Most people think Bipolar disorder is a scary disorder that causes a person to go slowly insane. They may also think that most people who have Bipolar disorder are crazy people that live on the streets. Well, that is completely false. A majority of people with Bipolar disorder are highly functioning members of society that have jobs, a home, a significant other, and much more. Bipolar disorder isn’t scary, it’s the fact that people don’t want to destroy the stereotypes or learn about it.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that is fairly common. It affects 2.6% of the United States population yearly with adults alone and around 4.4% of the population experience bipolar disorder some point in their life. Bipolar disorder is most likely to appear in your mid to late twenties. Scientists and doctors don’t actually know specifically what causes it but family genetics are the most common cause. Environmental issues and trauma to the brain can also cause Bipolar disorder but they aren't as common. This mental illness also just doesn't affect the person themselves, it can also affect family members, close friends, or a work environment. See, most jobs do allow someone with Bipolar disorder but that is if they do not know. When people are diagnosed and they have a job, they have the choice to tell or not say anything at all. If you are able to stay at the job or find a new one, the main problem is if you control the major depression or the mania.
Bipolar disorder actually has multiple types. The first is Type I, which is where the mood swings are dramatic. In Type I, mania can last for weeks which is then followed by a deep depression that can also last for weeks and sometimes months. Then there is Type II. Type II is less extreme then Type I. Type II has quick bursts of mania followed by long states of a deep depression that usually lasts for months. Finally, we have Cyclothymia, which is when people may experience hyperemia followed by mild depression for years. People who are diagnosed with Cyclothymia may experience normal moods but those only last for a short period of time.
The symptoms for Bipolar disorder can differ depending on the type and person. Mania or hyper mania is a mood of Bipolar disorder and can last for weeks is untreated. Mania is where a person may feel like they can do anything and nothing can stop them. The side effects of having mania are hyperactivity, sleep insomnia, feeling jumpy, thinking a lot, and having a large sex drive. Major Depression or hypomania is another mood of Bipolar disorder. Major Depression causes the person to have no energy or motivation. Side effects of major depression are feeling hopeless, having no energy, sleeping too much, eating too little or too much, having trouble concentrating, and thinking about suicide or trying to commit suicide. If not treated early enough, people with Bipolar disorder may have to be hospitalized.
Diagnosis is the most important thing for Bipolar disorder. A proper and precise diagnosis can allow a person to thrive exponentially. Most people diagnosed with Bipolar disorder have a great physiatrist that can talk about treatments or what is the next step. Without proper diagnosis a person can be mis-diagnosed with another disorder. The most common mental disorder that is mixed up with Bipolar disorder is Schizophrenia. “People with bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms can be wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder can be also misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)”- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The reason why they can both get mixed up is because both disorders have similar symptoms that can be mis-read. A diagnosis can be conducted multiple ways. A doctor can either conduct a physical examination on the patient or perform an interview. To be properly diagnosed, the patient must have had one manic episode or one depressive episode. Doctors will then use a DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to diagnose patients with the type of bipolar disorder they might have. Then to verify, the doctor will study the patterns of symptoms that occur in the patient.
Treatment is very crucial after diagnosis. Without treatment, a persons manic and depressive episodes can get more severe over time. Therapy is the first type of treatment. CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, is a type of therapy that helps with the depression side of Bipolar disorder and changes negative thinking into more positive thinking. There is also family therapy which teaches people about Bipolar disorder and how to handle it. Lastly, there is Psychotherapy which teaches a person about self care and stress regulation. Then, there is medication which is prescribed by a doctor. The most common meds for Bipolar disorder are lithium, anticonvulsants, and anti depressants. Lithium is most effective at preventing rapid highs and lows in a person with Bipolar disorder. Anticonvulsants are used a mood stabilizer but have side effects like weight gain, dizziness, and drowsiness. Antidepressants are also used to stabilize mania and doctors say they can work as well as a mood stabilizer.
Many people don’t know about Bipolar disorder but as a matter of fact, several singers, actors, and movie stars have Bipolar disorder. Mariah Carey is a prime example as just a couple weeks ago she talked about having type II Bipolar disorder and how much it affected her life. She kept it a secret for around 15 years fearing it would effect and destroy her career that she built up. She told magazine reporters that her life is in a good place right now and that she goes to therapy and takes medication. Another popular actor and singer with Bipolar disorder is Demi Lovato. Demi Lovato was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in 2010 along with an eating disorder. She talked about how she had been dealing with depression since a young age but that now she lives a happy life. Lastly, its suspected that world famous artist, Vincent van Gogh, might have had epilepsy, depression, and Bipolar disorder. An article states Van Gogh had earlier suffered two distinct episodes of reactive depression, and there are clearly bipolar aspects to his history. Both episodes of depression were followed by sustained periods of increasingly high energy and enthusiasm, first as an evangelist and then as an artist – (Everyday health, pg 11). Also, if you look at Vincent van Gogh’s early work it was clean and realistic but the further we go into his art career, the more messy and weirder his art gets.
We all love musicals, right? Well, most people don’t know is that some of them clearly show a character suffering from a mental disorder. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical revolving around a character named Evan who suffers from anxiety, depression, and suicide. Another popular play, Next to normal, has a female character who suffers from a mental illness. One of her songs clearly show that she suffers from Bipolar disorder “But I miss the mountains, I miss the dizzy heights, all the magic manic days, and the dark, depressing nights” – (I Miss the Mountains, pg 1).
There is still a lot we do not know about Bipolar disorder. Scientists are still conducting studies to find better treatments or see if there are other symptoms. But what we do know, is that Bipolar disorder isn't “scary.” It can be easily managed so somebody can live a healthy, normal life. Bipolar disorder is a common yet very interesting look on how the human mind works if chemical balances are altered in the brain. In the end, there is still a lot we do not know about Bipolar disorder because of it’s complexity and how it works.