Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder
that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to
carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are
different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to
time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or
school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and
people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.
Bipolar disorder often develops in a person's late teens or early adult
years. At least half of all cases start before age 25. Some people have their
first symptoms during childhood, while others may develop symptoms late in life.
Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. The symptoms may seem
like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger problem. Some people
suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes
or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully
managed throughout a person's life.
NIMH - What are bipolar disorder symptoms and signs?
People with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states
that occur in distinct periods called "mood episodes." An overly joyful or
overexcited state is called a manic episode, and an extremely sad or hopeless
state is called a depressive episode. Sometimes, a mood episode includes
symptoms of both mania and depression. This is called a mixed state. People with
bipolar disorder also may be explosive and irritable during a mood episode.
Extreme changes in energy, activity, sleep, and behavior go along with these
changes in mood. It is possible for someone with bipolar disorder to experience
a long-lasting period of unstable moods rather than discrete episodes of
depression or mania.
A person may be having an episode of bipolar disorder if he or she has a
number of manic or depressive symptoms for most of the day, nearly every day,
for at least one or two weeks. Sometimes symptoms are so severe that the person
cannot function normally at work, school, or home.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder are described below.
Symptoms of mania or a manic episode include:
Symptoms of depression or a depressive episode include:
Mood Changes
A long period of feeling "high," or an overly happy or outgoing mood
Extremely irritable mood, agitation, feeling "jumpy" or "wired."
Behavioral Changes
Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, having racing thoughts
Being easily distracted
Increasing goal-directed activities, such as taking on new projects
Being restless
Sleeping little
Having an unrealistic belief in one's abilities
Behaving impulsively and taking part in a lot of pleasurable, high-risk behaviors, such as spending sprees, impulsive sex, and impulsive business investments.
Mood Changes
A long period of feeling worried or empty
Loss of interest in activities once
enjoyed, including sex.
Behavioral Changes
Feeling tired or "slowed down"
Having problems concentrating, remembering,
and making decisions
Being restless or irritable
Changing eating, sleeping, or
other habits
Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide.
In addition to mania and depression, bipolar disorder can cause a range of
moods, as shown on the scale.
One side of the scale includes severe depression, moderate depression, and
mild low mood. Moderate depression may cause less extreme symptoms, and mild low
mood is called dysthymia when it is chronic or long-term. In the middle of the
scale is normal or balanced mood.
At the other end of the scale are hypomania and severe mania. Some people
with bipolar disorder experience hypomania. During hypomanic episodes, a person
may have increased energy and activity levels that are not as severe as typical
mania, or he or she may have episodes that last less than a week and do not
require emergency care. A person having a hypomanic episode may feel very good,
be highly productive, and function well. This person may not feel that anything
is wrong even as family and friends recognize the mood swings as possible
bipolar disorder. Without proper treatment, however, people with hypomania may
develop severe mania or depression.
During a mixed state, symptoms often include agitation, trouble sleeping,
major changes in appetite, and suicidal thinking. People in a mixed state may
feel very sad or hopeless while feeling extremely energized.
Sometimes, a person with severe episodes of mania or depression has psychotic
symptoms too, such as hallucinations or delusions. The psychotic symptoms tend
to reflect the person's extreme mood. For example, psychotic symptoms for a
person having a manic episode may include believing he or she is famous, has a
lot of money, or has special powers. In the same way, a person having a
depressive episode may believe he or she is ruined and penniless, or has
committed a crime. As a result, people with bipolar disorder who have psychotic
symptoms are sometimes wrongly diagnosed as having schizophrenia, another severe
mental illness that is linked with hallucinations and delusions.
People with bipolar disorder may also have behavioral problems. They may
abuse alcohol or substances, have relationship problems, or perform poorly in
school or at work. At first, it's not easy to recognize these problems as signs
of a major mental illness.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizzyness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to communicate and pay attention. Symptoms of psychosis appear in men in their late teens and early 20s and in women in their mid-20s to early 30s. With treatment involving the use of antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatment, schizophrenia patients can lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity. Originally thought to be at the "borderline" of psychosis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation.
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to suffer repeated obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms include irresistible impulses despite a person's realization that the thoughts are irrational, excessive hand washing, skin picking, lock checking, or repeatedly rearranging items. People with OCD are more likely to develop trichotillomania, muscle or vocal tics, or an eating disorder. Treatment for OCD includes psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has many symptoms, signs, and causes. Therapy is one treatment option for antisocial personality disorder. It is closely related to other personality disorders (PD), such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
ADHD afflicts approximately 3 percent to 5 percent of school-age children and an estimated 60 percent of those maintain the disorder into adulthood. Symptoms of adult ADHD include chronic lateness, anxiety, low self esteem, employment problems, difficulty controlling anger, impulsiveness, poor organization skills, procrastination, chronic boredom among others.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder characterized by the symptoms hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Treatment for ADHD may involve behavioral therapy and psychostimulant or antidepressant medication.
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that tends to occur as the days grow shorter in the fall and winter. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include tiredness, fatigue, depression, irritability, body aches, poor sleep and overeating.
Phobias are unrelenting fears of activities (social phobias), situations (agoraphobia), and specific items (arachnophobia). There is thought to be a hereditary component to phobias, though there may be a cultural influence or they may be triggered by life events. Symptoms and signs of phobias include having a panic attack, shaking, breathing troubles, rapid heart beat, and a strong desire to escape the situation. Treatment of phobias typically involves desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and beta blockers.
Genetic disease is a disorder or condition caused by abnormalities in a person's genome. Types of genetic inheritance include single inheritance (for example, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Marfan syndrome, and hemochromatosis), multifactoral inheritance, chromosome abnormalities (for example, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome), and mitochondrial inheritance (for example, epilepsy and dementia).
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that features schizophrenia and a mood disorder, either major depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms include agitation, suicidal thoughts, little need for sleep, delusions, hallucinations, and poor motivation. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, medication, skills training, or hospitalization.
It's important to know whether you will breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby prior to delivery, as the breasts' ability to produce milk diminishes soon after childbirth without the stimulation of breastfeeding. Breast milk is easily digested by babies and contains infection-fighting antibodies and cholesterol, which promotes brain growth. Formula-fed babies actually need to eat somewhat less often since formula is less readily digested by the baby than human milk. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of feeding.
Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others. Mental illness is caused by heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stressors.
Compulsive gambling is a disorder that affects millions in the U.S. Symptoms and signs include a preoccupation with gambling, lying to family or loved ones to hide gambling, committing crimes to finance gambling, and risking importance relationships and employment due to gambling. Treatment may incorporate participation in Gamblers' Anonymous, psychotherapy, and medications like carbamazepine, topiramate, lithium, naltrexone, antidepressants, clomipramine, and fluvoxamine.
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs within a year after delivery. It is thought that rapid hormone changes after childbirth may lead to depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression include crying a lot, headaches, chest pains, eating too little or too much, sleeping too little or too much, withdrawal from friends and family, and feeling irritable, sad, hopeless, worthless, guilty, and overwhelmed. Treatment typically involves talk therapy and medication.
Khat (Abyssinian tea, African salad, oat, kat, chat, and catha) is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat is usually chewed like tobacco, however, it can be smoked or sprinkled on food. Using Khat can cause a variety of health consequences. Khat is illegal in the United States.
Brief psychotic disorder is a short-term mental illness that features psychotic symptoms. There are three forms of brief psychotic disorder. The first occurs shortly after a major stress, the second has no apparent trauma that triggers the illness, and the third is associated with postpartum onset. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, unusual behavior, disorientation, changes in eating and sleeping, and speech that doesn't make sense. Treatment typically involves medication and psychotherapy.
Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a disorder that causes unusual and extreme mood changes. Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children and teens include having trouble concentrating, behaving in risky ways and losing interest in activities they once enjoyed. Treatment for bipolar disorder in children and teenagers incorporates psychotherapy and medications.
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