Bipolar disorders and Clinical Depression

About Bipolar Disorder type I

Bipolar disorder type I is a sub-type of the bipolar disorder which is a severe and serious mental illness, formerly known under the name of manic depressive illness. It is characterized by the occurrence of one or more manic or mixed episodes, usually accompanied by major depressive episodes.
These severe disorders of mood often lead to problems in everyday life, hinder the personal relations and can lead to suicide attempts. The first manic episode, necessary to establish a diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I, is often preceded by one or more depressive episodes.

No single cause has been identified to explain the origin of bipolar disorders, but biological, psychological and social factors would be involved and would lead to chemical changes in the brain.

Symptoms

Patients with bipolar disorder type I may experience unusual intense emotional states which occur during distinct periods known as "episodes".

During a manic episode, one often finds an excessive joy, a state of over-excitation, sometimes of irritability, associated with increased energy and an increase in activity. This condition is characteristic for the bipolar disorder of type II. The symptoms also include an exaggerated self-confidence, a leak of ideas, a reduced need to sleep, a need to talk excessively, and a tendency to a impulsive and reckless behavior.
The manic episodes may alternate with episodes of prolonged depression, in which there is a degradation of mood and a decrease of energy and activity. We find also "mixed" episodes, when manic and depressive symptoms occur during the same episode and that the patient alternates quickly between these states.

Types of bipolar disorder

Bipolar I disorder

Bipolar II disorder

Cyclothymia

Mixed state bipolar disorder

        Rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Statistics

Bipolar disorders affect more than 30 million people in the world, and are among the top 10 causes of invalidity and disability. Up to 2% of Europeans suffer from bipolar disorders at a certain time in their life, of which about half will develop bipolar disorder type I.

Bipolar disorders of type I are also common among men as among women, and affect people of all ethnic and social backgrounds. The risk of developing bipolar disorder is higher among young adults, with half the cases beginning before the age of 25 years.
People with bipolar disorder type I are likely to develop other diseases at the same time (what is called "comorbidity" ).  The recent "Survey on Mental Health in the World" initiated by the World Health Organization has revealed that two thirds of people who have bipolar disorder also suffer from anxiety disorders, and more than a third have an addiction. Despite the gravity of the pathology, less than half of the people with bipolar disorder receive treatment for their illness.

Diagnosis and support

There is no curative treatment for the bipolar disorder type I, but with an effective treatment most patients are able to better control their symptoms.

The doctor established the diagnosis by asking the patient to describe the schema of its symptoms. The treatment of bipolar disorder type I must support effectively the mania and depressive disorders, but also the mixed episodes and of "Rapid Cycling" (fast mood changes ).  It is also important to avoid recidivism. The treatment usually includes the use of drugs associated with psychosocial interventions such as cognitive therapy.

Bipolar disorder type I represent a severe mental illness for which a social and professional assistance is crucial.
 Depression, what is it?
 It's important to understand that depression is a clinical disease that affects the brain; it's not something made up in the head. More than 20 million people in the United States have extreme depression, feeling hopeless and upset all the time.  Depression is not just an ephemeral sadness or hopeless mood that lifts in a few hours or days, but is continual and constant.  Symptoms can go on and interfere with your daily life.
Depressive illnesses are considered as brain disorders. researches show that the brains who have depression seem different than those of people who don't. In clinically depressed people, the parts of the brain in charge of regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior don't work in normal way.  Plus, researchers have discovered that the chemicals brain cells used to communicate appear to be unbalanced or lopsided in the brains of someone who is clinically suffering from this serious illness.
Kinds of depression
Several types of depressive troubles exist and can be explained. Some kinds of depression may develop under some cases. Dysthymic, psychotic disorder and major depressive disorder are the most common forms of depression. Bipolar disorder, also known as "manic-depressive illness" is a serious mental illness characterized by gales of depression, and it is not as common as major depression or dysthymia. We outline the common forms of depressions:

Dysthymic disorder

Major depressive disorder

Psychotic depression

Postpartum depression 

        Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) 




For more information see also:
Depression among young people

Références

1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, DSM-IV-TR.Washington,DC: 2000.

2. World Health Organisation. The global burden of disease. 2004 update. www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/2004_report_update/en/index.html. Accessed 06/09/11.

3. Merikangas KR, Jin R, He JP, et al. Prevalence and correlates of bipolar spectrum disorder in the world mental health survey initiative. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2011; 68 (3): 241–251.

4. Pini S, de Queiroz V, Pagnin D, et al. Prevalence and burden of bipolar disorders in European countries. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2005; 15 (4): 425–434.

5. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, et al. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Co-morbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005; 62 (6): 593–602.