Psychology
Anger: when it becomes a problem and how to manage it
Anger is a normal emotion. It becomes a problem when it is frequent, intense or harmful — and venting it tends to make it worse, not better.
27 Sept 20269 min read
Bipolar disorder
Also known as Bipolar affective disorder, Manic depression, Bipolar
A long-term condition with episodes of depression and episodes of abnormally high or irritable mood (mania or hypomania), usually lasting days to weeks, with more stable periods in between.
In Psychology
Bipolar disorder is not ordinary moodiness. It involves distinct episodes that last days or weeks and are clearly different from the person's usual self.
Core features
- or episodes — very high energy, little need for sleep, racing thoughts, overspending, risky or out-of-character behaviour
- Depressive episodes — low mood, loss of interest, exhaustion, sometimes suicidal thoughts
- Severe episodes can include
- Stable periods between episodes
The mainstay of treatment is a such as lithium, or certain , together with talking therapy and learning early warning signs. An antidepressant taken on its own can trigger mania, so bipolar disorder should be considered before one is started. The full article is bipolar disorder.
Where this comes up
Psychology
Borderline personality disorder (emotionally unstable personality disorder)
BPD causes intense, fast-changing emotions, fear of abandonment and self-harm. It is treatable with specialist therapy, and most people improve over time.
27 Sept 20268 min read
Psychology
Dopamine: what it really does, and what 'dopamine detox' gets wrong
Dopamine is less a 'happy chemical' than a signal for wanting, learning and movement. Here is what it does, how drugs and apps exploit it, and what 'dopamine detox' misses.
27 Sept 20268 min read
Psychology
Insomnia: causes, CBT-I and when sleeping pills help
Insomnia disorder means poor sleep at least three nights a week for three months, with daytime effects. CBT-I, not sleeping pills, is the first-line treatment.
27 Sept 20268 min read
Related terms
- ManiaManic episode, ManicA period of abnormally high or irritable mood with greatly increased energy, little need for sleep, racing thoughts and risky behaviour, lasting a week or more. It defines bipolar I disorder.
- HypomaniaHypomanic episode, HypomanicA milder form of mania: several days of raised or irritable mood, more energy and less need for sleep, noticeable to others but without psychosis or the need for hospital.
- Mood stabiliserMood stabilizer, Mood stabilisersMedicines taken long term to prevent the extreme highs (mania) and lows of bipolar disorder and keep mood steadier. Lithium and sodium valproate are the best known.
- DepressionClinical depression, Major depressive disorderA medical condition in which low mood or loss of interest lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, and affects sleep, energy and daily life.
- PsychosisPsychotic episode, Psychotic symptomsA state in which a person loses some contact with reality — hearing or seeing things others do not, or firmly believing things that are not true. It is a symptom with many causes, and it is treatable.