What is Bipolar? My Storytime #Mental Health Study Series (4)
#Story Time!
Before I was diagnosed with MDD, I was known to have bipolar disorder. But I wasn't known if I have bipolar 1 or 2 or even cyclothymic. I shown lots of symptoms but then I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar but instead, MDD ; as it is said that I shown some symptoms of MDD but with an addition of bipolar. It's complicated explanation but yeah, I do have bipolar symptoms till now. Just that it doesn't shows or "appear" as much as MDD and my other rest of mental illness.
#What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is known for as a polar opposite mood swings which at one point, you can feel like you can do anything and yet at another, you barely can get out of bed. Bipolar used to be called as manic depression. It affects up to 5.7 million people (especially adults) in worldwide population. It impacts both genders equally and symptoms shows between ages of 15 to 25. During those age, things do get tough in terms of love, work, life, school and new career. And things do get complicated and we do need some guidance in terms of decisions that we, as an adult could do. Like many mental health disorder, bipolar illness is genetic and tend to run in families, which means, on or more family members do also form of bipolar disorder. Symptoms do appear as late as 40s or 50s and early sign shown in early childhood.
#Are There Different Types of Bipolar?
Yes, there is. There are 4 types and each defined by their own symptoms and episodes. Three common ones are Bipolar 1 disorder, Bipolar 2 disorder and cyclothymic disorder. Here's what you need to know what do they mean and what is their own symptoms and episodes!
- Bipolar 1 Disorder -
Bipolar 1 is characterized by the occurrence of at least 1 manic episode which preceded or followed by a hypomanic or major depressive bout lasting at least a week. Manic episodes may be so severe that they can significantly disrupt your daily function or even trigger a break from reality, which is known as psychosis. People who have manic episode is often describe it as a feeling of euphoria and invincible. Individuals usually experience 3 or more symptoms such as inflated self esteem, decreased in sleep, being more talkative, distracted, goal directed, idea driven, get involved in activities that can have painful or even financial consequences ; such as spending thousands of $$ which you do not have on a designer items like handbags, wallet, shoes etc. Individuals need hospitalization with bipolar 1. This disorder is characterized by the distinct periods of mania and depression.
- Bipolar 2 Disorder -
So what is Bipolar 2? Bipolar 2 is a type of bipolar that is completely different from Bipolar 1 which means that Bipolar 2 have at least experience 1 major depressive episode which last for 2 weeks or more and at least 1 hypomanic episode which last at least 4 days. Bipolar 2, episodes of mania are replaced with hypomania, a less severe form of mania but one which can impact your daily life. Bipolar 2 symptoms doesn't typically require hospitalization ; however symptoms may be harder to identify with this Bipolar 2 because it's less severe, prolonging diagnosis and treatment.
- Cyclothymic Disorder -
This disorder is a rarer form of bipolar which affects about 3.29 million of people in the US only, which is also characterized by at least 2 years of multiple occurrences of hypomania and depressive episodes. With symptoms that are less severe than hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes, they are more chronic. Symptoms can stay constant for at least 2 months. Individuals who have cyclothymia are affected by impulsivity and poor decision making, it also affect relationships, family and social life. Not only that, they can also experience problems with the law and financial difficulties. Less than half of those individuals with cyclothymia will go on to develop a more severe form of bipolar.
- Signs and Symptoms -
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT SELF-DIAGNOSE. We're not talking about being down because of breakup or bad day or being super happy over a promotion or new relationship. Those are natural highs and lows that everyone experience and THAT IS NORMAL but for bipolar? This is different. The classic symptoms of bipolar is like a kind of being on the steepest roller coaster where mood dips from the lowest depression to the highest high (mania or hypomania).
- Manic Episodes -
Living with bipolar, you can feel happy with boundless of energy during manic states. You can make reckless decisions or act impulsive.You can get irritated and agitated easily and act out, you can get euphoric, have decreased the need to sleep ; insomnia and having racing thoughts or even grandiose self image. You may feel elated or like you've just won a lottery while it's just any old day and you're feeling lazy as you let the dirty dishes piles up and worst cases, you can have delusions or hallucinations in most severe cases. Hypomania ; it's an experience which is less severe than mania, you can generally feel pretty good with a better sense of well being and also higher productivity. And you'll able to go about your day-to-day activity without losing touch with the reality. There's a long list of different symptoms for this manic phase and they generally center around an elevated or irritable mood. They can also include goal directed activities like staying up all night cleaning obsessively or going for a shopping spree, things you wouldn't do normally. Manic behaviors affect with school work, work and relationships.
And for this, I shall end this post here and I'll make part 2, I promise. It'll be too long for this post if I'd write them in one shot. So I'll break into parts and I'll provide the link once done!
#Question&Answers
If you want to ask me, which is more severe between bipolar and depression? Major depression is way worst than bipolar because bipolar could regulate happy moods unlike depression. Hence, being a bipolar patient, the ways of treatment is slightly easier than those with depression. And again, this is from my point of view and also people I've communicate over the years who suffered from bipolar 1, 2 and cyclothymia. And all of them said the same thing ; depression is the worst than bipolar, though bipolar is on the same in terms of severity but it's not as highly dangerous as depression.
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