WHAT IS BIPOLAR?
HERE IS A LIST OF BIPOLAR CLASSIFICATIONS
BIPOLAR 1
BECAUSE MANIC-DEPRESSIVE PATIENTS SUFFER FROM DIFFERENT DEGREES OF MANIA, PSYCHIATRISTS CLASSIFY THE SEVERE AND HEIGHTED MANIA WITH SWINGS TO DEPRESSION A BIPOLAR 1. THE CYCLICAL, RECURRENT EPISODES OF MANIA CAN RANGE FROM MODERATE EUHORIA TO INAPPROPRIATE EXCITEMENT,EXAGGERATED FEELINGS OF GRANDIOSITY AND DANGEROUSLY POOR JUDMENT.
BIPOLAR 2
PEOPLE FEEL SIMILAR MOOD SWINGS,BUT WITH A LESS PRONOUNCED MANIA CALLED "HYPOMANIA" EXPERTS CONSIDER THIS THE STEP-CHILD OF BIPOLAR 1.THIS MILDER FORM IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CLASSIC MANIC DEPRESSION IN TERMS OF ITS COURSE,TREATMENT,REGIME AND FAMILY PATTERNS. ACCORDING TO RESEARHERS PEOPLE WITH BIPOAR 2 ARE MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE, MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MULTIPLE EPISODES, AND MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED THAN PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MAJOR DEPRESSION.
MIXED MANIA
OVERLAPPING MOODS ARE CALLED "MIXED MANIA" OR "MIXED STATES." DURING THIS CONDITION A PERSON MAY BE HYPERACTIVE, TALKATIVE AND SLEEPLESS, WHILE FEELING DEEPLY DEPRESSED AND UNHAPPY. MIXED STATES
STRIKES ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE DIAGNOSED MANIC DEPRESSIVE...THUS MIXED MANIA CAN BE AN INHERIT PART OF THE DISORDER. IT PERPLEXES DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS BECAUSE OF THE PATIENTS ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. A PERSONS MOODS CAN BE SO JUMBLED THAT THE SICKNESS IS HARD TO IDENIFY.
RAPID CYCLING
FOR SOME, THE DISEASE MOVES QUICKLY BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MANIA AND DEPRESSION. DOCTORS CALL THIS CONDITION "RAPID CYCLING." RAPID CYCLERS GO THROUGH 4 OR MORE EPISODES A YEAR
WITH MANIA AND DEPRESSION FOLLOWING ON THE HEELS OF EACH OTHER WITH NO REFLIEF BETWEEN EPISODES. THIS CYLCE CAN BE AS REGULAR AS CLOCKWORK. DOCTORS HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS CONDITION CAN BE AGGRAVATED BY ANTIDEPRESSENT DRUGS. ATTEMPTS TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF A DEPRESSED PATIENT MAY WORSEN THE ILLNESS. THIS DISORDER IS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO RESIST LITHIUM TREATMENT.
CYCLOTHMIA
A LESS GRIEVOUS FORM OF MANIC DEPRESION. IN TERMS OF SEVERITY, THIS DISORDER IS ONE NOTCH DOWN FROM BIPOLAR 2. SOME EXPERTS ARGUE THAT CYCLOTHMIA HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH PERSONITY DISORDERS THAN MOOD DISORDERS. THE PATIENT GOES THROUGH REPEATED EPISODES OF DEPRESSION AND HYPERACTIVITY, AND WHILE THESE HURT SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, THEY DO NOT LEAD TO HOSPITALIZATION. SOMEONE WITH THIS DISORDER MAY BE MOODY, IRRITABLE, ANTI-SOCIAL , UNSTABLE, AND IMPULSIVE. ALSO SOMETIMES ABUSES DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. TO BE DIAGNOSED CYCLOTHMIC, A PERSON MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH EPISODES OF MILDLY MANIC AND DEPRESSED MOODS FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS. ANOTHER FEATURE IS THAT IT OFTEN APPEARS IN A PERSON'S CHIHILDHOOD OR TEEN YEARS. THE UNDERLYING MOOD SEEMS TO BE DEPRESSION.
THE CATCH ALL CATEGORY:SCHIZOAFFECTIVE
IMAGINE A LINE-THIN AT ONE END AND THICK AT THE OTHER-REPRESENTING MENTAL ILLNESS WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS AT THE THIN END AND SCHIZOPHRENIA AT THE THICK END,WHERE THE SYMPTOMS ARE MOST POWERFUL, MORE INCAPACITATING. IN THE MIDDLE IS BIPOLAR 1, PRIMARY MANIC DEPRESSION. ON THE THIN HALF ARE BIPOLAR 2 AND CYCLOTHMIA. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE THICKER SIDE IS ANOTHER FORM OF THE ILLNESS "SCHIZOAFFECTIVE."
AS IT'S NAME IMPLIES. SCHIZOAFFECTIVE HAS SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH BOTH
AFFECTIVE DISORDERS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. IT IS A CONTROVERSIAL CATAGORY BECAUSE DOCTORS DISAGREE WHERE IT FITS ON THE SPECTRUM AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE A DISTICT DISORDER BUT SIMPLY A CATCHALL FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT FIT INTO THE OTHER CATERGORIES.SCHIZOAFECTIVE SYMTOMS ARE A COLLECTION OF THE BIPOLAR SYMPTOMS PLUS THE SCHIZOPHRENIC SIGNS OF DISORDERED THINKING. The previous information has been taken from the book
"We Heard The Angels Of Madness" By Diane and Lisa Berger
I highly recommend this book, A biography of a family living under the shadow of this illness.
During a manic episode, the mood can be ABNORMALLY elevated, eurhporic, or irritable. Thoughts race and speech is rapid, sometimes non-stop, often jumping from one topic to another, in ways which are difficult for others to understand. Energy level is high,self-esteem inflated, sociability increased and enthusiasm abounds. There may be very little need for sleep ("A waste of time") with limitless activity extending around the clock. During this episode, a person may feel "ON TOP OF THE WORLD" and have little or no awareness that the feelings and behaviors are not normal.
Mania comes in degrees of severity and while a very little amount may be pleasant and productive, even the less severe form known as hypomamia can be problomatic and cause difficulties. A manic episode is more severe than a hypomanic with a magnification of symptoms to the extent that there is marked impairment in interpersonal and social interactions and occupational functioning. Hospitalization is often necessary.Severe mania can be psychotic-the person loses touch with reality and esperiences delusions. Psyhcotic mania may be difficult to distinguish from schizophrenia and, indeed, mistaking the former for the later is not uncommon.
The symptoms of a manic episode may vary considerably from person to person and from episode to episode. For example. The diagnosis of mania would apply equally to person A with a euphoric mood, heightened self-estem, increased goal-directed activity, rapid speech, and decreased need for sleep.While person B would have an irritable mood, distractability, agitaion, racing thoughts and involement in dangerous activities.
Some Symptoms of Mania
*Elevated, Eurhoric mood
*Irritability
*Grandiosity, Inflated self-esteem
*Rapid, Nonstop Speech
*Racing Thoughts
*Decreased Need For Sleep
*Increased Energy
*Difficulty Concentrating
*Excessive Spending
*Poor Judgment
During a depressive episode, Mood is sad, blue, down-in the dumps, unhappy or irritable. Self-esteem is low, thoughts are negative and there is a loss of interest in usual activities and inability to experience pleasure. Concentrating is difficult and decision making impared. Anxiety or agitation are commeom features of depression. although some individuals are drained of energy and are physically inert. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are commom with both the present and future looking bleak.
Guilt, crying and social withdrawl are additional features. Suicideal thoughts, plans, attempts are common and in fact, suicide is a cause of death in many people with depression. Phycical findings associated with depression include sleep disturbance (either insomnia or oversleeping), appetite and weight loss (although overeating and weight gain are not uncommon),fatigue, loss of interest in sex and bodily pains.
Some Symptoms of depression
*Sad unhappy blue or irrirable mood
*Loss of interest in usual activities
*inability to experience pleasure
*Social withdrawal
*Difficulty concentrating
*Fatigue, lack of enery
*Insomnia or oversleeping
*Appetite loss or overeating
*Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
*Thoughts of death or suicide
What Are Mixed Episodes
Not all episodes of manic depression are clearly manic or depressed. Some have features of both, making the episode a mixture of manic and depressive symptoms.Mixed episodes, sometimes known as dysphotic manias, occur in up tp 40% of individuals with manic depression and can be particularly troublesome because they may be more difficult to treat.
From the description above, It should be clear the manic depression is a serious medical illness that should not be confused with the happy and sad moods that occur in everyone from time to time. Untreated, manic depression can be devastating with great personal suffering, disruptive relationships,derailing careers, increased risk of death from suicide and accident, and enormous financial cost to the individual and society. Proper treatment however, can be effective in returning people to more healthy and productive lives.
"The previous information was taken from a booklet by Abbott Laboratories"
Ways to Combat the Stigma of Psychiatric Illness
Educate yourself and others about psychiatric illness. Encourage people to learn how common psychiatric illness is and how many different kinds of psychiatric illness there are ranging from mild to severe. Help people understand that psychiatric illnesses are brain diseases with a biological basis.
Talk and write about your own experiences with psychiatric illness.
Join the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (NDMDA), or other self-help groups.
Become an active partner in your own treatment.
Know your legal and civil rights.
Object to negative stereotyping in the media. Complain in writing.
Object to negative stereotyping from your friends and family. Tactfully correct their misunderstandings.
BIPOLAR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM THE EXPERTS
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