Bipolar Mania and Bipolar Support Groups

Home > Anxiety > Bipolar Mania and Bipolar Support Groups

July 8th, 2009 anxman Leave a comment Go to comments

A serious mood disorder, Bipolar disorder is a manic depressive illness which affects approximately one percent of Americans. It is important to note that bipolar mania requires just as much attention and support because many people focus on the depressive episodes associated with the illness.

Knowing 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.

Racing thoughts, which can be disjointed, is a common symptom not always noticeable by family or friends. Easily distracted, even by things that seem not important, patients can often be seen in conversations with people suffering from the same symptom. Bipolar mania patient will make “clang associations,” which is the association of words based on how they sound and jump from topic to topic quickly.

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.

Bipolar Mania and the Support Available

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.

Usually bipolar support groups are comprised of patients and led by a counselor or psychiatrist who facilitates meetings, gets patients talking, and offers expert advice about comments and questions that come up. These groups can be a “sounding board” for patients, and a place for them to be reminded that many of the decisions they’re making are because of the illness instead of how they really feel.

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.

How to get more information about bipolar.

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.