Bipolar Mania and Bipolar Support Groups

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by: KenPDoyle
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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive illness, is a serious mood disorder that affects approximately one percent of Americans. Though many people focus on the depressive episodes associated with the illness, it's important to note that bipolar mania requires just as much attention and support.

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.

Another symptom that is common but not always noticeable by family and friends is racing thoughts, which can be disjointed. This causes the patient to be easily distracted, even by things that seem very unimportant. This distractedness can often be seen in the conversations people have with those suffering from bipolar mania. The patient will jump from topic to topic quickly, or make "clang associations," which is the association of words based on how they sound.

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.

People with bipolar depression can get the support they want, but because they feel "good" when at the manic episode, they don't want to seek the support they need, and this can be just as dangerous as not getting help when feeling depressed. Great resources can be offered by bipolar support groups to those with bipolar mania or depression episodes.

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.

About the Author

Ken P Doyle is an advocate for bipolar disorder and has a lot of knowledge in the field of brain illness. As an advocate he would like to share some excellent information and findings on bipolar support groupand bipolar mania.

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