Search:

Would you like to contribute to this site? Depression Menu Submit an Article Submit a Tip Place your Ad Add URL Depression Questions? Contact Us  Depression General Information   Symptoms of Depression   Depression Tests and Quizzes   Causes of Depression   Types of Depression   Depression in Children   Depression in Teens   Bipolar Disorder   Manic Depression   Postpartum Depression   Treatment for Depression   Medication for Depression   Natural Treatment for Depression   Depression Centers and Clinics   Support for Depression

Return To Depression Article Archive   Search the Article Archives Understanding Bipolar Disorder By Mark Osbourne Youre happy! Youve never been happier! You feel full of life! Youre so up, you havent even been able to sleep for two days! Youre on a natural high! And then the crash happens. And you never know why. People with bipolar disorder live in a world of extremes. If you know someone with bipolar disorder, it might seem like they have multiple personalities. Co-workers, family members, or significant others may feel dizzy trying to keep up. What did you say now? Shes so angry that she wont even talk to you! Wait, now shes back; shes crying and depressed and needs you for emotional support. You come back to check the next day, only to find her giddy with joy; shes burned through two credit cards buying home decorating supplies and she is now up at 2 AM wallpapering her bedroom. You keep waiting for it to make sense, but the mysteries only get deeper. Wheres the happy medium? And thats just the problem: there is none. In earlier times we might have misdiagnosed a bipolar sufferer as schizophrenic, just plain depressed, paranoid, delusional, or even drug-addicted. It has only been in recent decades that we have gotten to understand this exotic disease. It is no accident that bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed as other diseases, because at times its symptoms are indistinguishable from many other disorders. Bipolars also show a marked tendency to abuse drugs, perhaps in an attempt to stabilize themselves or to try to lengthen their manic phases. Bipolars often resist treatment, because they feel so good in their manic phase. In fact, their life is much sadder than they themselves may realize. Bipolars sink into a bottomless depression and may consider and act on suicidal impulses or deliberately harm themselves through cutting the skin. Bipolars wreck their lives, both in desperation during low times and in over-confidence during high times. In addition, a sufferer in manic phase may even become irritable or fly into a rage; the minds way of showing that even too much of an up feeling is... too much! The good news about bipolar disorder is that it is especially responsive to medication. Unlike many psychological disorders for which treatments for only some of the symptoms exist, bipolar disorder virtually vanishes under a regular dosage of the proper medication. The toughest part is in keeping the patient treated. Those afflicted are likely to put any rationalization to their behavior, and even after treatment may stop taking their medication during times of stress, simply because they miss the high of the manic phase. Famous bipolar cases, some diagnosed only retroactively, include Lord Byron, Kurt Cobain, Patty Duke, Carrie Fischer, F. Scott Fitzgerald (but he had everything!), Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe, Ozzy Osborne, Axl Rose, and Vincent van Gogh. About the Author: Mark Osbourne is a researcher and writer on bipolar disorder & has a website at Bipolar Disorder and Bipolar Relief which provides advice and information.

Get your Depression questions answered... Subscribe to our Depression Newsletter FREE! Your First Name: Your Email Address: Do you have an ezine? List your ezine in our Free Newsletter Directory!

 

Home  |   Ask the Depression Expert  |   Depression Archive  |   Depression RSS Feeds  |   Advertise  |   Sitemap