How Bipolar Disorder Is Diagnosed
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a mental health professional will first ask a series of questions to see if youve ever experienced the symptoms of bipolar disorder to see if you have depressive symptoms or episodes of mania.
If its the case that you have experienced mania or depression thats in line with the symptoms of bipolar disorder, then your physician will come up with a treatment plan unique to your needs.
How Is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed
There is no simple test you can take to determine bipolar disorder. Instead, youll need to meet with a provider who specializes in mental health disorders and discuss your specific symptoms.
Your doc will give you a full physical to rule out any underlying medical conditions, such as hyper and hypothyroidism, that could cause manic or depressive states. If none are found, youll undergo a series of psychological assessments to gather additional information about your condition and determine which type of bipolar disorder you may be suffering from. Your provider will talk with you to determine your symptoms, their duration, intensity, and frequency, and gauge how your symptoms impair daily life, school, work, and relationships.
Your physician will also consider your family history when diagnosing. If there are family members with bipolar or depression, thats a red flag for genetic pre-disposition to developing a bipolar disorder, Dr. Narasimhan says. She also asks about any family history of completed suicide or suicide attempts, which is concerning because untreated bipolar disorder can result in suicide. In previous generations, often family members didnt realize that they had a mental illness or went undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or never sought treatment. So, when a family has any committed or attempted suicides in their history, it can be a red flag for bipolar.
From A Presidential Bid To Satanic Vaccines
There have been several reports that Kim Kardashian-West is “concerned” about her husband, rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West, and some of his recent behavior. Kanye, 43, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 and Kim is concerned that West may be going through a manic period.
On the Fourth of July, West announced that he was running for President. A few days later, he did a 4-hour rambling interview with Forbes magazine. Some of the unusual statements he made included:
- He’s running for president in 2020 under the new banner of the Birthday Party. Tesla/Space X founder Elon Musk is giving him advice, and he will name a preacher from Wyoming as his vice-presidential candidate. In addition, he said, “I’m speaking with experts, I’m going to speak with Jared Kushner, the White House, with Biden.”
- He no longer supports President Trump: “I’m taking the red hat off.”
- He’s suspicious of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, as vaccines are “the mark of the beast.”
- He believes “Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work.”
- He envisions a White House organizational model based on the fictitious country of Wakanda in the “Black Panther” film.
But for West, “handling them” doesn’t include medications. According to Kardashian-West, “For him, being on medication is not really an option, because it just changes who he is.”
Bipolar Disorder
The primary symptoms of mania include:
- Talkativeness
- Impulsivity
- Irritability
- Lithium
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What If Im Not Happy With My Treatment
If you arent happy with your treatment you can:
- talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
- ask for a second opinion,
- get an advocate to help you speak to your doctor,
- contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service , or
- make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below.
How can I speak to my doctor about my treatment options?
You can speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you arent happy with it. You could ask what other treatments you could try.
Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If you arent given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why it isnt suitable for you.
Whats a second opinion?
A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis.
You dont have a right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.
What is advocacy?
An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard.
There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like. NHS complaints advocates can help you if you want to complain about the NHS.
Political Correctness And Calling Yourself Crazy
Im sick of political correctness. This is not a new thing; Ive been sick of it for years. I think its stupid. Dont get me wrong, I think modifying your language to remove slurs and intentionally hurting others is critical, but I think changing language simply to make a small group of people feel better about themselves is nonsense. Honestly, if you need wordplay to feel better about yourself, youve got some serious issues to work through that have nothing to do with me.
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Things You Should Never Say To Someone With Bipolar Disorder
Dont take a leaf out of clothing store Joys book. I may have bipolar but its not what I am. And enough with the Stephen Fry comparisons
On Monday, high-street clothing store Joy was forced to make an apology after not only stocking a product offensive to people with bipolar disorder, but then also managing to offend people who pointed out its offensiveness. Matryoshka dolls of offence, if you will.
As part of its accessories range, Joy is selling a card bearing the message: Dont get mad, take lithium.
When challenged about marketing a product which trivialises mental illness, Joy responded on Twitter: If you know anyone with bipolar disorder, then dont buy it for them. PROBLEM SOLVED.
Joys social media guru idiot was then asked how someone with bipolar might feel if they happened to see the card in a store. Their response: Theyll like it one minute and hate it the next?
Mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness deeply offensive, aggressive and obnoxious, while former Labour strategist and mental health campaigner Alastair Campbellsaid the comments proved a deep ignorance about the reality of mental ill health.
Language is an interesting thing. Our choices inspire a multitude of reactions. Language around mental health is especially difficult. In this instance, many people vowed never to set foot in a Joy store again, while other people with bipolar disorder took to to say they couldnt see what all the fuss was about.
Did You Ever Try To Kill Yourself
SOMEONE I DIDNT KNOW ONCE ASKED ME THIS. It was at a really bad gig at a rundown club, and I honestly didnt think the night was going to sink any further. Then a friend-of-a-friend asked me this. Dont ask someone this. I mean, obviously do ask if you are friends and youre having a one-on-one heartfelt conversation four pints in, but, in general, I wouldnt ask this until youre 99.9% sure it wont make you a dick for asking this.
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Get Involved With Treatment
Ask if you can be involved with your partners treatment, which may include occasionally going to the psychiatrist together. Being a part of your partners treatment has multiple benefits, including:
- Gaining a better understanding of the illness.
- Providing additional insight for the psychiatrist.
- Learning to spot signs of impending episodes.
- Alerting the psychiatrist about mood changes.
Even if your partner hasnt signed off on you exchanging information with their psychiatrist, you can still report worrisome signs . This gives the doctor a chance to make quick medication changes that may help your partner avoid being hospitalized.
Learn About Bipolar Disorder
When someone you love has bipolar disorder, you may feel lost and overwhelmed. It is natural to feel this way, but there is something you can do. The first step to loving someone with bipolar disorder is to learn everything you can about it. Research the symptoms of bipolar disorder, the vocabulary associated with the disorder, and various treatment options. Read books, surf the web, and try to find people who are also familiar with the disorder. The more you know about your loved ones mental health condition, the less frightening the symptoms will be. You will also be better equipped to help your partner during their struggles, especially if the diagnosis is more recent.
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How To Love Someone With Bipolar Disorder: A Helpful Guide
Can a bipolar person love someone? Absolutely. Can someone with bipolar disorder have a normal relationship? With work from both you and your partner, yes. When someone you love has bipolar disorder, their symptoms can be overwhelming at times. But it is possible to work past this mental health condition in your relationship. Although we provide drug and alcohol detox in Boca, we also work with those people who struggle with mental illness and are sharing some tips on dealing with a loved one who has bipolar disorder.
How To Help Yourself When You Have A Mean And Nasty Episode
Write down what you think, say, and do during one of these episodes . Documenting what you think, say, and do can help you determine if its agitated depression or dysphoric mania. You can also use this list in the future to prevent the mood swing from going too far. I call this being a bipolar detective.
Here is an example of my think, says, does list from my last agitated depression:
What I said to others and wrote in my journal:
- The government where I live is so fing stupid. They are incompetent and I HATE them. They should all be fired! They lied to the press and caused enormous distress for all of us!
- I cant believe how dumb everyone is! People are sheep and they are stupid! They are blind and I cant figure out how they can be so dumb!
- This life is too hard. Its ridiculous that my life is so hard. I cant find peace anywhere.
My behavior:
I do NOT think like this at all when Im stable. Im not a mean or unkind person. This is a downswing.
How I Ended the Agitated Depression
Writing my thoughts and behaviors down in my journal really helped me recognize that I was sick and I needed to help myself so that I wouldnt ruin any relationships:
- I stopped talking about politics and world events.
- I tried to be nice to myself and remind myself that I have bipolar and this is simply a symptom. What matters is that I caught itand that is a positive.
- I apologized.
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How To Know Whether Someone Is Gaslighting You
Gaslighting is so harmful because it promotes anxiety, depression, and with enough frequency in our lives, can sometimes trigger nervous breakdowns. So the question now it: are you being gaslighted? How can you know whether youre experiencing this subtle form of manipulation in your life? Review the following tell-tale signs:
But You Seem So Normal
Maybe the person with bipolar disorder is between cycles, or maybe they are good at hiding what they’re feeling. They may be in a hypomanic episode and only the good things about it are visible at the moment. Consider how this would sound if you had a serious illness such as cancer and someone said, “You can’t be sick, you look so normal!”
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You Cant Simply Snap Out Of A Mood Episode
If someone is already in a full mania/hypomania or depression, medication is needed to treat symptoms. One cannot pull themself out of a mood episode, Dr. Galynker says. Sometimes people will have this awareness that they are in or near an episode, but not all the time depending on the persons own level of awareness and familiarity with their symptoms as well as the severity, he saysand this may affect whether or not they have the awareness to then take their medication.
Some medications for bipolar disorder can treat mania, hypomania, and depression, while other drugs only treat certain episode types or combinations. Some medications can prevent symptoms from becoming a full episode if taken in time.
In many cases, a person will exhibit similar early signs when a mood episode is coming on, Dr. Galynker says . So ideally a person is somewhat familiar with those initial symptoms and can recognize them and implement the appropriate treatment before they tip into a full episode.
Like all of us, for a person with bipolar, their mood can change before theyre necessarily even aware of it. We call this insightdo you have insight that youre not behaving and thinking in your normal, healthy fashions? Dr. Marsh explains. Level of insight is very variable, but it tends to be that people who have insight during their early episodes keep that insight, and those who dont have that insight are less likely to have it moving forward, she says.
Bipolar Disorder: 10 Subtle Signs
When it comes to mental illness, there are plenty of stereotypes. But in reality, mood disorders can be hard to pinpoint – particularly in people with bipolar disorder symptoms. “Chalking it up to moodiness or trouble at work or tiredness is pretty common,” says Dr. Carrie Bearden, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and psychology at the David Geffen School of Medical at UCLA. “The disorder varies in severity.” From our friends at Health.com, here are 10 signs that mood problems may be due to more than a quirky or difficult personality.
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Myth: Bipolar Disorder Stems From Childhood Abuse Or Dependence On Substances
Fact: Not necessarily.Not all people with bipolar disorder have experienced both or either, but there are some links for some folks.
A family history of mental health conditions and the presence of trauma or adversity in childhood plays some role in the appearance and severity of bipolar disorder in people whove received a diagnosis.
And among the types of bipolar disorder outlined in the DSM-5, is also its own category.
Other Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Most patients respond very well to medication and various psychotherapies but there are some outliers who dont respond as well, points out Dr. Narasimhan. In this case, you may want to explore other options.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Medication-resistant patients can benefit from other treatments such as Transcranial magnetic stimulation . This non-invasive treatment works by using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain and improve depressive symptoms. The treatment delivers repetitive magnetic pulses via an electromagnetic coil placed against your scalp. Though the mechanism for how it works isnt well understood, its thought to impact how the brain works, which in turn can alleviate depressive episodes. TMS is well tolerated, doesnt include much downtime, and has only some side effects such as headache, tingling, and lightheadedness. There are some rare side effects such as seizure and hearing loss.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Lifestyle and Integrative Treatments
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Myth: People With Bipolar Disorder Can Control Their Moods If They Really Want To
FACT: Bipolar disorder is a very real neurocognitive and chronic mental health condition. It cannot be wished away with positive thoughts and requires a consistent treatment regimen.
Bipolar disorder develops in the very synapses of the brain and presents from the inside out.
You wouldnt tell someone with a broken arm to control their pain, right? And so it is with bipolar disorder.
What Are The Different Types Of Bipolar Disorder
There are different types of bipolar disorder.
What is bipolar disorder I disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar I disorder means you will have had at least 1 episode of mania that lasts longer than 1 week. You may also have periods of depression. Manic episodes will generally last 3-6 months if left untreated. Depressive episodes will generally last 6-12 months without treatment.
What is bipolar II disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder means it is common to have symptoms of depression. You will have had at least 1 period of major depression. And at least 1 period of hypomania instead of mania.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with mixed features?
You will experience symptoms of mania or hypomania and depression at the same time. You may hear this being called mixed bipolar state. You may feel very sad and hopeless at the same time as feeling restlessness and being overactive.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with rapid cycling?
Rapid cycling means you have had 4 or more depressive, manic or hypomanic episodes in a 12-month period.
What is bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern?
Seasonal pattern means that either your depression, mania or hypomania is regularly affected in the same way by the seasons. For example, you may find that each winter you have a depressive episode, but your mania doesnt regularly follow a pattern.
There can be some similarities between bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern and another conditional called seasonal affective disorder.
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Social Impact And Prejudice
Research confirms that the social, as well as the more clinical, effects of bipolar disorder can be different for females.
A 2014 review concluded that females are more likely than males to face:
- stigma and isolation
- a loss of self-determination and a sense of a lack of control
- a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals and others
- pressure to appear normal or face consequences such as losing custody over children
Economic factors also influenced the experience of bipolar disorder among the study participants. Those who reported having a safe place to live and help with childcare and family responsibilities tended to manage better.
Participants with less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds and participants from marginalized groups, including Black Americans, were more likely to face abuse and experience other risk factors for psychosis. These participants were also more likely to work full-time and have full responsibility for caring for their families. A lack of support and safe living conditions, abuse, and other factors can increase the risk of severe symptoms of bipolar disorder and make the symptoms harder to manage.
Menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can influence how bipolar disorder affects females.
Bipolar Relationships: What To Expect
Ups and downs are natural in any romantic relationship, but when your partner has bipolar disorder it can feel like youre on an emotional rollercoaster. Not knowing what to expect each day is stressful and tiring. Over time, it wears on the relationship.
Understanding why your partner acts out sometimes or becomes withdrawn is the first supportive step you can take in strengthening your relationship. Learn exactly what a bipolar diagnosis means, how it could affect your partners behavior and what you can do to foster a healthy, stable relationship.
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Encourage Treatment For Bipolar Disorder
Done are the days of electric shock therapy and unnecessary lobotomies. There are various viable treatment options now available for bipolar disorder. Because the sooner bipolar disorder is treated the better the prognosis may be, it is important to seek professional help as quickly as possible. While it may be tempting to see if your loved one will get better without treatment, this could make matters worse. All too often people with bipolar disorder will turn to drugs such as alcohol oropiatesin attempts to self-medicate. These bad habits could lead to a substance abuse problem that now also requires professional attention like our residential drug treatment in Boca.
What Happens To Love In A Bipolar Relationship
Some time ago, Bob posted a story on our original Bipolar Blog called Heartbroken and devastated from ending a marriage with my bipolar wife. In his story, Bob talks about all he would do for his wife only to feel unappreciated and heartbroken. I dont know Bob or his wife or their situation. Nobody really knows what goes on behind closed doors in anyones home. However, I could sort of relate to Bobs description of how he responded and how he felt.
When youre in a loving relationship with someone who has bipolar disorder, its common to feel frustrated and unappreciated at times. No matter how much you do to show your love, your loved one may not be in a condition to return that love or respond to it in any positive way. The more you do without receiving anything positive in return, the greater the frustration and resentment.
You might start to wonder, What about me? How long should I have to put up with this?
What Ive learned from living with and loving someone with bipolar disorder is that expressions of love change, at least temporarily, in the midst of major mood episodes. Come to think of it, they change in the midst of any major illness that incapacitates a loved one physically, emotionally, or mentally. In the case of bipolar disorder, these periods of illness may be only temporary and, we hope, short lived.
, available under a Creative Commons attribution license.
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What It’s Like To Have Bipolar By People Who Have Bipolar
Around 1% of us will develop bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression, and episodes of mania overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions.
The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
Bipolar disorder has been associated with genius and with creativity. It is certainly true that a number of contemporary high achievers and creatives have spoken of their experiences, and throughout history it is possible to recognise bipolar type traits in the artistic, political and academic spheres. But what is it actually like?
I was diagnosed with bipolar in my late teens, in my first year at university. The diagnosis have shaped my adult identity and experiences.
This week I have been collecting answers to four simple questions from a range of people who have bipolar, to demonstrate the range of experiences out there, and some of the things that help.