Bipolar Disorder

What is Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder, formerly known and sometimes still referred to as manic depression, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts, spikes, and drops in mood, energy, activity levels, and the inability to carry out daily tasks. People with Bipolar Disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods called “mood episodes.” Each mood episode represents a drastic change from a person’s usual mood and behavior. An overly joyful or excited 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.
Common Symptoms
Bipolar Disorder is a complex condition that is often misdiagnosed as simply Depression or Anxiety due to overlapping symptoms, which include:
Explosiveness and/or irritability
Rapid, erratic talking
Inability to concentrate
Marked changes in energy and activity levels
Doing several tasks at once, restlessness
Extreme changes in sleep
Extreme feelings of powerfulness or just the opposite, powerlessness
Exhibiting impulsive and/or poor judgement
Marked increase or decrease in sex drive
Impacted Areas of the Brain
Based on medical literature, SPECT imaging will show increased blood flow at baseline typically seen on the cortex, characterized by “hot spots”. The signature pattern is also known as “Ring of Fire.”
Research Articles
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