“She’s mentally ill.”
“She’s crazy.”
There are many labels and descriptors used to depict people with bipolar disorder. Some attempt to downplay or camouflage the seriousness of a serious medical condition while others are simply based on ignorance or inconsideration. The stigma of mental illness can cause some people to resist a formal diagnosis and deny themselves treatment.
There is a common fear among people with bipolar disorder that their condition will keep them from living full lives. If you believe you may suffer from bipolar disorder, you might think that if word gets out after your diagnosis you may experience repercussions at work; friends and family may treat you differently; or you might be unable to continue to live the life to which you're accustomed. And while bipolar disorder does wreak havoc on many lives, proper diagnosis and treatment are the best approach to managing the illness and achieving a stable and fulfilling existence. With proper care, patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder can live a happy and full life.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Also called manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a condition of the brain that affects moods, activity levels and energy. Bipolar disorder can render an affected person unable to function or complete minor daily tasks. Severe symptoms of bipolar disorder can affect a person’s relationships, self-worth, career aspirations, educational success and overall health. Suicide is a real concern for some people who suffer from this illness, and proper management of the disease is critical.
Many patients with bipolar disorder first notice symptoms in their late teens or young adult years, although the illness can appear in childhood or much later in life. Unfortunately, due to the poorly understood symptoms of the disease, many patients suffer for years before seeking an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition that must be constantly managed, much like diabetes or epilepsy.
Signs You Could Be Bipolar
Initially, it might be difficult to decide whether you are experiencing intense mood swings that might be associated with stress or life changes. Bipolar disorder can present quite differently and can vary in severity, frequency and types of symptoms. However, if you are reading this article, you may already suspect that something more is going on. The following signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder might help you decide whether you need to seek professional help to make a formal determination regarding your diagnosis and treatment.
- Mood episodes: These are typically much more intense and obvious than normal mood swings. Individuals with bipolar disorder experience extreme highs and lows in their moods, known as manic episodes (mania and hypomania), mixed episodes and periods of depression. To be officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must experience a range of mood episodes, rather than only one, such as depression. The frequency or occurrence of the episodes is irrelevant to the diagnosis. Some people may have only a few manic or depressive episodes in a lifetime, while others may experience mood episodes regularly for years. These mood episodes often change the very personality of the individual and family members, friends and co-workers often notice them. These mood episodes change the level of energy and activity of the person and sometimes are accompanied by irritable or explosive reactions to events and communication.
- Mania: In some cases, episodes of mania may be enjoyable for the bipolar individual. Elevated levels of energy, heightened creative energy and a sense of euphoria often accompany manic periods. Mania is sometimes identifiable by others due to the affected person talking very rapidly, staying awake for long periods of time, and being highly excitable and hyperactive. However, in manic episodes, the person may begin to lose control, engaging in uncharacteristic and reckless behavior, such as inappropriate sexual behavior, extreme shopping involving large unplanned purchases, compulsive gambling or unwise business decisions. Manic individuals can become aggressive and angry or may hallucinate or lose touch with reality altogether. Hypomania is a milder version of mania and includes many of the same symptoms to a lesser degree.
- Depression: Bipolar depression is often an extreme and dangerous condition. When someone with bipolar disorder experiences depression, it can lead to long periods of inactivity. Weight gain or loss, sleeping too much, missing work or school for extended periods of time, and suicidal thoughts or attempts are all possible side effects of bipolar depression. In addition, psychotic depression can develop, which includes loss of contact with reality.
- Mixed episodes: Mixed episodes run a serious risk of suicide because the affected person experiences an overwhelming mixture of manic and depressive symptoms. Racing thoughts, sleeplessness, feelings of worthlessness, and guilt, anxiety and agitation combine to make a painful cocktail of inner turmoil.
Bipolar disorder is a serious and chronic mental illness. In order for a person affected with bipolar disorder to manage the condition successfully, he or she must develop an ongoing medical relationship with a good psychiatrist. Treatment options typically involve a prescription of medication(s) uniquely appropriate for the individual. In many cases, it takes some time to find the correct combination of drugs for each patient, and what seems to be working for some time eventually may seem to stop working and need to be reevaluated in the future. In addition to medication, ongoing therapy, social support and lifestyle changes, such as healthy diet and exercise routines are often successful in managing bipolar disorder.
If you suspect symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, seek medical help immediately. While your symptoms may change and even subside completely at times, the chance that they will return or intensify is great. It is impossible to predict when or if a severe mood episode could change your life forever. Obtaining a formal diagnosis and seeking treatment will help ensure that you can live a wonderful and joyous life now and in the future.