- Depression:
- Feelings of sadness, guilt and worthlessness.
- Unable to find pleasure in anything
- Lack of motivation
- Cognitive challenges
- Suicidal thinking
Mania:
- Feelings of extreme pleasure, or anger
- A feeling of being invincible
- Thoughts coming rapidly into the head
- Talking fast and loud
These are the symptoms the psychiatrist treats with medication, and the therapist and the member of the clergy treat with talk therapy. It is a fact that bipolar has no known cause and it cannot be cured. It can only be managed with the help of medication, therapy and life style changes.
Here are some of the symptoms that affect the body:
- Depression:
- Lethargy, no energy to do anything
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Long term high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease
Mania:
- Insomnia
- Exhaustion
- Tremor in the hands
- Hypersexuality
- Psychosis:
People usually see their doctor with physical symptoms and various medications are prescribed. Most people with bipolar disorder have physical symptoms which complicates the illness further. Often no treatment is helpful.
And lastly, here are a few symptoms that affect the person spiritually:
- Depression:
- Coping with every day life
- Grief
- Things falling apart
- Feelings of being cut off from God
Mania:
- Euphoria
- Obsession with the bible and religion
- Thinking you are a famous spiritual person
- Addictions
Some people are affected very badly with spiritual symptoms and lose all faith in God. They cannot shake off grief after losing a loved one and prayers go unanswered.
We don’t seem to have a solution for this disconnect in modern times. People are just left to their own devices. Yet there must be something that can be done to help the person with bipolar disorder. Perhaps if they adopted self-care, worked on their sleeping and eating habits and mediated that would that be enough.
People who are sick do know that relaxation is a good thing and breathing exercises help the whole person. If they were to spend some time relaxing during the day and practice controlling the breath they might start to feel better all over. Relaxation is good for the mind, body and spirit. Bipolar is a holistic illness.
- Sally Alter – Author of:
- “How to Live with Bipolar”
- “Bipolar 1 Disorder Rescue Plan”
- “37 Symptoms of Bipolar Depression”