Coping strategies: bipolar disorder treatment and diagnosis in Kyiv

One of the most challenging conditions of an unstable psyche is bipolar disorder, which can be summed up by the key phrase "extreme impulsivity." Today, the disorder is considered a chronic condition. Bipolar disorder cannot yet be completely cured. But it can be controlled and stabilized at a more or less average level. A highly qualified and experienced psychiatrist in Kyiv can offer help and support to patients and teach them how to manage the condition in order to live a full life.

What is bipolar disorder?

It is a mental disorder associated with two extremes in a person's behavior: a deep depressive state and manic activity. It is characterized by sharp, clearly pronounced shifts between these opposite poles. Bipolar disorder is a zigzag with very sharp angles and unpredictable amplitude, behind which lies a complex chronic mental disorder. Each swing or change of pole is called an episode.

Bipolar disorder, the causes of which are quite ambiguous, is still being studied and clarified by world psychiatry. Currently, it is assumed that the disorder results from interactions and reactions between genetic factors and a chemical imbalance in the brain. Emotional or physical stress and environmental influences can act as additional triggers.

The cause of the condition is not a single one. It is an individual combination of triggering factors, which leads to the many different ways the disorder can appear:

• with an emphasis on depressive episodes;
• with an emphasis on manic episodes;
• mixed type, a disorganized combination of symptoms.

Bipolar disorder is classified into several types and subtypes: from mild but frequent symptoms to clearly pronounced episodes.

Bipolar disorder: symptoms

Each type has its own complex set of symptoms, but the main, generalized signs can be identified.

Manifestations of the diametrically opposite extremes during depressive and manic episodes:

• Sadness and low mood, or agitation and an elated mood.
• Fatigue and loss of interest in activities, or increased energy and hyperactivity.
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts, or inflated self-esteem and a sense of grandiosity.
• Slowed behavior and poor concentration, or rapid speech with racing thoughts.

The condition is reflected in almost all aspects of a person's life: extreme changes in sleep needs, from excessive sleep to insomnia, and in appetite, from a constant strong sense of hunger to a complete loss of appetite, and so on.

Bipolar disorder: finding balance between two poles 

Bipolar disorder is a highly individual condition and a difficult diagnosis. Its manifestations are not constant; it can come to the surface regularly or irregularly, rarely or often, in a mild or severe form. To establish a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, diagnostics should consist of a set of steps:

• medical history, including family history;
• clinical observation and assessment of symptoms;
• a medical examination and psychological and psychiatric testing.

CSM Clinic in Kyiv is a medical facility that specializes in neurological disorders and, as related areas, psychiatric ones. We use modern technologies and current research to support accurate diagnostics and treatment of a wide range of conditions and disorders.

Even a stubborn bipolar disorder, whose treatment at CSM includes a variety of approaches and methods, can become more manageable. After diagnosis, the psychiatrist develops and implements an individual plan of psychotherapeutic, medication, and physiotherapy measures aimed at balancing the condition and helping the patient learn to control it.

Read also

• Schizophrenia
• Eating disorder
• Binge eating disorder
• Panic attacks: what to do

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