Bipolar Symptoms and Bipolar Support: Bipolar Mania
Affecting approximately one percent of Americans, bipolar disorder, also known as a manic depressive illness, is a serious mood disorder. Many people focus on the depressive episodes but equal attention must be given to the mania side of the disorder.
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.
Common but not always noticeable by family or friends is another symptom connected to thoughts which are disjointed and running. Those suffering from bipolar mania are easily distracted even by things that are not very important and jump from topic to topic quickly, making "clang associations," which is the association of words based on sound rather than meaning.
In some cases the impulsiveness associated with bipolar mania can be dangerous. Patients do not think about the consequences of their actions because their judgments are impaired. This leads to reckless and risky behaviors that may even endanger the patient, or others. Bipolar support groups are important in the treatment and management of bipolar mania.
What Support is Available for Bipolar Mania?
Bipolar support groups can be very beneficial to those struggling with bipolar mania. Not only can the patient relate to others in the group, it also helps him or her put feelings, decisions, and thoughts into perspective. Many bipolar support groups are incorporated into the regular psychotherapy for the treatment of manic depressive illness. This is usually in addition to seeing a psychiatrist or counselor on a regular basis.
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.
Many people know about the support they can get for bipolar depression. Unfortunately, because they feel "good" when manic, they don't seek the support they need, and this can be just as dangerous as avoiding help when depressed. Bipolar support groups offer great resources for anyone suffering from bipolar depression or bipolar mania.
Where Can I Get More Information?
There's lots of information available online about bipolar mania and bipolar support groups. One very valuable website is knowingbipolardisorder.com, which is an authority on educating the public about manic depressive illness. The site covers a variety of topics helpful to patients, as well as their friends and family, cope with the disease, including specific articles about bipolar mania and bipolar support groups.