Bipolar Glossary
acute
The stage of a manic or depressive episode that comes on rapidly, lasts a relatively short time, and is severe.
adjunctive
Complementary to the main treatment.
affective disorder
A category of psychiatric disorders that includes depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Affect is a medical term for “mood.”
anticonvulsant
A class of medications developed primarily to prevent epileptic seizures. Many anticonvulsants, including valproate and carbamazepine, are also useful in treating mania.
antidepressant
A class of medications that have proved effective in treating the symptoms of depression.
antipsychotic
A class of medications developed to reduce the frequency and severity of psychotic episodes, which sometimes occur during mania or depression. Antipsychotics have also proved useful in treating mania and the psychoses that sometimes accompany depression and mania.
bipolar disorder
A psychiatric condition characterized by extreme mood states of mania and depression. A person may have bipolar disorder even if he has experienced only one of the extreme mood states, making diagnosis very challenging.
Bipolar I
A type of bipolar disorder characterized by at least one full-blown manic episode that doctors can’t attribute to another cause, such as a medication or substance abuse. A Bipolar I diagnosis doesn’t require an episode of major depression.
Bipolar II
A type of bipolar disorder characterized by at least one major depressive episode that doctors can’t attribute to another cause, along with experiencing one or more hypomanic episodes. People with Bipolar II are often misdiagnosed with chronic depression and prescribed antidepressants, which may induce mania.
Bipolar NOS
A type of bipolar disorder characterized by hypomanic, manic, or depressive episodes that don’t fit in any of the other bipolar categories and can’t be ascribed to unipolar depression.
bipolar spectrum
A continuous range of mood disorders that extends from highly reactive moods and mood regulation problems to more classical bipolar disorder. The term is used as an umbrella concept to cover all types of bipolar disorders.
board certified
The status of a physician that indicates she has passed a standardized exam that qualifies her to specialize in a particular field of medicine.
CBT
See cognitive behavioral therapy.
circadian rhythm
An individual’s biological pattern of sleep, wakefulness, and energy that plays out through the course of a day. Some studies show that irregularities in a person’s circadian rhythm can destabilize moods.
cognitive behavioral therapy
A therapy that attempts to identify negative thoughts and thought processes and their resulting behaviors and retrain individuals to think and act more positively. Several studies show that CBT is highly effective for treating some forms of depression.
comorbid
Any medical condition that presents along with and often independent from another condition. People who have bipolar disorder can have other comorbid conditions—such as ADHD, alcoholism, or anxiety disorder—that complicate the diagnosis and treatment of the bipolar disorder.
cyclothymia
Sometimes referred to as “bipolar lite,” cyclothymia is a muted form of bipolar disorder that nevertheless interferes with your life. It involves multiple episodes of hypomania and depressive symptoms, which don’t meet the criteria for mania or major depression. Symptoms must last for at least two years, during which you have no more than two months without symptoms.
differential diagnosis
The process of distinguishing between two or more diseases or conditions that feature identical or similar symptoms. A doctor commonly performs a differential diagnosis to rule out other possibilities.
dopamine
Generally considered the feel-good neurotransmitter, dopamine is linked to feelings of pleasure. It modulates attention and focus as well as muscle movements and is also related to psychosis.
DSM-IV
Short for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 4, this is the bible of psychiatry that describes various syndromes and conditions and the symptoms that must be present to establish a particular diagnosis.
dysphoria
An unpleasant, irritable mood. The opposite of euphoria.
dysthymia
Chronic, low-level depression, commonly characterized by irritability and an inability to feel pleasure or joy.
ECT
See electroconvulsive therapy.
EFA
See essential fatty acid.
electroconvulsive therapy
A medical procedure in which a low-level electrical current is applied to the brain to induce a mild seizure in order to treat depression. ECT is often successful in treating depression that doesn’t respond to medicine or therapy or in cases in which patients prefer it to any of the other treatment choices. ECT can also be an effective treatment for mania.
essential fatty acid
A healthy fat, which your body uses for tissue development and other purposes, that you must obtain through diet. Omega-3 is a source of several EFAs that may be valuable in treating many health problems, including mood disorders.
euphoria
A feeling of elation, which is great unless it becomes exaggerated, as it sometimes does with the onset of hypomania or mania.
euthymic
Moods considered to be in the normal range—not manic or depressive.
executive function
The ability to organize, sort, and manage incoming information and make decisions. Many psychiatric disorders weaken executive functioning, often leading to impaired judgment and uninhibited behavior.
expressed emotion
Highly charged attitudes that people express in words or gestures, that are part of a family pattern, and that affect the person who has the mood disorder. All expressed emotion can be dangerous for a person with bipolar disorder, but the most damaging consists of criticism, hostility, and emotional overinvolvement.
GABA
See gamma-aminobutyric acid.
gamma-aminobutyric acid
An amino acid neurotransmitter that can either cool down or excite brain cells, depending on other chemicals surrounding it.
glutamate
A neurotransmitter that’s involved in revving up the central nervous system. Glutamate may play a significant role in causing mania.
G-protein
Short for guanine nucleotide binding protein, a protein found in neurons that’s part of the “second-messenger” system that regulates signal transmissions in the brain. The study of genetic variations in this protein may eventually play a role in diagnosing bipolar disorder.
hypersexual
Having an excessive interest or involvement in sexual activity.
hyperthymic
A medical term for “high energy”—very outgoing and active, often highly confident, temperamental, and sometimes arrogant or narcissistic.
hyperthyroidism
A malfunction of the thyroid gland that results in the overproduction of hormones; the symptoms can mimic those of mania.
hypomania
An elevated mood that doesn’t qualify as full-blown mania but that typically involves increased energy, less need for sleep, clarity of vision, and a strong creative drive. These changes are noticeable to others but don’t significantly impair daily function.
hypothyroidism
A malfunction of the thyroid gland that results in the underproduction of hormones; the symptoms can mimic depression.
IEP
See Individual Education Plan.
Individual Education Plan
A personalized program for teaching a child or adolescent with developmental, medical, or psychiatric conditions that affect school and learning.
insight
A clear acceptance and understanding of a psychological disorder and the ability to objectively observe one’s own behaviors and attitudes that are characteristic of the disorder.
interpersonal and social rhythm therapy
A therapy developed specifically to maintain mood stability through strict scheduling, learning about personal roles, coping with transitions, developing healthy routines, increasing social contact, and resolving and preventing interpersonal problems.
IPSRT
See interpersonal and social rhythm therapy.
kindling
The gradual increase in susceptibility to mood episodes with each successive occurrence of a mood episode. The kindling model is based on a process that occurs in the brains of people with seizures; some experts believe that the same model applies to bipolar disorder.
maintenance dose
An amount of a prescription medication that’s intended to prevent the onset of symptoms rather than treat existing symptoms.
major depressive episode
An extreme low mood lasting at least two weeks and characterized by symptoms such as despair, fatigue, loss or increase in appetite, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, sleeping too much or the inability to sleep, and thoughts of death or suicide.
mania
An extremely elevated mood typically characterized by euphoria, excessive energy, impulsivity, nervousness, impaired judgment, irritability, and a decreased need for sleep.
manic depression
Another name for bipolar disorder.
manic episode
A period of elevated mood, either euphoric or irritable, typically characterized by impulsivity, nervousness, impaired judgment, irritability, and a decreased need for sleep. The period must last at least one week.
MAO inhibitor
A class of antidepressant medications that slow the action of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain. Doctors often prescribe MAO inhibitors only if a person reacts poorly to other antidepressants because of the strict diet changes needed when taking MAO inhibitors.
mechanism of action
The way a medication acts on the biology or physiology of the brain to produce the desired effect.
mixed state
A mood episode in which depression and mania are both present, typically resulting in excited irritability.
mood chart
A graph that shows the rise and fall of mood levels over time. Mood charts are very useful in predicting the onset of mood episodes and documenting the response to medications.
mood disorder
A psychiatric condition that results in persistently disrupted moods and/or mood regulation.
mood stabilizer
Strictly speaking, a medication that prevents depression and mania. The term typically describes any medications that have anti-manic effects, even if they don’t treat depression.
neuroleptic
Another name for antipsychotics, neuroleptics led the charge in pharmacological treatment of mental illness in the 1950s and 1960s.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
A potentially fatal but very rare side effect of antipsychotic medications that results in high temperature, muscle rigidity, and altered consciousness.
neurotransmitter
A chemical in the brain that carries messages between brain cells.
norepinephrine
Best known for its role in your fight-or-flight response, norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that functions to regulate mood, anxiety, and memory.
off label
A legal use of a prescription medication to treat symptoms that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) didn’t officially approve it to treat.
omega-3
A source of several essential fatty acids that some experts believe are essential in the healthy development and functioning of the brain. Omega-3 is present in high concentration in cold-water ocean fish, including sardines, herring, and salmon; in walnuts; in flaxseed; and in supplements.
p-doc
Nickname for psychiatrist.
phase delayed
The condition of having your daily rhythm out of sync with the rising and setting of the sun. Night owls are considered phase delayed.
phototherapy
The use of light to stimulate mood changes.
presenting symptoms
The signs of discomfort that prompt you to visit your doctor.
pressured speech
An overwhelming drive to speak rapidly and constantly in a way that often makes it tough for others to “get a word in edgewise.”
prodromal symptoms
The early signs that indicate an impending mood episode.
prophylaxis
A fancy word for prevention. Doctors commonly prescribe a maintenance dose of a medication to prevent the onset of symptoms.
protein kinases
A group of second messengers that trigger changes to proteins inside the neuron.
psychiatrist
A physician who specializes in the biology and physiology of the brain. A psychiatrist’s primary role in treating bipolar disorder is to diagnose and prescribe medication, but psychiatrists also provide patient education and psychotherapy.
psychoeducation
A type of therapy that consists primarily of educating the afflicted person about the condition, its causes, and its treatment so he can more effectively manage the condition.
psychologist
A professional who specializes in thought processes and behaviors. A psychologist can play a critical role in stabilizing moods by helping the sufferer adjust negative thoughts and thought processes and control self-destructive behaviors.
psychopharmacology
The study of the effects of medications on the functioning of the brain.
psychosis
A brain malfunction that blurs the line between the real and the imagined world, often causing auditory hallucinations, irrational fears, and delusions.
psychotropic substances
Any chemical substance (usually a medicine) that affects mental functioning, emotions, or behavior.
rapid cycling
A state in which mood alternates between depression and mania more than four times in a year.
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
The application of strong, quick-changing magnetic fields to the brain to produce electrical fields indirectly. Some consider this less stressful than electroconvulsive therapy.
rTMS
See repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
SAD
See seasonal affective disorder.
schizoaffective disorder
A psychiatric disorder in which symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are both present.
schizophrenia
A psychiatric disorder in which thought becomes dissociated from sensory input and emotions and is accompanied by hallucinations and delusional thinking. Bipolar disorder may be misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, especially in men.
seasonal affective disorder
A mood disorder that’s strongly linked to the change of seasons. People who have SAD commonly experience major depressive episodes in the winter months.
second messenger
A chemical that carries signals within a brain cell rather than between brain cells.
seizure
A sudden, involuntary muscle contraction caused by a brain malfunction.
Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor
A class of antidepressant medications that prevent the brain from absorbing and breaking down the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin after their use, thus increasing the concentration of both chemicals in the brain.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
A class of antidepressant medications that prevent the brain from absorbing and breaking down the neurotransmitter serotonin after its use, thus increasing the concentration of serotonin.
self-medicate
The attempt to stabilize your moods by taking nonprescription chemical substances, including alcohol and marijuana, or by regulating your doses of prescription medication without a doctor’s assistance.
serotonin
A neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, anxiety, fear, sleep, body temperature, the rate at which your body releases certain hormones, and many other body and brain processes.
SSNRI
See Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor.
SSRI
See Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor.
stigmatize
To brand someone as disgraceful or shameful.
stressor
Anything that revs up your brain and body. Stressors are usually negative, but even exciting and positive events can be stressful.
support group
A group of patients and/or family members who meet to discuss and empower one another in the face of a common illness.
tardive dyskinesia
A condition—sometimes caused by the long-term use of neuroleptics—that results in abnormal, uncontrollable muscle movements, often in the mouth and face.
therapeutic level
The concentration of medicine in the bloodstream required for the medication to be effective.
thyroid
A gland situated below the Adam’s apple that produces hormones that control growth and influence moods.
total sleep deprivation
A controversial therapy for depression that consists of subjecting a patient to 36 hours without sleep followed by a 12-hour recovery sleep. Some studies show that TSD alleviates depression, but it poses a risk of inducing mania.
tricyclic antidepressant
A class of medications developed to treat depression by limiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.
TSD
See total sleep deprivation.
unipolar depression
A mood disorder characterized by episodes of major depression without symptoms of mania or hypomania.
zeitgeber
A German word that literally means “time giver,” a zeitgeber is an external sign that indicates the approximate time of day and thereby sets the body’s internal clock, such as the rising of the sun or a late-night talk show.
