After the initial shock that I may be living on borrowed time, I found the reports encouraging. The scary thing about affective disorders like bipolar disorder is the sense of loss of control over episodes of mood changes.
But lifestyle factors are within our control, and a healthy lifestyle can definitely improve anyones probable outcome and longevity. Psych Central has closed its blog network to new content. Find more at Practicing Mental Illness. Whether you're traveling during a period of calm or leaving town to get a change of scenery during an episode, you can enjoy your vacation and return…. Men and women are equally likely to have bipolar disorder, but the symptoms can show up differently in different genders.
Learn more here. If you've received a bipolar disorder diagnosis or were just prescribed a new medication, you may wonder what mood stabilizers are and if they have….
Bipolar disorder runs in families, but many other factors contribute to developing this mental health condition. Do you know when bipolar disorder is a disability and which benefits you can apply for? Here's all the info regarding disability claims under ADA and…. Is there a link between your IQ and the chance to develop bipolar disorder? Does this condition affect your intelligence once you get a diagnosis? Learn about side effects, uses, and more of lithium, which is a prescription tablet, capsule, and liquid solution that treats bipolar I disorder.
Learn about side effects, dosage, and more for Lamictal lamotrigine. This is a prescription tablet that treats bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and…. Psych Central does not review the content that appears in our blog network blogs. All opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the author alone, and do not reflect the views of the editorial staff or management of Psych Central.
Older adults with bipolar disorder tend to experience severe depressive episodes more often than younger people. Also, generally, the more preexisting conditions an older adult has, the higher their risk of suicide. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition. Because treatment focuses on managing the condition, it is important to seek help when a person first notices symptoms.
The condition is complex, and the alternating manic and depressive episodes can make it difficult to distinguish from other mental health conditions. According to one study, some people may wait up to 10 years to receive a diagnosis. Getting an early diagnosis means that a person can manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. When bipolar disorder symptoms are well controlled, a person is less likely to think about or attempt suicide. Bipolar disorder shares symptoms with other conditions, so a healthcare professional should first rule them out using psychological tests and physical examinations.
When diagnosing bipolar disorder in older adults, the healthcare professional must consider the varied signs and symptoms. Older adults are also likely taking medications for other conditions. This makes prescribing some types of drugs more difficult. To diagnose bipolar disorder in an older adult, the healthcare professional will :. Learn more about diagnosing bipolar disorder here. Although older adults will receive the same, or very similar, medications as younger adults, a healthcare professional may need to adjust the dosage to prevent side effects.
They may also need to consider the other medications a person is taking to avoid potentially harmful drug interactions. Although there is not much information about the effectiveness of psychosocial therapies in older adults, medication adherence training appears to be effective. This training teaches people how to take their medications and what to expect from their treatment. When older adults with bipolar disorder receive this training, they are less likely to stop taking their medication.
Healthcare professionals may prescribe several different medications for older adults with bipolar disorder. Antipsychotic drugs, which help treat mania, can cause side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration FDA warns that there is a higher likelihood of antipsychotics causing serious side effects in people with dementia , which is more common among older adults. Healthcare professionals may decrease the dosage of some medications for older adults. This is due to the increased risk of side effects and interactions with other treatments.
Learn more about medications for treating bipolar disorder here. A person should contact a healthcare professional as soon as they experience bipolar disorder symptoms. Diagnosing bipolar disorder can be a long process , so it is important that people talk about their symptoms with a healthcare professional as soon as possible. People with diagnosed bipolar disorder should contact a healthcare professional if they experience significant mood shifts or suicidal thoughts.
They should also seek help if their medication has stopped working or if they experience unpleasant side effects.
Data from 7 studies, including 2, patients, highlight that a large proportion of patients with bipolar disorder are diagnosed between 15 and 19 years of age. Of the patients included in a study by the SFBN, the mean age was Prof Kupka pointed out a patient who first suffered from depression as a teenager, but only reported symptoms of mania when he was over 65 years of age! Prof Kupka proposed that genetic loading may play a greater role in early onset bipolar disorder, compared with late onset.
In addition, data from the SFBN showed that physical and sexual abuse in childhood play a role in earlier age of onset of bipolar disorder. Verbal abuse in childhood was also associated with an earlier onset and more difficult course of illness.
Prof Kupka concluded that SFBN-data reveal that an earlier age of onset is associated with a poorer long-term outcome - more depression, mood instability and rapid cycling- as well as a longer delay to first treatment. However, he pointed out that other studies have not found a significant association between age of onset and severity of mania, psychotic features or rapid cycling. It seems that the evidence of a negative impact of an early age of onset on the longitudinal course of bipolar disorder is inconsistent.
The evidence of a negative impact of an early age of onset on the longitudinal course of bipolar disorder is inconsistent. Prof Philippe Conus, Lausanne University, Switzerland, concluded the session with a perspective on the impact of age of onset on the first episode of psychotic mania. Using the onset age cut-off of 21 years, it was found that age was not correlated with outcome characteristics. The impact of sexual abuse featured again in the symposium as it was noted that sexual trauma played a greater role in later age of onset of any mood disorder.
Prof Conus proposed that early onset bipolar disorder is more biologically driven, i. Prof Kupka pointed out that this finding may be contradictory to his conclusions, in which sexual abuse and a family history of disease was associated with earlier onset.
A possible explanation is that Prof Conus only looked at psychotic symptoms, i. The insightful discussions throughout this symposium highlight the need for ongoing research in this field. The views and opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of Lundbeck.
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