SLEEP ALL NIGHT

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a medical illness that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning.

• These shifts may be very dramatic. They vary over the course of a person’s life
• Over 10 million people in America have bipolar disorder, affecting equally men and women 
• Bipolar disorder is a chronic and generally life-long condition with recurring episodes of mania and depression. It can last from days to months that often begin in adolescence or early adulthood, and occasionally even in children
• Most people require some sort of lifelong treatment when they diagnosed with bipolar disorder
• While medication is one key element in successful treatment of bipolar disorder, psychotherapy, support, and education about this illness are also essential components of the treatment process.

What causes bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and studies suggest a genetic component to the illness.

• A stressful environment or negative life events may interact with an underlying genetic or biological vulnerability to produce the disorder
• There are other possible “triggers” of bipolar episodes:
  • the treatment of depression with an antidepressant medication may trigger a switch into mania
  • sleep deprivation may trigger mania
  • hypothyroidism may produce depression or mood instability
• Note that bipolar episodes can occur without any obvious trigger.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

While there is no cure for bipolar disorder, it is a treatable and manageable illness:

• After an accurate diagnosis, most people can achieve an optimal level of wellness
• Medication is the most successful treatment for people with bipolar disorder
• In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, and psychoeducation are important to help people understand the illness
• Changes in medications or doses may be necessary, as well as changes in treatment plans during different stages of the illness

Watch Video: Bipolar Terminology 6 treatment & medications

This video covers terms regarding treatment for bipolar disorder and medications that may be prescribed – psychiatry, cognitive-behavioral therapy, DSM-IV; antidepressant, mood stabilizer, anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, ECT (electroconvulsive or electroshock therapy. (Penny Ann)

 Oxford University

In a study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Allison G. Harvey, PhD, and colleagues in the department of experimental psychology determined that even between acute episodes of bipolar disorder, sleep problems were still documented in 70 percent of those who were experiencing a normal (euthymic) mood at the time.

• These normal-mood patients with bipolar disorder expressed dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors regarding sleep that were similar to those suffering from insomnia, such as high levels of anxiety, fear about poor sleep, low daytime activity level, and a tendency to misperceive sleep
• Dr. Harvey concluded that even when the bipolar patients were not in a depressive, hypomanic, or manic mood state, they still had difficulty maintaining good sleep.