Bipolar disorder. Symptoms and signs in women 30, 40, 50 years old

Bipolar disorder is a pathological condition in which the human psyche is disturbed. The disease is characterized by frequent and unreasonable mood swings. It is important not to miss the first symptoms and signs of bipolar disorder in women, as severe depression can be a complication of this pathology. The diagnosis and treatment is carried out by a psychotherapist or psychologist. The specialist examines and interviews the patient, prescribes an additional examination to confirm the preliminary diagnosis. Based on the results of the study, he selects an individual treatment.

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In medicine, there is a specific classification for bipolar disorder. The psychological state of the patient and the duration of pathological processes are taken into account. In most cases, the types of bipolar disorder develop as independent pathologies:

Name	Description
BAR of the first type	A patient with such a disease has experienced a manic period at least once in his life. Prolonged depression is a common cause. In most cases, type 1 bipolar disorder presents with severe symptoms of psychosis.
BAR of the second type	The depressive state in patients with this disease is replaced by hypomania. At the same time, psychotic disorders are absent.
Cyclothymic stage of disease development	A type of bipolar disorder, in which the patient first appears depressed, then it is replaced by a manic one. Cyclothymic course is more often diagnosed in adolescents and people who are younger than 40 years old.
Mixed BAR	A disease characterized by the manifestation of manic and depressive symptoms at once. The patient has severe anxiety, mood changes.

In medicine, the following forms of the disease are also distinguished:

Name	Description
Bipolar Manic Disorder	The increased activity of a person is characterized by sociability, which he did not have before. At the same time, sexual desire increases, the patient sleeps less, and there are no physical needs. There is its own superiority and greatness. In some situations, the high activity of a person with an accompanying good mood is replaced by strong irritability and discontent.
Bipolar depressive disorder	The mood and activity of a person decreases. The patient loses interest in those things that previously caused delight and a feeling of attractiveness. In this case, a person's appetite is disturbed, insomnia develops. In severe cases or at later stages of the development of the disease, the patient is visited by suicidal thoughts.
Affective disorder	The disease is characterized by frequent mood swings, which range from positive emotions to depression. People with neurological disorders have mixed symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Most women have bipolar II disorder. Hypomania and depression are associated symptoms. The fast-cycle course is characterized by borderline personality disorder, warning signs, problems with the functioning of the digestive system. This also includes alcohol dependence, migraines, the development of diabetes mellitus and blood pressure surges.

Stages and degrees

Bipolar disorder (symptoms and signs in women require medical evaluation) develops in stages and at each of them psychological disorders are accompanied by clinical manifestations.

Name	Description
Manic period	A person has a rapid change in actions and thoughts. At the same time, logical and inexplicable actions are combined. The thoughts are confused and immediately correspond to the patient's logic. Such a psycho-emotional state gives rise to anxiety, irritability, anxiety, discontent and anger in a person.
Depressive state	The patient completely loses strength and faith in the future, he has apathy for the world around him.
Hypomania	During this period of bipolar disorder, the patient experiences some degree of manic symptoms. But the clinical picture is poorly expressed.

Each stage of bipolar disorder in women develops gradually. They replace each other as psychological disorders progress. A person will not be able to establish a diagnosis on his own, he will need consultation and medical assistance from a psychologist or psychotherapist.

In some situations, bipolar disorder in women occurs with less pronounced symptoms, short-term manic episodes are rarely observed. Such patients seem to be quite adequate people and during periods of remission they are no different from others. At the same time, they reason sensibly, give an account of their actions.

Symptoms and Signs

Bipolar disorder (symptoms and signs in women require consultation with a psychotherapist) characterized by a pronounced clinical picture, depending on the stage of development of mental violations. In 70% of cases, the disease provokes depression. The disease is more often diagnosed in women. This is due to the fact that the female body is very sensitive to hormonal changes that often occur during menopause.

Bipolar disorder in women is characterized by the following clinical symptoms:

• protracted depressive disorders develop;
• progressive mental disorders are accompanied by physiological changes in the body;
• a woman is gaining extra pounds;
• the menstrual cycle is disturbed;
• asthenia develops;
• mood changes;
• lack of motivation to work or study;
• a woman has been experiencing situations happening to her for a long time.

Patients with bipolar disorder should monitor their health closely.

A person will need urgent medical attention if the following symptoms appear:

• interest in life has disappeared, apathy and physical weakness have appeared;
• mood changes occur within a few hours, from deep joy to a depressive state;
• emotional excitement is accompanied by loud laughter and joy for no apparent reason;
• appetite is disturbed, taste habits change.

In each case, separate symptoms appear. It all depends on the patient's body. There is no way to get rid of bipolar disorder completely. However, timely diagnosis and correctly selected therapy will help to achieve the longest possible remission.

Causes

Bipolar disorder in women begins to develop at the age of 30 under the influence of certain negative factors. In most cases, a psychologist or psychotherapist can establish an accurate diagnosis after the first interview with the patient in the presence of indicative signs and symptoms. But to confirm the disease, a person is recommended to undergo a series of medical studies.

Psychologists classify provoking factors into groups:

Name	Description
Biological causes	genetic predisposition; long-term treatment with certain drugs (antidepressants); traumatic brain injury; organic brain damage; dysfunction of brain cells.
Psycho-emotional reasons	psycho-emotional trauma; severe stress; emotional overexcitement; prolonged depression; social spectrum.

It is important to diagnose bipolar disorder early in its development and to find the right therapy. You cannot take medications on your own, since you can aggravate the problem and cause concomitant pathologies.

Diagnostics

A comprehensive examination of patients with bipolar disorder is prescribed to determine the provoking factor. A doctor psychologist or psychotherapist conducts a survey not only of the patient, but also of his relatives in order to identify the deviations in human behavior that are present.

It is important to differentiate the disease, since many other psychoemotional disorders are accompanied by similar clinical symptoms (schizophrenia, neuroses, endogenous disorders). Diagnostic tests allow you to determine the severity of the ongoing pathological processes.

Treatment methods

Bipolar disorder (symptoms and signs in women develop as the disease progresses) requires a carefully selected therapy based on the results obtained after medical survey. A psychotherapist or psychologist takes into account not only the patient's age, but also the diseases present, the frequency of mood changes. The phase and stage of bipolar disorder, as well as the individual characteristics of the human body, are taken into account.

Drug therapy

Treatment is carried out at home. Hospitalization for a patient with bipolar disorder is required if severe psychosis develops during the exacerbation stage. Medicines help reduce the symptoms of psychoemotional disorders and alleviate the patient's condition. Medicines are selected by a psychologist or psychotherapist. It is important to take your medications strictly at the correct dosage to prevent side effects.

Drug group	Name	Application
Antidepressants	Stimuloton, Serenata	The drugs help to eliminate the depressed state of the patient, improve mood. The medicine is taken once a day, preferably in the morning or in the evening. The dosage depends on the patient's condition and ranges from 25-50 mg. Treatment lasts at least 7 days. In most cases, the course of therapy is 2-4 weeks. The maximum dosage for an adult patient reaches 200 mg per day.
Antiepileptic drugs	Lamictal, Lamolep	The tablets are swallowed whole, not chewed and washed down with a sufficient amount of liquid. For adult patients, an individual course of treatment is selected depending on the established diagnosis. The therapeutic dosage in most cases is 100-200 mg 1-2 times a day. The minimum course of therapy lasts 2 weeks.
Anxiety medications	Alprazolam, Diazepam	The drugs improve sleep and reduce anxiety. The initial dosage for an adult patient is 250-500 mcg 2 times a day. In severe situations, the dosage of the drug is increased to 4 mg.
Antipsychotics	Quetiapine, Olanzapine	The tablets are swallowed whole. The medicine is taken 2-3 times a day, regardless of food. On the first day of treatment, adult patients are prescribed 100 mg of the drug. Each subsequent day, the dosage is increased by 100 mg. The maximum dose of the drug is increased by 200 mg per day. The duration of therapy is determined by the established diagnosis and the individual condition of the patient.

Patients will have to take medications throughout their lives. Medicines will help to maintain the normal psycho-emotional state of a person. Additionally, a complex of physical exercises, a healthy diet and individual recommendations are selected for patients. An integrated approach helps to achieve stable remission.

Folk remedies

Alternative medicine for bipolar disorder in women can help reduce associated symptoms, but not the underlying condition.

Effective recipes:

Name	Recipe	Application
Herbal collection	Mix 20 g of valerian root, 30 g of lemon balm leaves and 50 g of common yarrow. Grind all components and pour 1 tbsp. mixture with hot water (1 tbsp.). Warm up the resulting mass for another 10 minutes in a water bath. Cool and drain.	The resulting broth is recommended for patients with bipolar disorder, which is accompanied by insomnia and neuroses. The adult dosage is 0.5 tbsp. 3 times a day.
Apple tea	Boil dried apple peel (2 tablespoons) with hot water (1 tablespoon). Insist 30 minutes and strain.	The finished product is recommended to drink 1 tbsp. in the morning and in the evening. Apple tea relieves nervousness and improves sleep.
Pine buds	Pour 50-100 g of kidneys with water (2 l). Put the resulting mass on fire, bring to a boil and leave for 30 minutes, then strain.	The finished broth is added to warm water before bathing.

For insomnia with bipolar disorder, warm milk with the addition of a small amount of natural honey also helps.

Psychotherapy

Bipolar disorder (symptoms and signs in women are individual, depending on the characteristics of the body) at an early stage, it can be treated without the use of drugs, provided that the patient immediately contact hospital. In this situation, a person needs to consult a psychotherapist.

The specialist teaches the patient to independently identify the symptoms of exacerbation of bipolar disorder, talks about the disease. Psychotherapy is also carried out at the stage of remission of pathology. The doctor's help will allow you to timely determine the change in the phases of bipolar disorder and quickly take action.

Psychotherapy is a must-have therapy in the fight against bipolar disorder. And it is used in a complex manner, together with traditional medicines. In bipolar disorder, the most effective are family, interpersonal, group, behavioral psychotherapy and hypnosis.

Other treatments

Therapy for bipolar disorder in each case for a woman is selected individually. All the features of the pathological condition and the present violations are taken into account.

Among the additional methods of therapy, the following areas can be distinguished:

Name	Description
Electroconvulsive therapy	During the therapeutic procedure, electric currents are applied. They are passed through the patient's brain to reduce the clinical manifestations of bipolar disorder (severe mania, depression).
Transcranial magnetic stimulation	During each session, a magnetic field is used to stimulate nerve cells. Magnetic stimulation relieves the patient's condition by reducing the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

After complex treatment, supportive therapy is carried out. Its main goal is to restore the mental state of a person. Medications may also be prescribed at this stage. In most cases, treatment takes place at home. Hospitalization is required for a person if serious complications have appeared, psychotic symptoms have joined, the patient is pursued by suicidal tendencies.

Potential consequences and complications

The future prognosis of bipolar disorder in women depends on numerous circumstances. Everything is determined by the course of pathological processes and the degree of damage to the central nervous system and the brain. Treatment of bipolar disorder is carried out under the strict supervision of a psychotherapist.

In the absence of a timely and correctly selected therapy regimen, the patient risks facing serious consequences:

• suicide;
• alcohol addiction;
• the patient develops an attraction to gambling;
• there is a dependence on drugs;
• anxiety disorders are manifested by post-traumatic disorders.

When complications of bipolar disorder develop, the person becomes dangerous. The patient can not only harm himself, but also the people around him. This is especially true for patients who are in a manic state. In this situation, a person is necessarily hospitalized.

Modern medicine cannot say for sure which method will help eliminate bipolar disorder in women or slow the progression of the disease. Symptoms and signs are determined by a psychotherapist. To make an accurate diagnosis, the specialist will conduct an examination and survey, and, if necessary, prescribe additional testing. The lack of timely and correctly selected therapy will lead to irreversible consequences.

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