Question Concerning Bi-Polar Disorder?

I have seen BP effect people in a significant way usually after age 30.
What I am wondering is since it effects a persons level of functioning after a certain age, is a progressive illness like Alzheimer's or dementia.

no....dr should give meds to help....just take meds correctly and stay in a healthy environment

No. As long as the person is diligent about there treatment they can live rather normal, productive lives. What seemed to be the worst when they were in their teens is no so bad as adults, which is with people with and without bi polar - teen years are rough for everyone.

It can be if it's not properly treated. Without medication the moods often do become more extreme as years go by. However, as long as a person maintains appropriate treatment including medication and often therapy they can still live a normal life.

people can live a healthy life with almost any mental illness like depression, bipolar, ocd, anxiety. Medication helps. Its important they fight for it and don't let it control their lives. It hits some people real hard, some give up, but unlike alzheimers and dementia, you are in control of what it takes from you and as bad as it gets you can always fully recover and get your life back if you have that drive.

aww, I just did an assignment a week or two ago about bi polar disorder can't believe i deleted my notes, guess i was just psyched to be off on break spring semester doesn't start back until mid january.

Anyways it could be because of medicine, bi polar patients have some of the lowest percentages as far as taking their medicine regularly because when they are in their highs they don't want to because they feel great. I haven't heard about it being progressive. I find it very interesting as well schizophrenia- did assignment on that as well as anxiety. did you know that 98% of schizophrenics become smokers? and their brain, if they hear things, looks almost identical to when it is hearing a real sound, causing them to question their own reality. I found mental illnesses so interesting.

It's definately not a progressive disease.

My sister in law is bipolar her psychiatrist told me that without treatment her episodes would get progressively worse. As she has gone off her meds many times I have witnessed this personally. Her manic episodes have escalated in severity and her depressions now lead her to attempts at suicide, last one almost did her in.
I fear next time she might succeed as she is not monitored to make sure she is taking her meds or stock piling them. Both she and her husband like to pretend there is nothing wrong with her. It is a very sad and pathetic situation.
She can no longer work as stress of any sort can trigger a manic episode even when on her meds. She refuses to go on disability as that would be admitting she is ill and so they sit on the edge of financial ruin. And not a darn thing a person can do about it.

Each person experiences bipolar in their own way. For many, it IS common that the disease is progressive, especially if it isn't treated. However, Bipolar shouldn't be compared to Alzheimer's or dementia which are caused by a physical deterioration of the brain itself.

Bipolar problems can increase over time because behavior patterns become "learned" by the mind. Those mood problems can become more frequent.

Hopefully, the correct medications along with therapy can help the person live a long life with few major episodes.

I am 26,diagnosed and on all those wanna be glory pills for it and all that good crap.As far as i can tell,personally,it is progressive and becoming harder and harder to manage myself,even with the meds.Do I function? Sure,if thats what you want to call it,half the time I'm not sure if I coming or going.Is there anything my doctor seems to think should be done,or even could be done,NOPES basically take my little happy/anti-happy pills and wait for the morgue visit.

Yes,it is progressive,In my world it is anyway,and I am on meds,therapy,and watch food intake/chemical stimulants.

Is there an answer which is right in here? Who knows,the Physicians in the world can't pinpoint the cause,just the vague aftereffects of the illness.Treatment is patchy and unclear at best.

It's not a progressive illness. In order to be stable and stay that way, a person has to see their doctor on a regular basis, and stay on their medications as directed. If they want to function in what's considered "normal" society, they have to get the rigth combination of medication that works best for them - it could be one pill or 10, everyone responds differently to each drug. There are follow up things you have to do as well. Some people have to have blood work done frequently to check the levels of the drugs in their system to make sure their dosage isn't too high, and some need to see a therapist as well.

Sometimes a big problem occurs when people decide to self-medicate rather than follow doctors orders, and this is when their lives start to get topsy-turvey, and they start to swing back and forth severly. The best thing for anyone with bipolar to do is to find yourself a good doctor - one you feel comfortable with and who you can talk to about all your problems with any of your medications, one that will listen and try to work with you to help fix the issues you have. If you need to see a therapist, you again, need to find one that you are comfortable with and feel like you can talk with freely and openly, one that you don't feel you need to hide things from. And the most important thing is that you need to take your medications to keep yourself regulated at all times. If not, you won't be able to function, no matter how old you are!!!