Has anyone here had to deal with bipolar disorder? [Archive]

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Wifey

11-19-2005, 06:21 PM

Has anyone here had to deal with bipolar disorder, themselves or someone in their families? I am currently doing personal research on the subject. Thanks

Kdfelicity

11-19-2005, 07:10 PM

I'm almost positive I dated one about 4 months ago, it was scary...

Mr Dio

11-19-2005, 07:12 PM

:lol

Not laughing at the situation or condition, just K's reply.

Mr Dio

11-19-2005, 07:12 PM

I'm almost positive I dated one about 4 months ago, it was scary...

Did you meet him on this board? :lol

Kdfelicity

11-19-2005, 07:18 PM

No I sure didn't. His parents live two doors down from my house, so unfortunately he still knows where I live.

After I broke up with him he became a stalker...

exstatic

11-19-2005, 07:24 PM

Stalking is obsessive behavior, not bipolar. A bipolar would stalk you one day, and not return your calls the next.

Wifey

11-19-2005, 07:30 PM

anyone had to deal with someone who is hypomania?
someone that is happy but quickly becomes irritable, angry and hostile. Or that is inflated...thinking of him or herself as someone with great powers.

For example...some people may think they are God or God-like.

Brodels

11-19-2005, 07:44 PM

Yes. When I was in graduate school, my apartmentmate suffered from Bipolar and a variety of other mental conditions. I didn't know it before I moved in. In fact, since I lived in another region of the country before going back to school, I didn't get to meet him until I moved in.

He was a really strange guy (that doesn't really have anything to do with the Bipolar...or maybe it does). He would expect me to do weird things around the house, like make sure I stacked the dishes in the little drying pan a certain way. I didn't interact with him much at all because I was at school and didn't have much of a desire to.

In mid-November, he went home for a weekend. He didn't return for a couple of weeks, so I e-mailed him to see what was up. He said that he would be back sometime, but Christmas break came and went and didn't see him.

My fiance was visiting me when my roommate returned. It was January 2nd, 2004, the day after we had gotten engaged. He asked if I wanted to go to church and I told him no (I never went, so I don't know why he kept asking) and my fiance said hi to him as she passed him on the way to the shower.

What happened next is the freaky part. I hear this sound that can only be described as a roar. I'm thinking that he burned himself on the stove or something, but that wasn't the case. The roar grew into a loud scream and he came out in the hallway and started jumping up and down stating that he needed help and that he was going to die. He instructed me to call his parents, but I couldn't understand him enough to get the phone number from him. By this point he had taken his clothes off (except for his underwear, thank god). He kept yelling that he was dying. Naturally, I called 911 and told them what was up.

I was scared he was going to beat the crap out of me. The 911 operator told me to stay where I was, and my roommate went down the stairs and out of the apartment. My fiance followed him after a minute or two, but we lost track of him at that point.

I didn't witness the next part, but this is how the story goes as far as I know. When my roommate got downstairs, he started beating on the guy who lived below us and telling him to give him a ride to the hospital. The guy freaked out but obliged. On the way to the hospital, there were some very interesting revelations involving sexuality and the like while my roommate was freaking out, but I won't go into that.

The guy who lived downstairs stopped at a stop sign close to the hospital and my roommate jumped out of the car and started running as fast as he could down the street in his underwear. The police eventually tracked him down. Five police officers chased him on foot, finally caught up with him, and tackled him to the ground.

I called his dad to tell him what was up and his dad said that he repeatedly tried to call because my roommate was acting very strange when he left their house that morning. They tried to get him to stay home that morning but he wouldn't. My roommate's father had actually talked to my roommate on the phone about five minutes before this all went down, but I guess his dad was satisfied that everything was O.K. at that time.

Back to the story...

The police people strapped him to some sort of board and brought him to the hospital. He spent the next week in the mental hospital, but when he got out, he came right back to the apartment. His doctors experimented with a variety of different drugs, and he was an absolute freak show for about two weeks. I avoided him at all costs. He had some relapses, but nothing even remotely close to what had happened previously.

He hardly slept at all, and that contributed to his problems. He would go entire nights without sleeping. It wasn't good.

He slowly improved, but I was pretty scared of what would happen if he relapsed in the middle of the night. I locked my bedroom door at night and slept with a hatched next to my air mattress. To avoid contact with him, I actually peed in widemouth bottles for a while so I wouldn't have to leave my room. I considered moving out, but I didn't have very much money and I didn't really have anywhere to go. I also didn't have a car.

He wasn't a bad guy, but he made my grad school experience difficult. It would have been a much more positive experience if I hadn't lived with him, but I got through it. I was the happiest guy on earth on the day of my move. Neither of us have attempted to contact each other since I left. I know he couldn't help the mental issues, but his extreme pickiness with tiny things made him difficult to live with.

Ah, the memories.

Wifey

11-19-2005, 07:44 PM

for those who don't know what bipolar is...

First bipolar disorder is a mood disorder this is the new name to an illness that has been around for a long time and called many other things.

Sometimes bipolar is called manic depressive illness or manic depression.

Some people say bipolar is a thought disorder or mood disorder because it affects people's thoughts and moods.

The reason why it's called bipolar today is because with bipolar there are two parts-mania which are when a person is up and the depressed side.

The bottom line is that bipolar is a serious mental health illness.

SpursFanDan

11-19-2005, 07:45 PM

My mother and I are both bipolar, not a fun disorder. Zanex though cures it all.

Kdfelicity

11-19-2005, 08:02 PM

Stalking is obsessive behavior, not bipolar. A bipolar would stalk you one day, and not return your calls the next.

I know that. That's not why I think he's bipolar. He changed moods in a second, he even told me took mood stabilizers. One instance: we were playing tennis, he'd miss a ball and start beating his racket into a pole over and over, and he completely wrecked the thing to where you couldn't play with it cuz it was bent in half.

anyone had to deal with someone who is hypomania?
someone that is happy but quickly becomes irritable, angry and hostile.

That right there most definitely describes him...

Mr Dio

11-19-2005, 08:03 PM

No I sure didn't. His parents live two doors down from my house, so unfortunately he still knows where I live.

After I broke up with him he became a stalker...

Damn girl, did you make eyes roll back, his toes curl forward, his............ :lol

3rdCoast

11-19-2005, 08:16 PM

Brodels, that is some of the most f'd up things I have ever heard happen to someone.

ObiwanGinobili

11-19-2005, 08:54 PM

Has anyone here had to deal with bipolar disorder, themselves or someone in their families? I am currently doing personal research on the subject. Thanks

I'm bi-polar.
i've gone medication free for 5 years. ( :D )
but my hubby has the name and # of a quick scrip writing phsycologist if I start getting really imbalanced.

Fat Bones

11-19-2005, 09:14 PM

"Has anyone here had to deal with bipolar disorder?"

Yes and No.

Puppy Dog

11-19-2005, 09:23 PM

hey wifey, are you talking about anyone inparticular?

you don't have to come on this board and let everyone know i'm crazy...they already know. :lmao

and I WAS suffering from bipolar. Thus the need for my medicine, aka the marriage u wanna...err...marijuana.

but i've been off of that shit since August 25th.

i have a solid foundation now. one i never even knew i had.

one that we all have. :tu

so, your worries are a dollar short and a day late wifey.

but thanks for the concern.

and i'm nobody special, even in my own mind...i'm just sac...a man learning to walk the line while leaning to the right. :tu

HoopStar

11-19-2005, 09:39 PM

Puppy Dog

11-19-2005, 09:44 PM

I thought her moods was based on the visitor she gets every month.

i hear you man, i think all of us do. :lol

Horry For 3!

11-19-2005, 09:47 PM

I know a guy who is Bipolar and one of my mom's ex-friends I guess you can say is Bipolar.

Fucking crazy people.

Mr Dio

11-19-2005, 09:49 PM

Serious question.
Why do you think most people thnk being bipolar is bad or negative?

Kdfelicity

11-19-2005, 09:51 PM

Because it's a dangerous thing if the person's not medicated.

Kdfelicity

11-19-2005, 09:53 PM

The guy I was dating would fly off the handle, start throwing shit and what not because he burned the toast...

Puppy Dog

11-19-2005, 10:14 PM

Mr Dio

11-19-2005, 11:10 PM

Hell yeah, I still haven't had the guts to tell my mom that the front window didn't really just suddenly crack 20 yrs ago.

I think the flyin' remote did it!

pseudofan

11-19-2005, 11:51 PM

what people don't understand is THAT WE ARE ALL BIPOLAR.

the cases that you guys are talking about are the extreme ones.

the ones where people lose control.

have you ever lost control?

broken something?

thrown something?

yelled in a way you shouldn't have yelled?

said something you shouldn't have said?

of course you have. we all have.

but the ones that are extreme cases DO need help.

i beat it. granted, my case was never extreme.

and i learned from past mistakes.

but i did beat it.

so can we all...:tu :angel

Bipolar disorder is a medical condition, not an addiction. You can't "beat" it dude. You can only control it and the only way to do that is with medication. See what you don't understand, because you are bipolar, is that you actually think you don't need medication and are just fine. That's what makes you dangerous.

I know someone like that. They take their meds, feel better, then stop taking them because they think they "beat" it. Well, then they start walking around telling everyone to walk out in the rain because it will cleanse them of their sins and make them Christians..... :lol Yeah, way to beat that bipolar disorder ......

Don't fool yourself.

Trainwreck2100

11-20-2005, 12:01 AM

I haven't

I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!

I'm kinda lucky not to experience any of the kind of stuff

FUCK THIS SHIT!!!!! *smash computer*

angel_luv

11-20-2005, 12:38 AM

Has anyone here had to deal with bipolar disorder, themselves or someone in their families? I am currently doing personal research on the subject. Thanks

Several of my foster siblings had the disorder. I would be glad to answer any questions if that would help you.

Kori Ellis

11-20-2005, 12:40 AM

MannyIsGod

11-20-2005, 02:37 AM

I absolutely agree with Kori's last post. I think the only condition I think might be as over/mis-diagnosed as Bipolar/Manic Depression is ADD. Doctors are definetly way too eager to write a prescription in a trial and error process as a solution to problems.

I know a person who has been diagnosed as Bi-polar and I have no doubts that he actually has the condition. He will change moods on a dime and I sometimes good months without hearing from him even though he is one of my oldest friends. It can be a very frustrating situation, but I have come to honestly understand that much of this is beyond his physical control and has more to do with his mental makeup.

However, I know dozens of other people who have claimed to be bi-polar and simply do not fit the bill. I know people who have been misdiagnosed and put on medication when there were other solutions.

I really think the only way to know it is to come into contact for an extended period of time with someone who is actually afflicted with the condition. When you have a baseline to compare things too you don't mistake what may be depression as this condition.

Kori Ellis

11-20-2005, 02:39 AM

I think the only condition I think might be as over/mis-diagnosed as Bipolar/Manic Depression is ADD.

I agree about ADD. People say their kids are ADD nowadays when they are actually just being kids. I guess it's easier to pump your kids with drugs than to parent them. LJ says ADD doesn't exist. I think it exists .. but I think it's very rare .. not rampant.

Jekka

11-20-2005, 02:40 AM

I think that a lot less people are really bipolar than are diagnosed as bipolar. These days psychiatrists are quick to say someone is bipolar, give them lithium or prozac and call it a day. Sometimes it's just mood swings -- sometimes it's just being happy or sad. But the people who are truly bipolar need medication AND counseling to find their balance.

I agree completely with this - my doctor actually diagnosed me as bipolar several years ago, which was stupid because I didn't have highs, I had anxiety attacks. Basically, I went from depressed to more depressed, and they put me on lithium. I was a complete zombie for about a month, there's like a two week period I don't even remember. Then they switched the diagnosis to ADD, which is the other disorder I think there's a huge over-diagnosis of, and surprise, it came with more meds.

I think it's ridiculous how pill-happy doctors have gotten, and while I definitely think that with an actual veritable disorder medication is necessary, most of the time, people are diagnosed with something they don't have just so the doctor can have an answer.

MannyIsGod

11-20-2005, 02:52 AM

I agree about ADD. People say their kids are ADD nowadays when they are actually just being kids. I guess it's easier to pump your kids with drugs than to parent them. LJ says ADD doesn't exist. I think it exists .. but I think it's very rare .. not rampant.
I think it is really rare. They tried for the longest time to put my youngest sister on ADD medication and my mother never gave it to her. My sister turned out great and is doing awesome as a senior in HS now.

I think people are just too damn eager to look for a solution to come out of a little childsafe bottle now.

Jekka

11-20-2005, 03:01 AM

I think it is really rare. They tried for the longest time to put my youngest sister on ADD medication and my mother never gave it to her. My sister turned out great and is doing awesome as a senior in HS now.

I think people are just too damn eager to look for a solution to come out of a little childsafe bottle now.

When I used to work at summer camps for elementary school-aged kids, many parents would take their kids off of the medication in the summers, and most of those kids were pretty insane - but they're supposed to be. They're kids. They're supposed to want to run around and be idiots all day, that's your privilege as a child. They weren't abnormally hyperactive, and they had no attention span because they were diagnosed ADD and were never held to the standard of attempting one. Those parents were awful disciplinarians (read: they never did), and the kids reflected it by not paying attention or heeding to authority.

Snickers

11-20-2005, 03:18 AM

http://www.loudfrog.com/pictures/10/021005024255.jpg

SequSpur

11-20-2005, 03:58 AM

Bipolar Disorder-A condition formerly known as Manic Depressive Disorder, that involves the presence of depressive episodes along with periods of elevated mood known as mania. Symptoms of mania include an abnormally elevated mood, irritability, an overly-inflated sense of self-esteem, and distractibility. Persons experiencing an episode of mania are generally talkative, have a decreased need for sleep, and may engage in reckless or risk-taking behaviors

I just wanted to throw this out there so you understand the medical definition of it.

Also, its a fact that if you go to the doctor for a problem, he/she is not going to tell you to suck it up and fucking deal with it. They assume that you are at the end of your rope and you need assistance. The only thing they can provide you with is surgery, medication and a papsmear.

It's not the drs fault.

I learned this years ago when a physician prescribed me an ENT Pack, some cough syrup with hydrocodone in it and a week of bedrest. I damn near became addicted to this crap and had a real hard time getting off of it.

ShoogarBear

11-20-2005, 04:11 AM

SequSpur

11-20-2005, 04:27 AM

Bipolar may be mis-diagnosed, but I don't think it is over-diagnosed.

ADD, I would probably agree is over-diagnosed as an easy out for both doctors and parents.

Just opinions, no facts to back them up.

Schools have alot to do with kids being put on medication as well. Teachers can't teach the kids that focus if another kid is out of control.

Kori Ellis

11-20-2005, 04:28 AM

Bipolar may be mis-diagnosed, but I don't think it is over-diagnosed.

ADD, I would probably agree is over-diagnosed as an easy out for both doctors and parents.

Just opinions, no facts to back them up.

Oh I think Bi-polar is definitely over-diagnosed especially in California. In L.A. everyone thinks they are bi-polar.

timvp

11-20-2005, 04:40 AM

My theory is some people are just crazy. Whatever happened to that simple explanation?

Like Kori mentioned I don't believe in ADD. Parents who put there kids on medication for "ADD" should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn't exist. Your kid is hyper and has trouble paying attention? Yeah, that's called being a kid.

I'm sure there are some people who have legitimate mental health issues but I think the number is less than 10% of the currently diagnosed number.

[/rant]

Slomo

11-20-2005, 05:39 AM

Sorry I can't help you with the bi-polar question.

I'd like to voice my support for Kori's and Timvp's theory that ADD is almost non-existent and WAY over diagnosed. Kids are kids they are supposed to be hyper and crazy - and the parents job is to find a balance between letting them be kids and reigning them down when appropriate - it's called parenting.

I'm probably one of the less popular parents in my daughter's class because I went to the first PTA meeting and listened about an hour how helpless the teachers were because of these two hyper active boys "who probably have ADD" (in the 1st grade no less!!!!) and how they're disrupting class.... After listening for one hour about their exploites I had enough. I said that to me it doesn't sound like ADD but that they just have no manners and they need some parenting and discipline. You should have seen the looks the parents gave me - anyway it took care of the problem.
Afterward a teacher walked to me and said in private how glad they were that somebody spoke up - which REALLY pissed me off and I went off how it's their jobs to talk to the parents and set them straight (in private and not publicly as I did).

RashoFan

11-20-2005, 05:51 AM

RashoFan

11-20-2005, 05:56 AM

I learned this years ago when a physician prescribed me an ENT Pack, some cough syrup with hydrocodone in it and a week of bedrest. I damn near became addicted to this crap and had a real hard time getting off of it.
That is some gooood Sheeeyit....I had some of that...and a shot of decadron which worked better the the cough syrup, but my back didn't hurt for a while... :lol

mouse

11-20-2005, 06:29 AM

now that this question has been answered..............lets move on to Bi Sexual

Steve Perry

11-20-2005, 06:33 AM

This problem could be painfull, cost lots of money, and could take years to fix,

why not just get a quick Divorce? :lmao

MannyIsGod

11-20-2005, 06:47 AM

You're just not funny.

mouse

11-20-2005, 06:51 AM

You're just not funny.
To someone Bi polar I am.

Suns Fan

11-20-2005, 06:54 AM

You're just not funny.

http://www.altsounds.com/i/babycrying.jpg

hey manny don't take it out on muse cuz some dude moved in on your chic at the last GTG.

Steve Perry

11-20-2005, 06:56 AM

You're just not funny.

Dude you always seem to have some sort of bug up your ass, why is that?

mouse

11-20-2005, 06:58 AM

Manny looked happy in another topic, oh wait! maybe he's Bi polar also :lmao

Larry Dallas

11-20-2005, 07:21 AM

hey manny don't take it out on muse cuz some dude moved in on your chic at the last GTG.

:lmao
http://www.spurstalk.com/ice048.jpg

mugatu

11-20-2005, 07:35 AM

http://www.boomspeed.com/woaimouse/000-kong.jpg

Shelly

11-20-2005, 11:22 AM

Puppy Dog

11-20-2005, 03:10 PM

Bipolar disorder is a medical condition, not an addiction. You can't "beat" it dude. You can only control it and the only way to do that is with medication. See what you don't understand, because you are bipolar, is that you actually think you don't need medication and are just fine. That's what makes you dangerous.

I know someone like that. They take their meds, feel better, then stop taking them because they think they "beat" it. Well, then they start walking around telling everyone to walk out in the rain because it will cleanse them of their sins and make them Christians..... :lol Yeah, way to beat that bipolar disorder ......

Don't fool yourself.

i value your advice. thank-you, sister. :tu

i must say that i DO take medicine.

my medicine is reading the Good Book. so no need to worry...

although, i must say, i'm very tempted to rip off the tom cruise line...:lol

so i will..

"that's right pseudofan, I'M DANGEROUS..."

just call me maverick now...:lmao

Puppy Dog

11-20-2005, 03:18 PM

ADD is for parents that haven't shown their kids the proper amount of Love, attention, and discipline.

they then blame the child for being 'out of control and innattentive'.

children at a young age are very good learners.

if they are out of control and innattentive, i wonder where they could have learned that shit from huh? :lol

it's more sad than funny, but bottomline, and i have relatives that are like this, is that parents need to be parents, too many are just babysitters that pay the bills...:cry

ShoogarBear

11-20-2005, 03:28 PM

Oh I think Bi-polar is definitely over-diagnosed especially in California. In L.A. everyone thinks they are bi-polar.

Someone calling themselves bipolar is different from somebody who's actually been formally evaluated by a psychiatrist and has been given an Axis I diagnosis.

Maybe it's just me, but I've yet to meet anyone on lithium or valproate who hadn't repeatedly done some really manic stuff.

Puppy Dog

11-20-2005, 03:58 PM

well, all i know is, on the day of my salvation?

my mom's, wife, dad, best friend and EVERYONE that should know me tried to have me put away...

i talked to about 12 different cops and a wanna be therapist that day...

they said i was fine.

well, not the therapist, it was already late in the evening, i hadn't slept at all the night before, and she wanted to 'talk'.

i was like, bitch i'm tired....in my mind, i said that...

and after i, half asleep, answered all her questions and told her i just wanted to go home and goto bed?

the bitch wanted to keep me for observation!

then they put me in a room and i can hear them talkin bout me in the hall..

i opened up that door and said, hey, i ain't staying here...and if you've got something to say about me? say it to me!

they, like all hospitals will, were scared of the lawsuit.

scared if they let me go, someone was gonna sue their ass.

i don't believe in frivelous lawsuits.

after i tried to explain that i was not going to sleep anywhere but my own bed,

they started getting antsy.

so i said, "FUCK THIS, THIS IS AMERICA PEOPLE, I'M OUT THIS BITCH, AND YA'LL BETTER WAKE UP, WE GOT SOLDIERS DYING OVERSEAS FOR OUR FREEDOM AND YOU ALL WANNA LOCK PEOPLE UP? FUCK THAT, AND FUCK YOU...BIGZAK IS OUT..."

and so i walked the streets downtown...if i had cash? i woulda gone and got a beer and just chilled...but i guess i was without my wallet...so my plan was to walk to my g'mas. She always gots it together. She is my ROCK here on earth.

But the cops caught up...same old dance...had to talk them down from the ledge...

all of them...maybe 8.

i had mania that day.

i was too high.

admittedly out of control.

being SAVED does that.

i've learned much since that day.

i've learned to be calm.

be in control of myself, even more than ever.

Crazy was sitting in my 10x10 fucking cubicle for 6 years, just trying to get through the days, earning a crappy paycheck that wasn't gonna make a dent in my bills anyway since i was spending cash on all kinds of frivelous shit that i didn't need.

THAT WAS FUCKIN CRAZY.

NOW? I'm broke. But i'm fed and got clothes on my back.

I got a plan.

Can't nobody take my pride, can't nobody hold me down, I gotta keep on movin. :tu

and so the journey continues...and you all get to watch...this is history in the making...get yourself plenty of popcorn...cuz this is only the previews....and they might take a while...:lmao

2pac

11-20-2005, 04:59 PM

Serious question.
Why do you think most people thnk being bipolar is bad or negative?

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=615755&postcount=8

Puppy Dog

11-20-2005, 05:07 PM

seriously though, the people that are the worst cases are the ones with the most stress and the least love.

they don't need pills. that just numbs everything. it solves NOTHING.

Puppy Dog

11-20-2005, 05:11 PM

well, since my REDSKINS lost to the lowly raiders today?

i'm off to kill myself...til next time...:tu

ahhh...fuck it...i'm too lazy for that...i'm just gonna go buy a basketball and shoot hoops...behind the church across the street from west avenue elementary if anyone is down...i don't know if there are peeps there or not, but there are two rims, and it's an ashpalt court...see you there in an hour or so...or not...have a GREAT DAY!

get the fuck outside, it's BEAUTIFUL!

peace-

Carie

11-20-2005, 05:18 PM

Yes I do. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or PM me, I'm happy to help. Brodels, it sounds like your roomate did indeed have a variety of mental disorders, not just bi-polar. Quite a bit of what you posted actually. Must have been very hard to deal with. And just as a general fyi, I diagnosis of bi-polar does not mean you are crazy.

timvp

11-20-2005, 05:41 PM

Someone calling themselves bipolar is different from somebody who's actually been formally evaluated by a psychiatrist and has been given an Axis I diagnosis.

Maybe it's just me, but I've yet to meet anyone on lithium or valproate who hadn't repeatedly done some really manic stuff.

I am not talking about someone just deciding they are bi-polar. I'm talking about psychiatrists medicating/diagnosing them as such. In my office in L.A., out of five people, two people were on meds for bi-polar disorder and the two others on meds for depression. I highly doubt that I was the only one of the five that wasn't in need of meds.

--Kori

mouse

11-20-2005, 05:56 PM

I went to see psychiatrist when I was applying to work for Goodwill Industries ,

I was in her office for not even 20 minutes and she wrote me a prescription for lithium and sent me on my way, The folks at Goodwill were told I was Bi polar and I was given the job, My dad told me that lithium can keep me from getting an erection, so I only took them for 3 days, I never took them again, I worked for goodwill for about 7 years,

I know many doctors that will grab your balls tell you to cough and give you a shit load of Pills, anyone who does not belive me has not been to a VA hospital.

many Doctors treat you like you was renting bowling shoes, your in, your out, and you now have a million pills to take, I think Shoogarbear has just been lucky to live somewhere were they take there time and actually look at you for a at least a week before they start dishing out the pills.

ShoogarBear

11-20-2005, 07:19 PM

I am not talking about someone just deciding they are bi-polar. I'm talking about psychiatrists medicating/diagnosing them as such. In my office in L.A., out of five people, two people were on meds for bi-polar disorder and the two others on meds for depression. I highly doubt that I was the only one of the five that wasn't in need of meds.

--Kori

I can't speak to the ones on bipolar meds, because I don't know the stories behind them.

Anti-depressants, I will admite, also get prescribed at the drop of a hat (personal belief). A large part of that is that we now live in an age where depression has lost most of its stigma, and the new medications have much less in the way of side-effects. Both of these changes are good, but now the pendulum may have swung too far the other way in that a lot of people, for whatever reason, want to be able to say they are clinically depressed and want to be taking antidepressants.

The bipolar meds, while effective, are not nearly so benign as the antidepressants. I would be very surprised at someone who would prescribe them without being very sure of the diagnosis.

ShoogarBear

11-20-2005, 07:21 PM

I highly doubt that I was the only one of the five that wasn't in need of meds.

Also, you should thank me for the great deal of maturity I showed in not going after the low-hanging fruit here.

:)

TOP-CHERRY

11-20-2005, 09:50 PM

Like Kori mentioned I don't believe in ADD. Parents who put there kids on medication for "ADD" should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn't exist. Your kid is hyper and has trouble paying attention? Yeah, that's called being a kid.
I don't think it's as simple as "being a kid".

When paying attention to simple things, such as listening to details or instructions, becomes impossible to do for a child, I'm pretty sure the kid needs help.

I would call it being a kid when it's sporadic or not something that happens frequently. But when it becomes an everyday thing, or it interferes with their learning in school, and it can't be controlled with discipline, they need something else to help them. i.e. meds or therapy.

jochhejaam

11-20-2005, 10:16 PM

Jekka

11-20-2005, 10:45 PM

There needs to be some reasonable restraint shown by the medical community when diagnosing ADD and prescribing meds.
Several years ago my wife spoke to a medical professional over the phone (without me knowing about it) and after answering a few quesions about our 10 year old son the doctor called in a prescription for Retalin.
I saw the prescription when my wife brought it home and was alarmed because we had never discussed the possibility that he may have ADD.

I took the pills and took 1/2 of one tablet to check out the effects of it (I did not allow her to give any to our son) and it kept me awake until 2:30 a.m!

Our son was seen a few days later in the office by another Dr. who said he did not have ADD and did not need retalin.
That phone diagnosis really ticked me off! :wtf

Big money to be made by the Pharmaceutical Companies.

The phone diagnosis is pretty damn stupid. They diagnosed me ADD after taking the standard test for it - which is clicking a mouse on the same part of a computer screen for 20 minutes. That will make ANYONE look like they have ADD.

TOP-CHERRY - I have seen tons of kids who are undisciplined, and I have seen very few who are actually ADD. Very few kids have ADD, and believe me, you KNOW the kids that are ADD - they are beyond the realm of unruly.

I think antidepressants get prescribed a lot more than they need to be intentionally as a placebo - I've known people who have been on 20mg of Celexa a day (which has about as much seratonin as a bar of chocolate).

Mr Dio

11-20-2005, 10:50 PM

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=615755&postcount=8

Maybe they wigged hard on a dose or two???

TOP-CHERRY

11-20-2005, 11:01 PM

TOP-CHERRY - I have seen tons of kids who are undisciplined, and I have seen very few who are actually ADD. Very few kids have ADD, and believe me, you KNOW the kids that are ADD - they are beyond the realm of unruly.
Well yeah, it's only like 3 to 5% of children who actually have it.
I just wanted to respond to timvp's comments about him thinking ADD doesn't exist.

Kori Ellis

11-20-2005, 11:11 PM

Well yeah, it's only like 3 to 5% of children who actually have it.
I just wanted to respond to timvp's comments about him thinking ADD doesn't exist.

I think it's much much less common. Maybe like 1 in 10,000 or something actually have it IMO. I think it's truly a very rare thing.

Mr Roper

10-12-2007, 11:42 AM

I think it's much much less common. Maybe like 1 in 10,000 or something actually have it IMO. I think it's truly a very rare thing.

Do you still feel the same now that you have been here awhile?
:smokin

Mavs08

10-12-2007, 12:50 PM

Ask Dizzg's wife.

http://p078.ezboard.com/I-got-TWO-tattoos-today/f550undergroundfrm7.showMessage?topicID=12707.topi c

Melmart1

10-12-2007, 01:01 PM

Interesting that this thread got bumped. My 9-yr old nephew was diagnosed with "slight ADD" about a year ago and put on meds. Total bullshit. You either have it or you don't. Now, apparently he is 'depressed' and they put him on Prozac.

A 9 year old. On Prozac. :pctoss

I was BEYOND livid that my dumbass sister didn't get a second opinion on this. I either pick him up from school or have him dropped off twice a week for reading lessons (he was failing but he is back now on the A/B honor roll since we have been reading together) and I spend lots of time with him and he is genuinely a good kid. Anytime he acts up (which is rare) I give him "the look" and he behaves. He sure is hell isn't depressed and I am worried about any long-term effects from taking such a drug at such a young age.

Looter

10-12-2007, 02:08 PM

Remember the 70s when all you needed was Alka seltzer and Penicillin?

BigBeezie

10-12-2007, 02:11 PM

I worked with a girl that is bisexual? Is that related to being bipolar?

Looter

10-12-2007, 02:21 PM

I worked with a girl that is bisexual? Is that related to being bipolar?

Does she call out her own name when she is making love to you? :wakeup

Soul_Patch

10-12-2007, 02:50 PM

My sister is bipolar. She has taken quite a few different kind of medications to help, most help but make her lethargic so she hates taking them. As soon as she stops though, she becomes a fuckin beast...

She is living with my grand parents now because it is tough for her to hold down a job, and my mom has pretty much given up on her.

DannyT

10-12-2007, 04:23 PM

I have been treated for PTSD as well as suffering from bi-polarism. lol dont know if that is a word or not, but on a serious tip....its been pretty ugly in my house for a few years after my first deployment with uncontrolable rage and constent mood changes and quick. Some as stupid as my wife lighting up a smoke would set me off and it sonly escalate from there. So finally after coming home from my second deployment and only being home for a few months and the the fights and DRAMA started back up. So recently I have gone over to BAMC to see both the psychiatrist and the psycologyst(sp). I was prescribed some pills to take at night before bed to help with the chemical balance in my dome. I think the talking has done a lot of good for me but I just didnt want to end up up prozac for the next fifteen years of my l ife like i have seen happen with other people. I guess its going to take a month or so for these pills to take effect but we will see how it goes. I also was given a patch thats used to lower blood pressure as well as help with my moods. Crazy huh. But im not on the patch yet. But the rages are gone. Anger is still around ever now and then but the flip this house episodes starring me are done for now anywas. But now that im no longer active duty BAMC will not see me so now I have to see VA. And I just have a feeling that process is going to be a bitch....thats my story. So if you need some thing more or insight let me know.

txdixiechick

10-12-2007, 05:27 PM

The Dr. is in...

:reading

A starting place to learn more about bipolar disorder. Not intended to be full explaination. Please see references for more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder (Wikipedia Link)

Bipolar disorder
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“manic depression” redirects here. For other uses, see manic depression (disambiguation).

Bipolar disorder
Classification & external resources
ICD-10 F31.
ICD-9 296.80
OMIM 125480 309200
DiseasesDB 7812
MedlinePlus 001528
eMedicine med/229
MeSH D001714

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition defined as recurrent episodes of significant disturbance in mood. These disturbances can occur on a spectrum that ranges from debilitating depression to unbridled mania. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder typically experience fluid states of mania, hypomania or what is referred to as a mixed state in conjunction with depressive episodes. These clinical states typically alternate with a normal range of mood. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia, with both bipolar I and bipolar II potentially presenting with rapid cycling.

Also called bipolar affective disorder until recently, the current name is of fairly recent origin and refers to the cycling between high and low episodes; it has replaced the older term manic-depressive illness coined by Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926) in the late nineteenth century.[3] The new term is designed to be neutral, to avoid the stigma in the non-mental health community that comes from conﬂating "manic" and "depression."

Onset of symptoms generally occurs in young adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the person's self-reported experiences, as well as observed behavior. Episodes of illness are associated with distress and disruption, and a relatively high risk of suicide.[1] Studies suggest that genetics, early environment, neurobiology, and psychological and social processes are important contributory factors. Psychiatric research is focused on the role of neurobiology, but a clear organic cause has not been found. Bipolar disorder is usually treated with medications and/or therapy or counseling. The mainstay of medication are a number of drugs termed 'mood stabilizers', in particular lithium and sodium valproate ; these are a group of unrelated medications used to prevent relapses of further episodes. Antipsychotic medications, sometimes called neuroleptics, in particular olanzapine, are used in the treatment of manic episodes and in maintenance. The benefits of using antidepressants in depressive episodes is unclear. In serious cases where there is risk to self and others involuntary hospitalization may be necessary; these generally involve severe manic episodes with dangerous behaviour or depressive episodes with suicidal ideation. Hospital stays are less frequent and for shorter periods than they were in previous years.

Some studies have suggested a significant correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder. However, the relationship between the disorder and creativity is still very unclear.[2][3][4] One study indicated increased striving for, and sometimes obtaining, goals and achievements.[5]

Signs and symptoms

Bipolar disorder is a cyclic illness where people periodically exhibit elevated (Manic) and depressive episodes. Most people will experience a number of episodes, averaging 0.4 to 0.7 a year with each lasting 3 to 6 months.[6][7] Late adolescence and early adulthood are peak years for the onset of the illness.[8][9] These are critical periods in a young adult's social and vocational development, and they can be severely disrupted by disease onset.

Classification

Bipolar disorder is commonly categorized as either bipolar type I, where an individual experiences full-blown mania, or bipolar type II, in which the hypomanic "highs" do not go to the extremes of mania. The latter is much more difficult to diagnose, since the hypomanic episodes may simply appear as a period of successful high productivity and is reported less frequently than a distressing depression. Psychosis can occur, particularly in manic periods. There are also "rapid cycling" subtypes. Because there is so much variation in the severity and nature of mood-related problems, the concept of a bipolar spectrum is often employed, which includes cyclothymia. There is no consensus as to how many "types" of bipolar disorder exist.[10] Many people with bipolar disorder experience severe anxiety and are very irritable (to the point of rage) when in a manic state, while others are euphoric and grandiose.

Depressive phase
Main article: Clinical depression

Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include: persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation and/or hopelessness, disturbances in sleep and appetite, fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyed activities, problems concentrating, loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference, depersonalization, loss of interest in sexual activity, shyness or social anxiety, irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause), lack of motivation, and morbid/suicidal ideation.[11]

Mania
Main article: Mania

Mania is generally characterized by a distinct period of an elevated, expansive or irritable mood state. People commonly experience an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep. A person's speech may be pressured, with thoughts experienced as racing. Attention span is low and a person in a manic state may be easily distracted. Judgement may become impaired, the sufferer may go on spending sprees or engage in behavior that is quite abnormal for them. They may indulge in substance abuse, particularly alcohol or other depressants, cocaine or other stimulants, or sleeping pills. Their behavior may become aggressive or intrusive. People may feel they have been "chosen", or are "on a special mission", which are considered grandiose or delusional ideas. Sexual drive may increase. At more extreme phases, a person in a manic state can begin to experience psychosis, or a break with reality, where thinking is affected along with mood. [12]

In order to be diagnosed with mania according to DSM-IV, a person must experience this state of elevated or irritable mood as well as other symptoms for at least one week or less if hospitalization is required. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present." [13]

Hypomania
Main article: Hypomania

Hypomania is generally a less extreme state than mania, and people in the hypomanic phase generally experience fewer of the symptoms of mania than those in a full-blown manic episode. During an episode of hypomania, one might feel an uncontrollable impulse to laugh at things he or she does not normally find funny. The duration is usually also shorter than in mania. This is often a very "artistic" state of the disorder, where there is a flight of ideas, extremely clever thinking, and an increase in energy.

Mixed state
Main article: Mixed state (psychiatry)

In the context of bipolar disorder, a mixed state is a condition during which symptoms of mania and clinical depression occur simultaneously (for example, agitation, anxiety, aggressiveness or belligerence, confusion, fatigue, impulsiveness, insomnia, irritability, morbid and/or suicidal ideation, panic, paranoia, persecutory delusions, pressured speech, racing thoughts, restlessness, and rage).[14]

Mixed episodes can be the most volatile of the bipolar states, as moods can easily and quickly be triggered or shifted.[citation needed] Suicide attempts, substance abuse, and self-mutilation may occur during this state.[citation needed]

Rapid cycling

Rapid cycling, defined as having four or more episodes per year, is found in a significant fraction of patients with bipolar disorder. It has been associated with greater disability or a worse prognosis, due to the confusing changeability and difficulty in establishing a stable state. Rapid cycling can be induced or made worse by antidepressants, unless there is adjunctive treatment with a mood stabilizer.[15][16]

The definition of rapid cycling most frequently cited in the literature is that of Dunner and Fieve: at least four major depressive, manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes are required to have occurred during a 12-month period. [17] There are references that describe very rapid (ultra-rapid) or extremely rapid [18] (ultra-ultra or ultraradian) cycling. One definition of ultra-ultra rapid cycling is defining distinct shifts in mood within a 24–48-hour period.

Cognition

Recent studies have found that bipolar disorder involves certain cognitive deficits or impairments, even in states of remission.[19][20][21][22]

Deborah Yurgelun-Todd of McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts has argued these deficits should be included as a core feature of bipolar disorder. According to McIntyre et al. (2006),

Study results now press the point that neurocognitive deficits are a primary feature of BD; they are highly prevalent and persist in the absence of overt symptomatology. Although disparate neurocognitive abnormalities have been reported, disturbances in attention, visual memory, and executive function are most consistently reported.[23]

However, in the April-June 2007 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Spanish researchers reported that people with bipolar 1 who have a history of psychotic symptoms do not necessarily experience an increase in cognitive impairment.[citation needed]

Creativity
Main article: Creativity and mental illness

A number of recent studies have observed a correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder,[2][3][4] although it is unclear in which direction the cause lies, or whether both conditions are caused by some third, unknown, factor. It has been hypothesized that temperament may be one such factor.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on the self-reported experiences of the patient as well as abnormalities in behavior reported by family members, friends or co-workers, followed by secondary signs observed by a psychiatrist, nurse, social worker, clinical psychologist or other clinician in a clinical assessment. There is a list of criteria that must be met for someone to be so diagnosed. These depend on both the presence and duration of certain signs and symptoms.

An initial assessment includes a comprehensive history and physical examination by a physician. Although there are no biological tests which confirm bipolar disorder, tests are carried out to exclude medical illnesses which may rarely present with psychiatric symptoms. These include blood tests measuring TSH to exclude hypo- or hyperthyroidism, basic electrolytes and serum calcium to rule out a metabolic disturbance, full blood count including ESR to rule out a systemic infection or chronic disease, and serology to exclude syphilis or HIV infection; two commonly ordered investigations are EEG to exclude epilepsy, and a CT scan of the head to exclude brain lesions.[citation needed] There are several psychiatric illnesses which may present with similar symptoms; these include schizophrenia,[24] drug intoxication, brief drug-induced psychosis, schizophreniform disorder and borderline personality disorder.

The last is important as both diagnoses involve symptoms commonly known as "mood swings". In bipolar disorder, the term refers to the cyclic episodes of elevated and depressed mood which generally last weeks or months (notwithstanding Rapid Cycling variant of greater than four episodes a year). The term in borderline personality refers to the marked lability and reactivity of mood, known as emotional dysregulation, due to response to external psychosocial and intrapsychic stressors; these may arise or subside suddenly and dramatically and last for seconds, minutes, hours or days. A bipolar depression is generally more pervasive with sleep, appetite disturbance and nonreactive mood, whereas the mood in dysthymia of borderline personality remains markedly reactive and sleep disturbance not acute.[25]

The relationship between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder has been debated; some hold that the latter represents a subthreshold form of affective disorder,[26][27] while others maintain the distinctness, though noting they often coexist.[28][29]

Investigations are not generally repeated for relapse unless there is a specific medical indication. These may include serum BSL if olanzapine has previously been prescribed, lithium or valproate level to check compliance or toxicity with those medications, renal or thyroid function if lithium has been previously prescribed and taken regularly. Assessment and treatment are usually done on an outpatient basis; admission to an inpatient facility is considered if there is a risk to self or others.[citation needed]

The most widely used criteria for diagnosing bipolar disorder are from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the current version being DSM-IV-TR, and the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, currently the ICD-10. The latter criteria are typically used in European countries while the DSM criteria are used in the USA or the rest of the world, as well as prevailing in research studies.

Diagnostic criteria
Main article: Current diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder

Flux is the fundamental nature of bipolar disorder.[citation needed] Both within and between individuals with the illness, energy, mood, thought, sleep, and activity are among the continually changing biological markers of the disorder. The diagnostic subtypes of bipolar disorder are thus static descriptions—snapshots, perhaps—of an illness in continual change, with a great diversity of symptoms and varying degrees of severity. Individuals may stay in one subtype, or change into another, over the course of their illness. The DSM V, to be published in 2011 , will likely include further and more accurate sub-typing (Akiskal and Ghaemi, 2006).

There are four types of bipolar illness. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) details four categories of bipolar disorder, Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, and Bipolar Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).

For a diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder according to the DSM-IV-TR, there requires one or more manic or mixed episodes. A depressive episode is not required for the diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder but it frequently occurs.

Bipolar II, which occurs more frequently is usually characterized by at least one episode of hypomania and at least one depression.

A diagnosis of Cyclothymic Disorder requires the presence of numerous hypomanic episodes, intermingled with depressive episodes that do not meet full criteria for major depressive episodes. The main idea here is that there is a low-grade cycling of mood which appears to the observer as a personality trait, but interferes with functioning.

If an individual clearly seems to be suffering from some type of bipolar disorder but does not meet the criteria for one of the subtypes above, he or she receives a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).

Although a patient will most likely be depressed when they first seek help, it is very important to find out from the patient or the patient's family or friends if a manic or hypomanic episode has ever been present, using careful questioning. This will prevent misdiagnosis of Depressive Disorder and avoids the use of an antidepressant which may trigger a "switch" to hypomania or mania or induce rapid cycling. Recent screening tools such as the Hypomanic Check List Questionnaire (HCL-32) have been developed to assist the quite often difficult detection of Bipolar II disorders.

Delay in diagnosis

The behavioral manifestations of bipolar disorder are often not understood by patients nor recognized by mental health professionals, so people may suffer unnecessarily for over 10 years in some cases before receiving proper treatment.[30]

That treatment lag is apparently not decreasing, even though there is now increased public awareness of this mental health condition in popular magazines and health websites. Recent TV specials, for example the BBC's The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive,[31] MTV's True Life: I'm Bipolar, talk shows, and public radio shows, and the greater willingness of public figures to discuss their own bipolar disorder, have focused on psychiatric conditions thereby further raising public awareness.

Despite this increased focus, individuals are still commonly misdiagnosed.[32]

Children
Main article: Bipolar disorder in children

Children with bipolar disorder do not often meet the strict DSM-IV definition. In pediatric cases, the cycling can occur very quickly (see section above on rapid cycling).[33]

Children with bipolar disorder tend to have rapid-cycling or mixed-cycling. Rapid cycling occurs when the cycles between depression and mania occur quickly, sometimes within the same day or the same hour. When the symptoms of both mania and depression occur simultaneously, mixed cycling occurs.

Often other psychiatric conditions are diagnosed in bipolar children. These other diagnoses may be concurrent problems, or they may be misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. Depression, ADHD, ODD, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome are common comorbid conditions. Furthermore some children with histories of abuse or neglect may have Bipolar I Disorder. There is a high comorbidity between Reactive attachment disorder and Bipolar I Disorder with about 50% of children in the Child Welfare System who have Reactive Attachment Disorder also have Bipolar I Disorder[34]

Misdiagnosis can lead to incorrect medication.

On September, 2007, experts (from New York, Maryland and Madrid) found that the number of American children and adolescents treated for bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 1994 to 2003, and it was increasing ever since. However, the increase was due to the fact that doctors more aggressively applied the diagnosis to children, and not that the incidence of the disorder had increased. The study calculated the number of visits which increased, from 20,000 in 1994 to 800,000 in 2003, or 1% of the population under age 20. [35]

Epidemiology

Clinical depression and bipolar disorder are classified as separate illnesses. Some researchers increasingly view them as part of an overlapping spectrum that also includes anxiety and psychosis.

According to Hagop Akiskal, M.D., at the one end of the spectrum is bipolar type schizoaffective disorder, and at the other end is unipolar depression (recurrent or not recurrent), with the anxiety disorders present across the spectrum. Also included in this view is premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. This view helps to explain why many people who have the illness do not have first-degree relatives with clear-cut "bipolar disorder", but who have family members with a history of these other disorders.

In a 2003 study, Hagop Akiskal M.D. and Lew Judd M.D. re-examined data from the landmark Epidemiologic Catchment Area study from two decades before.[36] The original study found that 0.8 percent of the population surveyed had experienced a manic episode at least once (the diagnostic threshold for bipolar I) and 0.5 a hypomanic episode (the diagnostic threshold for bipolar II).

By tabulating survey responses to include sub-threshold diagnostic criteria, such as one or two symptoms over a short time-period, the authors arrived at an additional 5.1 percent of the population, adding up to a total of 6.4 percent of the entire population who can be thought of as having a bipolar spectrum disorder. This and similar recent studies have been interpreted by some prominent bipolar disorders researchers as evidence for a much higher prevalence of bipolar conditions in the general population than previously thought.

However these re-analyses should be interpreted cautiously because of substantive as well as methodological study limitations. Indeed, prevalence studies of bipolar disorder are carried out by lay interviewers (that is, not by expert clinicians/psychiatrists who are more costly to employ) who follow fully structured/fixed interview schemes; responses to single items from such interviews may suffer limited validity.

Furthermore, a well-known statistical problem arises when ascertaining disorders and conditions with a relatively low population prevalence or base-rate, such as bipolar disorder: even assuming that lay interviews diagnoses are highly accurate in terms of sensitivity and specificity and their corresponding area under the ROC curve (that is, AUC, or area under the receiver operating characteristic curve), a condition with a relatively low prevalence or base-rate is bound to yield high false positive rates, which exceed false negative rates; in such a circumstance a limited positive predictive value, PPV, yields high false positive rates even in presence of a specificity which is very close to 100%.[37] To simplify, it can be said that a very small error applied over a very large number of individuals (that is, those who are *not affected* by the condition in the general population during their lifetime; for example, over 95%) produces a relevant, non-negligible number of subjects who are incorrectly classified as having the condition or any other condition which is the object of a survey study: these subjects are the so-called false positives; such reasoning applies to the 'false positive' but not the 'false negative' problem where we have an error applied over a relatively very small number of individuals to begin with (that is, those who are *affected* by the condition in the general population; for example, less than 5%). Hence, a very high percentage of subjects who seem to have a history of bipolar disorder at the interview are false positives for such a medical condition and apparently never suffered a fully clinical syndrome (that is, bipolar disorder type I): the population prevalence of bipolar disorder type I, which includes at least a lifetime manic episode, continues to be estimated at 1%.[38] "Mild-to-severe versions of bipolar disorder afflict nearly 4 percent of adults at some time in their lives."[39]

A different but related problem in evaluating the public health significance of psychiatric conditions has been highlighted by Robert Spitzer of Columbia University: fulfillment of diagnostic criteria and the resulting diagnosis do not necessarily imply need for treatment.[40] As a consequence, subjects who experience bipolar symptoms but not a full-blown, impairing bipolar syndrome should not be automatically considered as patients in need of treatment.

Recent studies have indicated that at least 50% of adult sufferers report manifestation of symptoms before the age of 17. Moreover, there is a growing consensus that bipolar disorder originates in childhood. In young children the illness is now referred to as pediatric bipolar disorder. Today about 0.5% of children under 18 are believed to have the condition. For children, the main concern is that bipolar disorder needs to be diagnosed correctly and treated properly because it can look like unipolar depression, ADHD, or conduct disorder. Young children, adolescents and adults each express the condition differently according to child and adolescent bipolar disorders expert Demitri Papolos M.D. and the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation. There is, however, controversy about this last point[41]

Bipolar disorder manifests in late life as well. Some individuals with "hyperthymic" temperament (or "hypomanic" personality style) who experience depression in later life appear to have a form of bipolar disorder. Much more needs to be elucidated about late-life bipolar disorder.

Approximately 50% of children in the U.S. child welfare system who have reactive attachment disorder also have comorbid Bipolar I disorder according to research by John Alston, MD.

Etiology

According to the U.S. government's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "There is no single cause for bipolar disorder—rather, many factors act together to produce the illness." "Because bipolar disorder tends to run in families, researchers have been searching for specific genes passed down through generations that may increase a person's chance of developing the illness." "In addition, findings from gene research suggest that bipolar disorder, like other mental illnesses, does not occur because of a single gene.".[42]

It is well established that bipolar disorder is a genetically influenced condition which can respond very well to medication (Johnson & Leahy, 2004; Miklowitz & Goldstein, 1997; Frank, 2005). (See treatment of bipolar disorder for a more detailed discussion of treatment.)

Psychological factors also play a strong role in both the psychopathology of the disorder and the psychotherapeutic factors aimed at alleviating core symptoms, recognizing episode triggers, reducing negative expressed emotion in relationships, recognizing prodromal symptoms before full-blown recurrence, and, practising the factors that lead to maintenance of remission (Lam et al, 1999; Johnson & Leahy, 2004; Basco & Rush, 2005; Miklowitz & Goldstein, 1997; Frank, 2005). Modern evidence based psychotherapies designed specifically for bipolar disorder when used in combination with standard medication treatment increase the time the individual stays well significantly longer than medications alone (Frank, 2005). These psychotherapies are interpersonal and social rhythm therapy for bipolar disorder, family focused therapy for bipolar disorder, psychoeducation, cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder, and prodrome detection. All except psychoeducation and prodrome detection are available as books.

Abnormalities in brain function have been related to feelings of anxiety and lower stress resilience. When faced with a very stressful, negative major life event, such as a failure in an important area, an individual may have his first major depression. Conversely, when an individual accomplishes a major achievement he may experience his first hypomanic or manic episode. Individuals with bipolar disorder tend to experience episode triggers involving either interpersonal or achievement-related life events. An example of interpersonal-life events include falling in love or, conversely, the death of a close friend. Achievement-related life events include acceptance into an elite graduate school or by contrast, being fired from work (Miklowitz & Goldstein, 1997). Childbirth can also trigger a postpartum psychosis for bipolar women, which can lead in the worst cases to infanticide.

The "kindling" theory[43] asserts that people who are genetically predisposed toward bipolar disorder can experience a series of stressful events, each of which lowers the threshold at which mood changes occur. Eventually, a mood episode can start (and becomes recurrent) by itself. Not all individuals experience subsequent mood episodes in the absence of positive or negative life events, however.

Individuals with late-adolescent/early adult onset of the disorder will very likely have experienced childhood anxiety and depression. Some argue that childhood-onset bipolar disorder should be treated early.

A family history of bipolar spectrum disorders can impart a genetic predisposition towards developing a bipolar spectrum disorder.[44] Since bipolar disorders are polygenic (involving many genes), there are apt to be many unipolar and bipolar disordered individuals in the same family pedigree. This is very often the case (Barondes, 1998). Anxiety disorders, clinical depression, eating disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and/or schizophrenia may be part of the patient's family history and reflects a term called "genetic loading".

Bipolar disorder is not either environmental or physiological, it is multifactorial; that is, many genes and environmental factors conspire to create the disorder (Johnson & Leahy, 2004).

Since bipolar disorder is so heterogeneous, it is likely that people experience different pathways towards the illness (Miklowitz & Goldstein, 1997).

Recent research done in Japan indicates a hypothesis of dysfunctional mitochondria in the brain (Stork & Renshaw, 2005)

Heritability or inheritance

The disorder runs in families.[45] More than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the disorder or with unipolar major depression.

Studies seeking to identify the genetic basis of bipolar disorder indicate that susceptibility stems from multiple genes. Scientists are continuing their search for these genes, using advanced genetic analytic methods and large samples of families affected by the illness. The researchers are hopeful that identification of susceptibility genes for bipolar disorder, and the brain proteins they code for, will make it possible to develop better treatments and preventive interventions targeted at the underlying illness process.

Genetic research

There is increasing evidence for a genetic component in the causation of bipolar disorder, provided by a number of twin studies and gene linkage studies.

The monozygotic concordance rate for the disorder is 70%. This means that if a person has the disorder, an identical twin has a 70% likelihood of having the disorder as well. Dizygotic twins have a 23% concordance rate. These concordance rates are not universally replicated in the literature; recent studies have shown rates of around 40% for monozygotic and <10% for dizygotic twins (see Kieseppa, 2004[46] and Cardno, 1999[47]).

In 2003 , a group of American and Canadian researchers published a paper that used gene linkage techniques to identify a mutation in the GRK3 gene as a possible cause of up to 10% of cases of bipolar disorder. This gene is associated with a kinase enzyme called G protein receptor kinase 3, which appears to be involved in dopamine metabolism, and may provide a possible target for new drugs for bipolar disorder.[48]

A 2007 gene-linkage study by an international team coordinated by the NIMH has identified a number of genes as likely to be involved in the etiology of bipolar disorder, suggesting that bipolar disorder may be a polygenic disease. The researchers at NIMH have found a correlation between DGKH (diacylglycerol kinase eta) and bipolar disorder. The portion of the genome that encodes DGKH, a key protein in the lithium-sensitive phosphatidyl inositol pathway [49].

Treatment
Main article: Treatment of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, instead the emphasis of treatment is on effective management of acute episodes and prevention of further episodes by use of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic techniques.

Hospitalization may occur, especially with manic episodes. This can be voluntary or (if mental health legislation allows it) involuntary (called civil or involuntary commitment). Long-term inpatient stays are now less common due to deinstitutionalization, although can still occur.[50] Following (or in lieu of) a hospital admission, support services available can include drop-in centers, visits from members of a community mental health team or Assertive Community Treatment team, supported employment[51] and patient-led support groups.

Medication

The mainstay of treatment is a mood stabilizer medication; these comprise several unrelated compounds which have been shown to be effective in preventing relapses of manic, or in the one case, depressive episodes. The first known and "gold standard" mood stabilizer is lithium,[52] while almost as widely used is sodium valproate,[53] originally used as an anticonvulsant. Other anticonvulsants used in bipolar disorder include carbamazepine, reportedly more effective in rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and lamotrigine, which is the first one to be shown to be of benefit in bipolar depression.[54]

Treatment of the agitation in acute manic episodes has often required the use of antipsychotic medications, such as Quetiapine, Olanzapine and Chlorpromazine. More recently, Olanzapine and Quetiapine have been approved as effective monotherapy for the maintenance of bipolar disorder.[55] A head-to-head randomized control trial in 2005 has also shown olanzapine monotherapy to be as effective and safe as lithium in prophylaxis.[56]

The use of antidepressants in bipolar disorder has been debated, with some studies reporting a worse outcome with their use triggering manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes, especially if no mood stabiliser is used. However, most mood stabilizers are of limited effectiveness in depressive episodes.

Research
Main article: Bipolar disorders research

The following studies are ongoing, and are recruiting volunteers:

The Maudsley Bipolar Twin Study, based at the Institute of Psychiatry in London is conducting research about the genetic basis of bipolar disorder using twin methodology. Currently recruiting volunteers: identical and non-identical twins pairs, where either one or both twins has a diagnosis of bipolar I or II.

The Maudsley Bipolar eMonitoring Project, another research study based at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, is conducting novel research on electronic monitoring methodologies (electronic mood diaries and actigraphy) for tracking bipolar symptom fluctuations in Bipolar individuals who are interested in self-managing their condition. The study is currently recruiting volunteers from all over the world (see Remote eMonitoring)

Medical imaging

Researchers are using advanced brain imaging techniques to examine brain function and structure in people with bipolar disorder, particularly using the functional MRI and positron emission tomography. An important area of neuroimaging research focuses on identifying and characterizing networks of interconnected nerve cells in the brain, interactions among which form the basis for normal and abnormal behaviors. Researchers hypothesize that abnormalities in the structure and/or function of certain brain circuits could underlie bipolar and other mood disorders, and studies have found anatomical differences in areas such as the prefrontal cortex[57] and hippocampus.

Better understanding of the neural circuits involved in regulating mood states, and genetic factors such as the cadherin gene FAT linked to bipolar disorder,[58] may influence the development of new and better treatments, and may ultimately aid in early diagnosis and even a cure.

New treatments

In late 2003, researchers at McLean Hospital found tentative evidence of improvements in mood during echo-planar magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (EP-MRSI), and attempts are being made to develop this into a form which can be evaluated as a possible treatment.[59][60]

NIMH has initiated a large-scale study at 20 sites across the United States to determine the most effective treatment strategies for people with bipolar disorder. This study, the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), will follow patients and document their treatment outcome for 5-8 years. For more information, visit the Clinical Trials page of the NIMH Web site.[61]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is another fairly new technique being studied.

Pharmaceutical research is extensive and ongoing, as seen at clinicaltrials.gov.

Prognosis

A good prognosis results from good treatment, which, in turn, results from an accurate diagnosis. Because bipolar disorder continues to have a high rate of both under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis, it is often difficult for individuals with the condition to receive timely and competent treatment.

Bipolar disorder can be a severely disabling medical condition. However, with appropriate treatment, many individuals with bipolar disorder can live full and satisfying lives. Persons with bipolar disorder are likely to have periods of normal or near normal functioning between episodes.

Ultimately one's prognosis depends on many factors, which are, in fact, under the individual's control: the right medicines; the right dose of each; a very informed patient; a good working relationship with a competent medical doctor; a competent, supportive and warm therapist; a supportive family or significant other; and a balanced lifestyle including a regulated stress level, regular exercise and regular sleep and wake times. [citation needed]

There are obviously other factors that lead to a good prognosis as well, such as being very aware of small changes in one's energy, mood, sleep and eating behaviors, as well as having a plan in conjunction with one's doctor for how to manage subtle changes that might indicate the beginning of a mood swing. Some people find that keeping a log of their moods can assist them in predicting changes.[citation needed]

Recurrence

Even when on medication, some people may still experience weaker episodes, or have a complete manic or depressive episode. In fact, a recent study found bipolar disorder to be "characterized by a low rate of recovery, a high rate of recurrence, and poor interepisodic functioning." Worse, the study confirmed the seriousness of the disorder as "the standardized all-cause mortality ratio among patients with BD is increased approximately 2-fold." Bipolar disorder is currently regarded "as possibly the most costly category of mental disorders in the United States."[62]

The following behaviors can lead to depressive or manic recurrence:

* Discontinuing or lowering one's dose of medication, without consulting one's physician.
* Being under- or over-medicated. Generally, taking a lower dosage of a mood stabilizer can lead to relapse into mania. Taking a lower dosage of an antidepressant, may cause the patient to relapse into depression, while higher doses can cause destabilization into mixed-states or mania.
* Taking hard drugs—recreationally or not—such as cocaine, alcohol, amphetamines, or opiates. These can cause the condition to worsen.
* An inconsistent sleep schedule can destabilize the illness. Too much sleep (possibly caused by medication) can lead to depression, while too little sleep can lead to mixed states or mania.
* Caffeine can cause destabilization of mood toward irritability, dysphoria, and mania. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that lower dosages of caffeine can have effects ranging from anti-depressant to mania-inducing.
* Inadequate stress management and poor lifestyle choices. If unmedicated, excessive stress can cause the individual to relapse. Medication raises the stress threshold somewhat, but too much stress still causes relapse.
* Often bipolar individuals are subject to self-medication, the most common drugs being alcohol, and marijuana. Sometimes they may also turn to hard drugs. Studies show that tobacco smoking induces a calming effect on most bipolar people, and a very high percentage suffering from the disorder smoke. [4]

Recurrence can be managed by the sufferer with the help of a close friend, based on the occurrence of idiosyncratic prodromal events[63] This theorizes that a close friend could notice which moods, activities, behaviours, thinking processes, or thoughts typically occur at the outset of bipolar episodes. They can then take planned steps to slow or reverse the onset of illness, or take action to prevent the episode from being damaging. [64]

Mortality

"Mortality studies have documented an increase in all-cause mortality in patients with BD. A newly established and rapidly growing database indicates that mortality due to chronic medical disorders (eg, cardiovascular disease) is the single largest cause of premature and excess deaths in BD. The standardized mortality ratio from suicide in BD is estimated to be approximately 18 to 25, further emphasizing the lethality of the disorder."[65]

Although many people with bipolar disorder who attempt suicide never actually complete it, the annual average suicide rate in males and females with diagnosed bipolar disorder (0.4%) is 10 to more than 20 times that in the general population.[66]

Individuals with bipolar disorder may become suicidal, especially during mixed states such as dysphoric mania and agitated depression.[citation needed] Persons suffering from Bipolar II have high rates of suicide compared to persons suffering from other mental health conditions, including Major Depression. Major Depressive episodes are part of the Bipolar II experience, and there is evidence that sufferers of this disorder spend proportionally much more of their life in the depressive phase of the illness than their counterparts with Bipolar I Disorder (Akiskal & Kessler, 2007).

History
Main article: History of bipolar disorder

Varying moods and energy levels have been a part of the human experience since time immemorial. The words "melancholia" (an old word for depression) and "mania" have their etymologies in Ancient Greek. The word melancholia is derived from melas/μελας, meaning "black", and chole/χολη, meaning "bile" or "gall",[67] indicative of the term’s origins in pre-Hippocratic humoral theories. Within the humoral theories, mania was viewed as arising from an excess of yellow bile, or a mixture of black and yellow bile. The linguistic origins of mania, however, are not so clear-cut. Several etymologies are proposed by the Roman physician Caelius Aurelianus, including the Greek word ‘ania’, meaning to produce great mental anguish, and ‘manos’, meaning relaxed or loose, which would contextually approximate to an excessive relaxing of the mind or soul (Angst and Marneros 2001). There are at least five other candidates, and part of the confusion surrounding the exact etymology of the word mania is its varied usage in the pre-Hippocratic poetry and mythologies (Angst and Marneros 2001).

The idea of a relationship between mania and melancholia can be traced back to at least the 2nd century AD.[citation needed] Soranus of Ephesus (98-177 AD) described mania and melancholia as distinct diseases with separate etiologies[5]; however, he acknowledged that “many others consider melancholia a form of the disease of mania” (Cited in Mondimore 2005 p.49).

A clear understanding of bipolar disorder as a mental illness was recognized by early Chinese authors. The encyclopedist Gao Lian (c. 1583) describes the malady in his Eight Treatises on the Nurturing of Life (Ts'un-sheng pa-chien).[6]

The earliest written descriptions of a relationship between mania and melancholia are attributed to Aretaeus of Cappadocia. Aretaeus was an eclectic medical philosopher who lived in Alexandria somewhere between 30 and 150 AD (Roccatagliata 1986; Akiskal 1996). Aretaeus is recognized as having authored most of the surviving texts referring to a unified concept of manic-depressive illness, viewing both melancholia and mania as having a common origin in ‘black bile’ (Akiskal 1996; Marneros 2001).
Emil Kraepelin (1856–1926) refined the concept of psychosis.
Emil Kraepelin (1856–1926) refined the concept of psychosis.

The contemporary psychiatric conceptualisation of manic-depressive illness is typically traced back to the 1850s. Marneros (2001) describes the concepts emerging out of this period as the “rebirth of bipolarity in the modern era”. On January 31, 1854, Jules Baillarger described to the French Imperial Academy of Medicine a biphasic mental illness causing recurrent oscillations between mania and depression. Two weeks later, on February 14, 1854, Jean-Pierre Falret presented a description to the Academy on what was essentially the same disorder. This illness was designated folie circulaire (‘circular insanity’) by Falret, and folie à double forme (‘dual-form insanity’) by Baillarger (Sedler 1983).

Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926), a German psychiatrist categorized and studied the natural course of untreated bipolar patients long before mood stabilizers were discovered. Describing these patients in 1902, he coined the term manic depressive psychosis. He noted in his patient observations that intervals of acute illness, manic or depressive, were generally punctuated by relatively symptom-free intervals in which the patient that was able to function normally.[68]

After World War II, Dr. John Cade, an Australian psychiatrist, was investigating the effects of various compounds on veteran patients with manic depressive psychosis. In 1949 , Cade discovered that lithium carbonate could be used as a successful treatment of manic depressive psychosis.[69] Because there was a fear that table salt substitutes could lead to toxicity or death, Cade's findings did not immediately lead to treatments. In the 1950s, U.S. hospitals began experimenting with lithium on their patients. By the mid-'60s, reports started appearing in the medical literature regarding lithium's effectiveness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve of lithium's use until 1970.[70]

The term "manic-depressive reaction" appeared in the first American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic Manual in 1952, influenced by the legacy of Adolf Meyer who had introduced the paradigm illness as a reaction of biogenetic factors to psychological and social influences.[71] Subclassification of bipolar disorder was first proposed by German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard in 1957; he was also the first to introduce the terms bipolar (for those with mania) and unipolar (for those with depressive episodes only).[72]

In 1968, both the newly revised classification systems ICD-8 and DSM-II termed the condition "manic-depressive illness" as biological thinking came to the fore.[73]

The current nosology, bipolar disorder, became popular only recently, and some individuals prefer the older term because it provides a better description of a continually changing multi-dimensional illness.[citation needed]

See also

* Mood (psychology)
* Emotion
* List of people believed to have been affected by bipolar disorder

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Cited texts

* Goodwin FK, Jamison KR (1990). Manic-Depressive Illness. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-503934-3.

Further reading

Contemporary first-person accounts on this subject include

* Jamison, Kay Redfield. 1995. An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-330-34651-2.
* Simon, Lizzie. 2002. Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-4659-3.
* Behrman, Andy. 2002. Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania. New York: Random House, 2002. ISBN 0-375-50358-7.

For a practical guide to living with bipolar disorder from the perspective of the sufferer, see

* Kelly, Madeleine Bipolar and the Art of Roller-coaster Riding. Strathbogie: Two Trees Media 2005 ISBN 0-646-44939-7

For a critique of genetic explanations of bipolar disorder, see

* Joseph, J. 2006. The Missing Gene: Psychiatry, Heredity, and the Fruitless Search for Genes. New York: Algora.

For readings regarding bipolar disorder in children, see:

* Raeburn, Paul. 2004. Acquainted with the Night: A Parent's Quest to Understand Depression and Bipolar Disorder in His Children.
* Earley, Pete. Crazy. 2006. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-15313-6. A father's account of his son's bipolar disorder.
* About Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: www.bpkids.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lrn_about
* The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation: www.bpkids.org
* Time Magazine checklist for childhood/adolescent bipolarity: www.time.com/time/covers/1101020819/worksheet/
* A Model IEP for a bipolar child's medication that works correctly: http://www.bipolarchild.com/iep.html

Classic works on this subject include

* Kraepelin, Emil. 1921. Manic-depressive Insanity and Paranoia ISBN 0-405-07441-7 (English translation of the original German from the earlier eighth edition of Kraepelin's textbook - now outdated, but a work of major historical importance).
* Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament by Kay Redfield Jamison (The Free Press: Macmillian, Inc., New York, 1993) 1996 reprint: ISBN 0-684-83183-X
* Mind Over Mood: Cognitive Treatment Therapy Manual for Clients by Christine Padesky, Dennis Greenberger. ISBN 0-89862-128-3

Categories: Semi-protected | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since June 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since October 2007 | Mood disorders

Mr.Bottomtooth

10-12-2007, 06:26 PM

Supposedly one of my ECA teachers is bipolar.

mouse

10-12-2007, 06:34 PM

Bipolar is a medical condition ok we got it! but if you "really" want to? you can do something about it without having to take medication It's all in your mind. Some just choose to not face life's challenges. They are weak and hide behind a condition we all really have. I'm sorry but with all the Cancer and People who are deaf, blind, and in a wheelchair? It's not easy to feel sorry for someone who cries during Wheel of fortune and Laughs when they watch Shindler's list.
I don't care how many Bi-Polar folks I piss off! you will forgive me anyway 15 minutes later.
My 2 cents!

:wakeup

timvp

10-12-2007, 07:02 PM

DannyT

10-12-2007, 08:07 PM

well when your murdered we will laugh and cry when you dont log in anymore

marini martini

10-12-2007, 09:59 PM

I feel people that have suffered a traumatic brain injury, without psychiatric treatment, have an increase in organic mental illness, resulting in bi-polar disorder. Just MOHA.

Ronaldo McDonald

10-12-2007, 10:46 PM

I think that a lot less people are really bipolar than are diagnosed as bipolar. These days psychiatrists are quick to say someone is bipolar, give them lithium or prozac and call it a day. Sometimes it's just mood swings -- sometimes it's just being happy or sad. But the people who are truly bipolar need medication AND counseling to find their balance.

BTW Wifey, I didn't get your message until today (I didn't check my phone). I'll call you tomorrow.

yup ur right...This becomes obvious if you've ever gotten the chance to observe people who actually has bipolar/add/depression and take meds and people who say they have a some mental disorder and take meds but are really misdiagnosed.

Like I've got a friend who says he has add, takes meds for it, but is normal as fuck. Yet i know another dude who has add and it's evident that he's got it. And this is commonplace. The amount of people getting misdiagnosed these days is just insane. it's a joke really.

boutons_

10-13-2007, 01:14 AM

There's an epidemic of Big Pharma-provoked diagnoses, not necessarily an epidemic of diseases. There's $Bs to be made, and they're hauling it in, perversely medicalizing everything.

A diet restricted mostly to raw foods (absolutely no synthetic crap or processed/industrial shit) and daily strenuous exercise (road bicycling 15 mins/day suffices) will prevent/cure/reverse a hell of a lot of "lifestyle" diseases, without drugs, including emotional disorders, Type II diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, cancer, etc, adding maybe a wlll-proven, simple technique of meditation like TM (yeah, it's gotten pretty expensive).

Once you get "addicted" to eating healthily, get control of your diet, you'll never look back.

If you get suckered into the clutches of the health care business (which is all about business, not about health care), you're fucked, dependent, impoverished financially and emotionally.

RuffnReadyOzStyle

10-14-2007, 07:43 AM

I've had one friend with bipolar disorder and another with clinical depression. Both were clearly ill.

The bipolar friend was fine as long as she took her meds, but every six months or so she'd get frustrated by the emotional void they caused and go off them. After that she'd be crazily high for 3-4 days, then pretty much try to kill herself and end up in a mental ward. She stays on her meds now and is happily married and coping with her condition, but it was definitely a chemical imbalance in her brain that she couldn't correct without medication, and it was a threat to her life. If you have seen real bipolar behaviour, you know it exists.

The clinical depression manifested as an inability to sleep, anxiety attacks and crying outburst for absolutely no reason every day. It was also medical but cured within a few months by a combination of meds that she then got off and stayed off, and an insane amount of sleep. She slept 14 hours a day for over a month. Once again, it was medical - she was a tough girl but simply couldn't deal with her depression any more. Meds and rest got her healthy again. Thankfully, it was an episode and she's not a chronic depressive.

Mental illness ARE REAL.

However, I agree that they are probably also over-diagnosed, especially in children. We live in societies that demand instant fixes (pop a pill!), and which are co-opted by the commercial interests of pharma companies. That often serves to make things harder for those who are dealing with real mental illnesses.

angel_luv

10-14-2007, 08:50 AM

One of my sisters is bipolar.

She does very well when on medication. The issue is that whenever the medicine has her stabilized, my sister believes she is cured and goes off of them.

That is when the problems begin.

I have another sister whom is addicted to drugs and is always running off somewhere to acheive it. Unfortunately, she never can clearly define what " it" is and " it" never seems to materialize.

My sisters are both wonderful people. When they are sane and safe ( when off both tend to make very dangerous decisions) we are all very close and have a lot of fun together.

Sadly, those times have become less and less frequent.
Mental illness is a horrible thing- both for the ones sick and the ones who love them, maybe even especially for the ones who love them.

Soul_Patch

10-14-2007, 09:57 AM

Mental illness is a horrible thing- both for the ones sick and the ones who love them, maybe even especially for the ones who love them.

Definately. My sis is fine as long as she takes her medications, when she starts feeling like she doesn't need them, and stops, she turns into some wierd abomination of herself...screaming and cussing, it is really hard for my family to see her like that, she is so hateful toward everyone. On her medication, she is a model citizen.