be changed circumstances in the signaling agents in the brain (neurotransmitters).

Symptoms of bipolar disease

Episodes of fluctuating mood appears with symptoms similar to the mood that comes in. This can be hypo mania ( "less fancy"), mania or depression.

Ahypomanepisode seen by:

• Slightly lifted mood, increased energy and increased activity.
  
  
• The person becomes more extrovert and talk the talk.
  
  
• Often there is reduced sleep needs.

There may be situations where there are:

• Overmodighed and the urge to buy things.

Normally, persons with hypoman state to perform its work.

Amanic episodeseen by:

• Elevated mood for no reason.
  
  
• Increased energy, activity and sexual operation.
  
  
• Reduced sleep needs.
  
  
• In everyday person is easily distracted and can not keep your attention.
  
  
• There is greatness of mind and enormous confidence and loss of inhibitions, which can destroy the social interaction with other people.
  
  
• Some are easy to be angry and irritable.
  

During a manic episode might occurhallucinations or delusions, And the person may be considered psychotic (crazy). This means that the person lacks the ability to reality test the outside world and therefore experiencing things that only makes sense for him. Usually, these ideas in line with the mood-time, and for example, a manic person to have greatness thoughts about being "God's henchman, who controls the world" or similar. Often requiring a state hospital in the psychiatric hospital, with a view to optimal treatment.

Amajor depressive episodeseen by: 

• Decreased appetite and interest in things that normally is interesting for the person.
  
  
• Moodiness, mimikfattighed and sense of hopelessness.
  
  
• Decreased energy and increased trætbarhed.

For more on depression disease refers to the articledepression. 

Precautions and diagnosis

Bipolar illness is a serious disease, and diagnosis can only be made by a specialist in psychiatry. This is usually during hospitalization in a psychiatric unit, where you observe and have conversations with that person. There is a wide range of criteria that must be met before we can make the diagnosis, why diseases that are transient and are similar, they should be excluded.

Get the feeling that someone in his social circle has changed dramatically, we should encourage that person to seek medical advice. If the person has been difficult otherwise, you can even contact your doctor for advice on how to tackle the situation. In some cases where there is a psychosis, your doctor may be forced to enter by force. This is done for the person's own best efforts to prevent the disease worsens, the person doing harm to thems