Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Family Members

This educational tool aims to educate patients and their respective friends and family on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment intervention strategies of Bipolar Disorder, along with tips for support and coping for better management. The target population includes non-clinical subjects such as patients suffering from Bipolar Disorder, along with their friends and family. The tool intends to reduce the educational gap concerning the seriousness of Bipolar Disorder and increase awareness concerning the condition.

Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for
Patients and Family Members

Aim of the
Educational
ToolThe aim of this
Educational Tool is to
educate patients and
their respective
friends and family on
the symptoms,
diagnosis and
treatment
intervention
strategies of Bipolar
Disorder, along with
tips for support and
coping for better

Objectives of the Educational
Tool•To improve existing understanding of Bipolar
Disorder among patients and their associated
friends and family members.
•To eradicate the existing educational gap on the
understanding of Bipolar Disorders in the
community.
•To impart information on coping and support
strategies for improved management of Bipolar
Disorder.

Target Population and Reason
for Selection
The target population for the Educational Tool
will include non-clinical subjects such as patients
suffering from Bipolar Disorder, along with their
friends and family. The reason for such target
population selection is the prevalent educational
gap concerning the seriousness of Bipolar
Disorder (Nicholas et al. 2010).

Educational
Gap
It has been observed
many individuals lack
knowledge Bipolar
Disorder, and regard it
more as a character
disorder rather than a
mental illness (Nicholas
et al. 2010). Patients
often avoid consultation
due to stigma and shame,
which may increase the
severity of the condition
and the risk of suicide.
Hence, this educational
tool intends to reduce this
gap and increase
awareness concerning the

What is Bipolar
Disorder?
•Bipolar Disorder is a type
of mental illness where an
individual suffers from
extreme and unpredictable
mood swings, which often
goes out of control and
affects functions of daily
life.
•Individuals often switch
between periods of lows
(depression) and highs
(mania) with normal mood
in between.
•This mental condition is

Causes
While the exact
cause of Bipolar
Disorder is
unknown, the
following can be
considered as
causes (Ferrai et
al. 2016):
•Traumatic life
situations
•Belonging in a
family with a
history of Bipolar

Symptoms
Different people
face different
symptoms of
Bipolar Disorder.
However, the
major symptoms
include (Cretu et
al. 2016):
•Mania

Mania
This is an intense emotion of excitement, happiness,
anger or irritation, with symptoms like (Hafeman et al.
2016):
•Thinking or talking very fast.
•Difficulty to concentrate.
•Difficulty to sleep.
•Feeling very happy, excited or confident with oneself.
•Feeling extremely energetic than usual.
•Inability to judge, likely to undertake dangerous
behaviors.

Depression
Here the individual feels
extremely upset emotionally, and
can show symptoms such as
(Miller et al. 2016):
•No enthusiasm of energy to
participate in activities which he
or she likes.
•A tendency to hurt oneself or
end his or her life.
•Losing interest to sleep or eat.
•Difficulty to concentrate.
•Blaming oneself or feeling sad.

How it Affect
People?
If not treated, Bipolar
Disorder can affect people
by (Modabbernia et al.
2016):
•Disturbing their energy
and functioning at work.
•Creating conflicts with
loved ones.
•Increasing one’s
thoughts or interest to
commit suicide or harm
oneself.
•Increasing chances to

Diagnosis
If an individual experiences any of the above symptoms
for more than a week, then he or she must consult a
doctor or a psychiatrist who will look for other
symptoms. The doctor can check for these symptoms,
diagnostic tools such as (Axelson et al. 2015):
•Mental Health Evaluation
•Physical Examination
•Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
•Mood Journal

Treatment
Bipolar Disorder
can be treated
using the
following. The
doctor or
psychologist will
decide what is
best for the
individual
(Harrison et al.
2016):
•Medicines

Medications
The doctor may prescribe the
following medications
(Abramovic et al. 2016):
•Benzodiazepines for managing
anxiety symptoms
•Antipsychotics
•Lithium, for mood stabilization
•Antidepressant-antipsychotic
medications

Psychothera
py•Cognitive
Behavioral
Therapy, which
helps to change
negative patterns of
thinking into positive
ones.
•Psychoeducation,
which helps to
increase awareness
of the condition.
•Interpersonal and
Social Rhythm
Therapy, which
targets a person’s

Changes in Lifestyle
Additional changes in lifestyle will also help the patient
to manage his or her symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.
Patients can help themselves by (Crowe and Inder 2018):
•Learning to recognize their manic or depressive
symptoms
•Maintaining a fixed schedule for daily life activities
•Taking help from friends and family
•Being regular with visits to the doctor

Alternative
Treatments•Medicines for sleep
•Acupuncture
•Electroconvulsive Therapy
•Nutritional Supplements such as fish oils
or amino acids (Inder et al. 2015).

Tips for
Patients•Even though symptoms of
Bipolar Disorder may remain
for life, patients can lead a
life of happiness and
fulfillment.
•To reap the benefits of
treatment, patients must
follow the treatment decided
by the doctor diligently.
Being part of a care team
may help.
•Being a part of a self help or
support group with other
Bipolar Disorder patients
may help patients gain
support, comfort and
understanding.
•Most importantly,

Tips for Friends and
FamilyFamily and friends of the patient
can help in the following ways
(Renaires et al. 2016):
•Educating oneself about Bipolar
Disorder will help to better
understand the patient’s condition.
•Being responsive to any signs of
depression or mania in the
concerned patient.
•Being patient, communicative and
inquisitive with the patient will
make the individual feel loved,
secured and confident to manage
symptoms.
•Family and friends may themselves
may find it difficult to deal with the

Seeking
SupportThe following organizations can help
during times of emergency or crisis
(Farrer et al. 2018):
•Health Direct
•SANE Australia
•Black Dog Institute
•MoodSwings

Conclusion
Bipolar Disorder is a chronic mental illness whose
symptoms can badly affect the daily life of an individual.
However, by educating oneself and giving equal
importance to the treatment of mental illnesses as one
would do to physical disorders will help patients to lead
positive, peaceful and happy lives.

References
Abramovic, L., Boks, M.P., Vreeker, A., Bouter, D.C., Kruiper, C., Verkooijen,
S., van Bergen, A.H., Ophoff, R.A., Kahn, R.S. and van Haren, N.E., 2016.
The association of antipsychotic medication and lithium with brain measures
in patients with bipolar disorder. European
Neuropsychopharmacology, 26(11), pp.1741-1751.
Axelson, D., Goldstein, B., Goldstein, T., Monk, K., Yu, H., Hickey, M.B.,
Sakolsky, D., Diler, R., Hafeman, D., Merranko, J. and Iyengar, S., 2015.
Diagnostic precursors to bipolar disorder in offspring of parents with bipolar
disorder: a longitudinal study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(7),
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Cretu, J.B., Culver, J.L., Goffin, K.C., Shah, S. and Ketter, T.A., 2016. Sleep,
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Farrer, L.M., Walker, J., Harrison, C. and Banfield, M., 2018. Primary care
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Garrett, A.S., Miklowitz, D.J., Howe, M.E., Singh, M.K., Acquaye, T.K.,
Hawkey, C.G., Glover, G.H., Reiss, A.L. and Chang, K.D., 2015. Changes in
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Monk, K., Hickey, M.B., Sakolsky, D., Diler, R., Iyengar, S. and Brent, D.,
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References

References
Modabbernia, A., Yaghoubidoust, M., Lin, C.Y., Fridlund, B.,
Michalak, E.E., Murray, G. and Pakpour, A.H., 2016. Quality of life in
Iranian patients with bipolar disorder: a psychometric study of the
Persian brief quality of life in bipolar disorder (QoL. BD). Quality of
Life Research, 25(7), pp.1835-1844.
Nicholas, J., Proudfoot, J., Parker, G., Gillis, I., Burckhardt, R.,
Manicavasagar, V. and Smith, M., 2010. The ins and outs of an online
bipolar education program: a study of program attrition. Journal of
medical Internet research, 12(5).
Pal, A., Sharan, P. and Chadda, R.K., 2017. Internalized stigma and
its impact in Indian outpatients with bipolar disorder. Psychiatry
research, 258, pp.158-165.
Reinares, M., Bonnín, C.M., Hidalgo-Mazzei, D., Sánchez-Moreno, J.,
Colom, F. and Vieta, E., 2016. The role of family interventions in
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review, 43, pp.47-57.

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