Bipolar Symptoms and Bipolar Support: Bipolar Mania
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive illness, is a serious mood disorder that affects approximately one percent of Americans. Though many people focus on the depressive episodes associated with the illness, it’s important to note that bipolar mania requires just as much attention and support.
What are the Symptoms of Bipolar Mania?
Opposite of depression, bipolar manias most common symptoms include increased energy, decreased need for sleep, rapid speech, euphoria, hypersexuality, and impulsiveness. Bipolar mania can be described as “hyper” which many people experience.
Racing thoughts, which can be disjointed, is a common symptom not always noticeable by family or friends. Easily distracted, even by things that seem not important, patients can often be seen in conversations with people suffering from the same symptom. Bipolar mania patient will make “clang associations,” which is the association of words based on how they sound and jump from topic to topic quickly.
The impulsiveness associated with bipolar mania can be dangerous in some cases. Patients have impaired judgment, and may not think about the consequences of their actions. Impulsiveness can lead to reckless and risky behavior that may even endanger the patient, or others. Because of this, bipolar support groups are important in the treatment and management of bipolar mania.
Bipolar Mania and the Support Available
Those struggling with bipolar mania, benefit a lot from support groups helping him/her put feelings, decisions, and thoughts into proper perspective. Usually in addition to seeing a psychiatrist or counselor on a regular basis, bipolar support groups are incorporated into the regular psychotherapy for the treatment of manic depressive illness.
Led by a counselor or psychiatrist who facilitates meetings, gets patients talking, and offers expert advice about comments and questions that come up, bipolar support groups are a great “sounding board” for patients. It is a place where they are reminded about many of the decisions they’re making are because of the illness and not of how they are feeling.
There is support for people with bipolar depression which many people know. Because they feel “good” when at the manic episode, they are reluctant to seek the support they need, which can be just as dangerous as avoiding help when they are down. For anyone suffering from bipolar depression or bipolar mania, support groups offer great resources.
How to get more information about bipolar.
Available online are lots of information on bipolar mania and bipolar support groups. Educating the public about manic depressive illness, one very valuable website is knowingbipolardisorder.com, which is an authority site covering a variety of topics helpful to patients. It includes specific articles about bipolar support groups and bipolar mania.