The symptomatic phases of bipolar disorder involve euphoria or depression in sudden cycles or episodes and can also affect the ability to think, including memory. This disorder generally lasts a lifetime and tends to appear sometime between your teens and 30s.
The cycles and symptoms of bipolar disorder vary, as one person may have more depressive symptoms, while another may have more exalted episodes on average.
Several studies have shown that people with bipolar disorder face certain cognitive challenges that include difficulty with working memory -which helps with learning-, verbal learning and the retrieval and recognition of information.
Short-term memory problems affect our daily performance. They can be subtle or they can affect a person’s ability to retrieve information necessary to complete complex tasks.
While bipolar disorder is framed in terms of mania and depression, its effects on thinking can have more of an impact on everyday life and especially work life than we might imagine.
Poor memory and trouble concentrating can make it difficult for a person with bipolar disorder to work and learn. These problems can persist between bipolar episodes. Some research has suggested that people who have more episodes of the disease have more cognitive problems than others.
Most treatments for bipolar disorder focus on stabilizing mood rather than cognitive problems , so early diagnosis and good management of bipolar disorder by medical professionals can help minimize the effects on mood. memory and thinking of patients.
