Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that affects the way a person thinks and behaves. A person with bipolar disorder can sometimes be delighted and sometimes feel extremely sad. It causes a change in a person’s mood — the mood range from emotional highs to emotional lows.
Such mood swings also affect sleep, energy, and behavior of a person. A person can experience such mood swings every week or once or twice in a year. About 5.7 million US adults above the age of 18 are affected by it.
SYMPTOMS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
There are different bipolar disorder symptoms, which can vary from one person to another.
Feeling extremely happy or sad
Trouble in concentration
Restlessness
Being more active than usual
Talking fast
Difficulty in sleeping
Lack of energy
Feeling worried
Suicidal thoughts
Irritability
Eating too less or too more
CONDITIONS THAT CAN CO-OCCUR WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER
Many people with bipolar disorder can also experience other mental health conditions.
1) Psychosis:
It happens when a person experiences symptoms of mania and depression, along with hallucinations. It can happen at different stages of bipolar disorder. At some point, it can be frightening for the person experiencing it and to those around them.
A person having a psychotic episode can also experience:
Hallucinations
Delusions
Confused thoughts
Lack of self-awareness
Nearly two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder experience psychosis disorder.
2) Anxiety Disorders Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
People suffering from ADHD and anxiety are often diagnosed with bipolar disorder. On an estimate, 9 percent to 35 percent with bipolar disorder also suffer from ADHD.
ADHD and bipolar disorder have some symptoms in common:
Restlessness
Lack of attention
Frustration
Inability to manage time
Organization problems
Lack of social functioning
ADHD can be diagnosed at an early age without any symptoms of depression or maniac. But if the symptoms include a decrease in sleep, extreme mood swings, and an inflated sense of self, then a person can be experiencing a manic or depressive episode in addition to ADHD.
These symptoms can also be found in people who are not identified early with ADHD and have suffered it for years without proper diagnosis. About 60 percent of children with ADHD have bipolar disorder when they grow up.
3) Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol:
People who have bipolar disorder are more likely to misuse alcohol and drugs. Overuse of it may cause a change in an individual’s physical and emotional well being.
If someone is suffering from a drug problem and bipolar disorder, then it is a case of a dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and substance abuse. Drug addiction can cause a change in the brain, which causes bipolar disorder because it rewires the parts of the brain, which affect mood and behavior.
Those who have bipolar disorder at an early age are more prone to substance abuse than those who experienced it as an adult.
Sometimes genetics can also play a role in the combination of the two. It is found that 60 percent of people with bipolar disorder have a history of substance abuse.
4) Eating Disorders:
Some people having bipolar disorder also have other issues such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Patients of bipolar disorder struggle to control their appetite along with their mood swings.
Common characteristics between the two include:
Weight problems
Eating irregularities
Acting impulsively
The severe bipolar disorder and mood swings, the more likely it is to develop bulimia or anorexia. The for bipolar disorder treatment and the treatment for eating disorders are different since the antidepressants which are given to treat the eating disorder are not recommended for bipolar disorder.
BIPOLAR DISORDER CLINICAL TRIALS AT CMB MEDICAL TRIAL
Convincing people to participate in paid clinical trials can be complicated. Several factors can influence the decision to participate in a clinical trial, the most prominent being whether you wish to contribute to the advancement of medications.
Your participation in a clinical trial does not only benefit other patients and prospect treatments for several diseases, but you can also get early access to medicines that are not yet available for the general public. You are also financially compensated for your time and effort.
Your participation in a clinical trial can help in medical advancement, and clinical research studies cannot be conducted without you. If you are someone living with bipolar disorder, then you can participate in clinical trials at CMB in California.
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