Other people I spoke to had a range of views. At times suicide seemed the only real option. Fortunately, recovery and relearning about myself has brought its rewards and I have a good life today. It disrupted education, disadvantaged my career, and decimated my relationships. Hannah, a woman in her 30s describes the need for constant awareness of experience:. I am bipolar all of the time.
Trying to stay well and steady takes a lot of effort. Cait, a mother in her 20s talks about the ongoing impact of experience that started at a young age:. Becoming unwell at such a critical period in my life shaped my self-image and I struggle with social anxiety. I put off having children for a long time because I was frightened of getting ill. The negatives focusing on some of the more harmful actions I have taken as a result of the disorder, such as falling in to self-medicating habits which lead to addiction.
I am very lucky to have a close circle now, each person I know truly value me, and see the real person that I am through the disorder. As a teenager, I was a high achiever. I was destined for academic and occupational success, but I haven't been able to work since I was 18 and I had to drop out of university because I was too unwell. I volunteer, study part time with the Open University I will finally get my degree next year. I started university in !
Living with bipolar, often for years, teaches you a lot about yourself, about mental health services, about medication…and sadly often about stigma, shame, and discrimination. I never thought I could be a worthwhile human being and have something meaningful to offer.
I have discovered that there is more to life than getting a degree or a good job. I have learnt that I have amazing friends who never stopped believing in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. Hannah draws on a theme park analogy to talk about assembling your team of helpers:. There are people who are too scared to come to the theme park, those that will hop on rides with you and those that watch sensibly in awe and sickness from a distance minding your bags. Going through episodes alone has had some disastrous consequences in the past.
Hannah points to long experience of episodes to reflect that mania is the most dangerous state for her. But mania is the dangerous one. This can be a challenge when many believe mania to be exciting. I have even had people ask me how to get there. Keeping well when you have bipolar is an interesting concept.
For some it revolves exclusively around manging moods. For others it means fitting life around moods. Missing doses or tweaking them without professional help can be devastating.
I took lithium for a decade, and then wanted, once I knew myself and had done my research, to try tapering off. I did it carefully, over two years, with support, whilst learning other techniques. So I have to be super careful, and alas, super boring.
I don't drink a lot, I have relatively early nights when I can. Bipolar can also be triggered by trauma, or other life events and sometimes part of therapy is addressing underlying concerns to get someone to a point where they can start to see a life worth living.
I believed it not only saved my life, but helped me actually have a life. Mood diaries. Management plans. The person may end up in the emergency room if left untreated. To have bipolar I, a person must have manic episodes. In order for an event to be considered a manic episode, it must:. Bipolar II is considered more common than bipolar I. It also involves depressive symptoms, but its manic symptoms are much less severe and are called hypomanic symptoms. Hypomania often becomes worse without treatment, and the person can become severely manic or depressed.
There are two other types of the disorder that are less common than bipolar I and II. Cyclothymic disorder involves changes in mood and shifts similar to bipolar I and II, but the shifts are often less dramatic in nature. A person with cyclothymic disorder can often function normally without medication, though it may be hard. Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified is a general category for a person who only has some symptoms of bipolar disorder.
These symptoms are not enough to make a diagnosis of one of the other three types. Unless you have severe mania, the symptoms of bipolar disorder can be hard to spot. People who have hypomania may feel more energized than usual, more confident and full of ideas, and able to get by on less sleep. These are things that hardly anyone complains about. Learn how bipolar disorder is diagnosed.
Once you have a diagnosis, your doctor will decide on a treatment program that works best for you. Treatment for bipolar disorder may include:. A licensed psychiatrist usually manages your treatment. You may also have a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner involved in your care. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, causes extreme mood shifts ranging from mania to depression.
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