Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness is a brain disorder that causes unusual mood swings, energy shifts and differences in activity level. Bipolar I last at least seven days. It is more severe and needs immediate doctor’s attention. Bipolar II on the other is less severe than bipolar I. An individual experiences hypomanic episodes when high and depression when low. According Liu et al. (2017), the following 15 are among the common terminologies used to describe Bipolar I and Bipolar II:
Mania : This is a high mood that is somehow severed. An individual appears to be psychotic in the sense of having frequent hallucinations.
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Hypomania : This is a high mood that is less severe than mania. An individual does not show any psychotic features (Wiggins et al., 2017).
Anticonvulsant : It is a class of medication that prevents epileptic seizures. They include valproate and carbamazepine.
Catatonia: This is a state where an individual lacks rhythm or movement or language usually including odd or unusual physical and non-verbal responses to stimuli. Sometimes periods of agitation and overexcitement can also be seen (Wiggins et al., 2017).
Circadian rhythm : A pattern of sleep, wakefulness, and energy seen in bipolar patients through the day. Circadian rhythm has been thought to affect the mood of bipolar individuals.
Decompensation: A state of return of symptoms that had been under control. Commonly known as a relapse.
Dysthymia : It is a persistent level of depression where an individual is irritable and unable to feel any pleasures or joy.
Cyclothymia (hypomania and mild depression): It is a milder form of bipolar disorder that consists of cyclical mood swings. The symptoms are less severe than depression.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Is a treatment for certain mental illnesses where electrical currents are sent to the brain and to induce a seizure. It is effective for people with depression and those who do not respond to medication or talk therapy.
References
Liu, T., Wang, Y., Zhong, S., Wang, B., Liao, X., Lai, S., & Jia, Y. (2017). A comparison of neurometabolites between remitted bipolar disorder and depressed bipolar disorder: A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 211, 153-161.
Wiggins, J. L., Brotman, M. A., Adleman, N. E., Kim, P., Wambach, C. G., Reynolds, R. C., Chen, G., ... Leibenluft, E. (2017). Neural Markers in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Familial Risk for Bipolar Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56, 1, 67-78.
