Bipolar Disorder and Depressive Episodes

Bipolar disorder can also be known as manic-depressive illness. It is a condition in which the affected suffers from severe mood swings, some lasting weeks or even months. Typically manic episodes, or extreme happiness are interchanged with episodes of extreme depression, sometime with a period of normal behavior and mood in between. This article will concentrate on the symptoms of severe depressive episodes and their affects on the person with the illness.

There are many ways to recognize a depressive episode. Changes in mood and behavior are usually drastic. Typically the person suffering is very sad and depressed, sometimes even in denial of the depression. Often times the individual will lose interest in activities that they usually find enjoyable. Changes in eating habits can also occur. Some individuals will begin overeating and gaining weight, while some loose interest in food and begin loosing weight as a result. Sleep habits may change as well. In the same way that the afflicted individual eats too much or too little, the person may begin sleeping too much or not enough. Other symptoms include extreme fatigue, a loss of self worth, as well as the loss of the ability to concentrate. The most severe symptom is thoughts of suicide. Some individuals have hopes of dying while others will make plans for their own death and possibly attempt suicide.

A typical depressive episode can last for up to six months or longer if the individual is not treated. Bipolar disorder can be treated with medication and therapy. If the person with the disorder and those individuals surrounding them need recognize the symptoms in order to get treatment. That is when they can return their lives back to normal.