Has it reached a point when Bipolar Disorder is now the IT illness? With the insurgence of celebrities that have ‘come out’ to tell the world they are Bipolar, seriously when did it become the disorder to have?
Recently someone posted on Twitter that their Psychiatrist thought they shouldn't inform the world of their Bipolar Disorder. That statement struck home with me because I was always told to keep it quiet. However, for my personal experience, I didn't see an improvement in my life until I stopped hiding my illness.
My diagnosis came 49 years ago. Yeah, it was a LONG time ago. Long before it was popular, and long before they even called it BiPolar, for me it was Manic Depressive Disorder. Then out of the blue, it was suddenly Bipolar Disorder, and celebrities seemed to burst at the seams with admissions.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/bipolar-disorder-among-adults.shtml
Statistically, as the National Institute of Mental Health state on their website, 2.6% of the US population has been diagnosed Bipolar. So 2.6% doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you take into consideration that is 2.6% of 318.9 million people. That translate into 8.3 million inhabitants with Bipolar Disorder in the United States alone.
That’s a lot of individuals.
Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness explained in the simple terms of the definition:
“a mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression.”
Okay, so it is a mental disorder with ups and downs. That seems simple, right? But when you know Bipolar Disorder you realize that the ups are like the farthest reach of the galaxy, and the lows are the deepest part of the ocean floor.
It can almost feel like an intricate dance that spins you one direction and then back another. Dealing with mental illness is never easy, the ups and downs of Bipolar Disorder stretch any strings of sanity to the very breaking point. So asking someone to hide or deny their problem is only sugar coating a pile of crap. Eventually, the sugar melts and guess what, a bunch of crap is all that is left.
That relatively straightforward to the point definition could be the reason that many Doctors are diagnosing Bipolar Disorder for a record number of individuals. When the truth is, overactive or unruly children with difficulty sitting still, paying attention, or even acting out are just doing what kids have done since the beginning of time.
The list of symptoms experienced by someone with Bipolar is a long grocery list of ups and downs. While anyone reading the list could answer yes to most of the symptoms, just remember that when you suffer from Bipolar Disorder, the sadness is the black abyss and the euphoria is riding the clouds.
When you have Bipolar Disorder, your mood swings are such extreme opposites that it will seem the rest of the world never experiences such highs and lows. It is common for those who suffer from having instances of a god-like superiority. That is all except me; you see I am just that awesome.
Bipolar Symptoms
mood swings
sadness
anger
anxiety
apathy
discontent
guilt
hopelessness
unable to feel pleasure
lack of interest
apprehension
irritability
risky behavior
disorganized behavior
aggression
crying
increased desire for sex
impulsive
self-harm
agitation
delusion
lack of concentration
racing thoughts
the slowness of thought or activity
false sense of superiority
difficulty in falling asleep
sleepiness
depression
paranoia
weight problems could be gain or loss
rapid speech
fatigue
Medications (I don't even want to tell you how many I have used)
Mood stabilizer: The medication that will help control the ups and downs of Bipolar Disorder.
That makes this the one drug that works on both ends of the spectrum of the illness. Mania and depression.
Lithium
Lamictal
Seroquel
Zyprexa
Symbyax
Anticonvulsant: used to treat epilepsy or other convulsive disorders the anticonvulsant drugs have shown they can help relieve the symptoms of mania and slow down mood swings.
Divalproex (Depakote)
Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro)
Lamotrigine (Lamictal ODT)
Topiramate
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Valproic Acid
Levetiracetam
Antidepressants:
Bupropion
Fluoxetine (Symbyax)
Antipsychotics:
Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
Quetiapine (Seroquel)
Risperidone
Aripiprazole (Abilify)
Ziprasidone (Geodon, Latuda)
Clozapine
Haloperidol (Haldol)
Asenapine (Saphris)
iloperidone
Lurasidone
Paliperidone
Perphenazine
Cariprazine (Vraylar)
Other Medications that can be used to help Bipolar Disorder
Benzodiazepines
Klonopin (Clonazepam)
Doral (Quazepam)
Alprazolam (Xanax, Niravam)
Estazolam (Prosom)
Flurazepam (Dalmane)
Diazepam (Diastay)
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Clorazepate (Tranxene)
Lorazepam (Ativan),
Triazolam (Halcion)
Clobazam (Onfi)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Midazolam (Versed)
Antiadrenergic
Clonidine (Catapres)
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Gabapentin (Tiagabine)
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/ Norepinephrine
Sertraline
Citalopraim (Citalopram)
Venlafaxine
Duloxetine
Escitalopram
Desvenlafaxine
Calcium Channel Blockers
Verapamil
CNS Stimulants
Armodafinil
When you have Bipolar Disorder, the lists of medications soon becomes a list of been there and done that. You come to know the names: Lithium, Xanax, a Zyprexa Effexor, Prozac, and countless others as if they were a children’s nursery rhyme.
They are a part of the illness that we don’t often like, and it is common for those diagnosed to stop taking their medications. My personal pharmaceutical history holds more drugs than Pablo Escobar every had and unfortunately when you have dealt with this disorder as many years as I have, you tend to work up a tolerance and have to move to the next one on the list.
Treatment for your Bipolar Disorder means a broad spectrum of things. Medications are needed to regulate the imbalance, therapy of some kind whether it is a group, peer, personal, or institutional, and often cognitive behavioral therapy. Whichever method is best for you is a very personal thing between you and your Doctor.
This blog entry was a glimpse into my journey: However, that glimpse was just an inkling of the inner workings of my warped mind.
Who Am I?
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