Risks Associated with Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can be a distressing thing to deal with. People with bipolar disorder are at risk for self-harm, injury, and attempted suicide. In the depressive episodes, you have to watch out for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. In the manic episodes, you have to worry about people hurting themselves through overexertion and poor judgment. In both cases, the situation can be scary. It’s not uncommon for people experiencing severe bipolar episodes to end up hospitalized in a mental hospital or other type of institution until the likelihood of self-harm is lower.
Again, the good news is that bipolar disorder is very treatable. We'll talk about that next.
Image: Ian Espinosa, via Unsplash.
Did you know...
- Just saying the words "thank you" can measurably improve your mood. Researchers can actually measure happiness and changes in brain structure when people practiced regular "grateful thinking." This included things like writing thank you notes, writing gratitude journal entries, mindfully counting their blessings, and thanking friends. It may be helpful in overcoming depression!
- There are many factors that contribute to your body odor, but one of the strongest links is our diet. This may be some bad news for meat-lovers because many studies have shown that those who refrained from or ate less red meat were judged as being more pleasant smelling. The meat sweats are real, and they don’t smell great!
- Starting to feel claustrophobic? The smells of apples may help keep your claustrophobic feelings at bay according to a 1995 study by Dr. Alan Hirsch. Green apples, specifically, helped people change their perception of their space. Maybe they thought of expansive apple orchards? Cucumbers and barbecue made the feelings worse.
- Does your job make you stressed? We all know that stress is psychologically bad for you, but it also has an effect on…your allergies? A Harvard Medical School study has shown that stress causes your allergies to become worse because your body's defense response loses efficacy when repeatedly triggered by stress. Then, when you really need to physically fight something off, you're less able to!
- Are you currently or often tired? As contradictory as it may sound, one of the best things you can do is exercise! It gives you more energy by improving your blood flow and increasing your oxygen throughout your body. You don't need to do much; a brisk walk is all it takes!