Also known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that results in drastic mood changes and energy swings. Such changes and swings range from mania (emotional highs) to downright depression (emotional lows). The prevalence rate of bipolar disorder in this country alone is somewhere between 0.4% and 0.6%, based on an estimation by Relate Malaysia, a local organization that focuses on mental health awareness.
Even though it has a significant chance of lasting throughout someone’s life, bipolar disorder is certainly manageable as long as constant monitoring is provided, such as via bipolar disorder treatment in Malaysia.
Symptoms
Most of the time, those with bipolar disorder experience swift and unpredictable emotional swings. They could stay within one mood spectrum for a while, or switch back and forth between two opposite moods. The symptoms are as follows:
Manic period (emotional high)
Being overly happy and excited
Having less desire to consume food
Talking too rapidly
Depressive period (emotional low)
Getting either inadequate or excessive sleep
Feeling hopeless or worthless
Losing sexual desires
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
It is still quite difficult for researchers, even these days, to exactly pinpoint why does bipolar disorder occur. Nevertheless, there are some possible justifications as to how a person could end up having such a condition, includes:
Irregular brain structure, where it undergoes slight alterations during its physical development
Traumatic encounters, such as the death of a loved one or accidents
Additional Risk Factors for Bipolar Disorder
Aside from external or internal factors, people are more prone to bipolar disorder if they suffer from:
Intense stress
Substance abuse
Physical diseases
Treatment
Experts would recommend specific medications to stabilize the moods of bipolar patients. Various types of psychotherapy can also be carried out to help detect and regulate sudden emotional imbalance. Fortunately, standard bipolar disorder treatment in Malaysia covers all of the above mechanisms.