Table of contents:
- Bipolar disorder: types
- Type I
- Type II
- Cyclothymia
- Symptoms of bipolar disorder in women
- Consequences of bipolar disorder
- Bipolar disorder: treatment
- Medication
- Psychotherapy
Rating: 4.3 (7 votes) 8 comments
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes alterations in mood. We speak of bipolar because there are two poles, one where depression predominates and the other where mania or hypomania predominates. This means that the person experiences alternately or sometimes at the same time periods in which symptoms of depression appear (being sad, dejected, with feelings of worthlessness, without wanting to do anything, with catastrophic and extremely negative thoughts, tired, etc.) and the other side of this disorder is mania, which is why the person also experiences its own symptoms (they feel capable of doing everything they propose, which leads them to take great risks, has excess energy, euphoria, irritability, hyperactivity, is extroverted, etc.).Bipolar disorder is quite a serious problem and currently 1 in 15 people have it.
In this Psychology-Online article: bipolar disorder - symptoms in women, we will learn in more detail what this disorder consists of, the types that exist, what are the symptoms of bipolar disorder in women, the consequences it can bring with it and the treatment that must be followed to overcome it.
You may also be interested in: Manic-Depressive Disorder (Bipolar) Index- Bipolar disorder: types
- Symptoms of bipolar disorder in women
- Consequences of bipolar disorder
- Bipolar disorder: treatment
Bipolar disorder: types
Type I
The person experiences at least one manic phase, which has lasted for more than a week. Some people may only experience manic phases, however, most will also have depressive episodes. For example, the person may feel sad, not wanting anything, spend all day in bed and suddenly wake up and feel like the happiest person in the world, talk to people, do business, dance, sing, etc., or on the contrary, be in a manic and effusive state and suddenly find yourself depressed.
Type II
The person experiences more than one severe depressive phase but only moderate or hypomanic manic phases. Generally, it is less severe than type I.
Cyclothymia
It is characterized by changes in mood, which are not as intense as in bipolar disorder. However, these can last longer and can eventually turn into full-blown bipolar disorder.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in women
This disorder is presented by both men and women, the difference is that mania predominates more in men and depression more in women. Women are often more vulnerable due to hormonal changes. It has also been found that there is an increased risk of type II bipolar disorder in women. Some of the symptoms of this condition in women are the following:
- They present a greater number of depressive symptoms.
- More likely to have suicide attempts.
- Anxiety.
- Eating disorders may appear.
- Pregnancy increases the symptoms of bipolarity.
- Irritability.
- During the manic episode, they can show an increase in self-esteem and it is glimpsed in verbiage (tendency to talk continuously without stopping).
- Weight gain due to inactivity.
- They experience the worst mood swings during menstruation.
- They may experience relapses within a period of 3 to 6 months after delivery.
- During the postpartum period, psychotic disorders may appear (the person may experience delusions and visual or auditory hallucinations).
Consequences of bipolar disorder
When the person with this disorder does not receive treatment, they can have serious complications in one or more areas of their life. Some of these complications are generally the following:
- Economic problems due to the fact that when they are in periods of euphoria they can make large expenses and unnecessary investments.
- They are more likely to have high-risk sex in high-risk episodes, which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
- Problems related to substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs.
- Legal problems, since they may feel that they are capable of achieving everything they set out to do and take many risks without thinking about the possible consequences.
- Problems in the couple's relationship due to sudden changes in mood and lack of understanding of this condition.
- Low school and academic performance. These people can perform their work in an excellent way when they are in a not so exaggerated state of euphoria, however, when depressive episodes appear they can even drop out of school or work.
- Sleeping problems.
- Isolating themselves because they can have problems with other people, especially women, since in depressive states a great feeling of loneliness usually appears.
- Lithium is a mood stabilizer that is generally used to treat this condition, however, it causes women to have a higher risk of developing hypothyroid problems.
Bipolar disorder: treatment
There are things a person with this disease can do to keep their moods from turning into bouts of depression or mania. However, all people with this type of disorder necessarily need to be treated by a professional. Treatment consists of the following:
Medication
The administration of some drugs is necessary to maintain a stable mood and control manic and depressive episodes. Lithium is a widely used mood stabilizer and can be used to control both manic and depressive phases. Lithium treatment must be administered initially by a psychiatrist, since in order to work it requires a dose that is not too low or too high because it can be toxic. However, once the correct dose is established, the GP can administer it. Lithium treatment can have unpleasant side effects, but these tend to go away over time.
The psychiatrist also usually administers valproatro sodium and olanzapine. On the other hand, carbamazepine is indicated if you have rapid and frequent changes in mood. Sometimes, the combination of different medications is necessary, depending on the improvement that is obtained with each of them. Generally, an antidepressant medication is added to any mood stabilizer.
Psychotherapy
The cognitive behavioral therapy has proven beneficial complementing it with medication to treat such ailments. This therapy consists of approximately 16 sessions, which will be divided into a period of 6 to 9 months. Among the main objectives of this therapy are to provide information to the person receiving treatment and family members about bipolar disorder, help the person to identify the moments in which their mood begins to change, applying techniques to prevent start having manic or depressive episodes and help her cope and solve the problems that arise in her daily life.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms in Women, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical Psychology.