How Bipolar Changed My Life

. Bauer, Mark S. Overcoming Bipolar Disorder: A Comprehensive Workbook for Managing Your Symptoms & Achieving Your Life Goals. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2008. Print.

Being diagnosed was very scary. My parents and I didn 't know what was going on with me, and when I was first diagnosed my parents sought out specialist after specialist to make sure they ruled every other possibility out before they accepted I had bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed with bipolar at the age of 16. It wasn 't until I was 18 that I finally got the healthcare I needed. Before I was diagnosed I didn 't think

Bipolar Disorder or manic-depressive disorder is a disorder characterized by highs, manias, and lows, depressions, and can therefore be easily distinguished from unipolar depression, a major depressive disorder in DSM-5, by the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes (Miklowitz & Gitlin, 2014). Bipolar disorder is generally an episodic, lifelong illness with a variable course (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). There are two classifications of bipolar disorder; bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. If the episodes are primarily manic but there has been at least one depressive episode, the diagnosis is bipolar I disorder (Early, 2009). If the episodes are primarily depressed but there has been at least one episode of hypomania, increased mood that is more euphoric than normal but not quite manic, the diagnosis is bipolar II disorder (Early, 2009).

There is a dark stigma surrounding mental illness in general, and bipolar disorder is no exception. According to the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia, a stigma is “a mark of disgrace that sets someone apart.” Bipolar disorder is incredibly misunderstood by society at large, which leads to this stigma, prejudice, and discrimination. In everyday conversation, the word “bipolar” is frequently used to describe how someone is feeling at that moment. If a person is sad one moment and

Bipolar disorder is a highly intermittent illness often beginning in the critical life period of late adolescence and early adulthood. Bipolar disorder can have a major impact on the social, educational and occupational development of individuals. Psychotherapy has been found to treat people with a mental disorder by helping them understand their illness. It teaches people strategies and gives them tools to deal with stress, unhealthy thoughts, and unhealthy behaviors. Psychotherapy helps patients manage their symptoms better and function at their best in everyday life. Sometimes psychotherapy alone may be the best treatment for a person, depending on the illness and its severity. Other times, psychotherapy may need to be combined with medications to get the best outcome or treatment. Therapists will work diligently with individuals and families to devise an appropriate treatment plan. Not always, will it be easy to fine the appropriate treatment or balanced treatment for the patient and family on the first therapy visit. That being said, it can sometimes prolong a recovery or make the patient and family noncompliant. By far, the researchers and healthcare professionals know that the best and most effective treatment for bipolar disorder is early diagnosis and early intervention. So, it takes everyone to work as a team including the patient and family to be successful towards the road to recovery.

My family and friends tried to understand. I know that most of them hated to be around me. Who wants to be around someone that is always down? I couldn’t tell them why and they needed a reason. They would invite me out in an attempt to cheer me up. I either didn’t want to go or I’d agree and back out at the last minute. It is difficult for people to understand that bipolar is a disease. My body doesn’t produce seratonin. Seratonin aids the body in sleep and keeps Mary a “happy, normal person.” It is like being a diabetic. Diabetics need insulin. It is a chemical imbalance. My body needs seratonin. It, too, is a chemical imbalance. All most people see is depression and to most you should just be able to “snap out of it”. They think you are having a pity party. I suffered all of the classic symptoms:

When people are asked what bipolar I disorder (BD) is, they often describe someone as being psychotic, having drastic mood changes, being depressed then super happy, and the list is endless. Often, individuals who suffer with BD are stigmatized and discriminated. The following piece is part of a poem called “You and Me” written by Debbie Sesula, “...If you get angry/ You’re considered upset/ If I get angry/ I’m considered dangerous. / If you over-react to something/ You’re sensitive/ If I over-react to something/ I’m out of control…” BD is not well understood by society and it is unfortunate that individuals who have this disorder often isolate themselves and feel ashamed.

To most of my peers, bipolar disorder is synonymous with “mentally retarded,” “messed up,” or “crazy.” To me, however, bipolar disorder represents the unremitting struggle to overcome vicious stereotypes and to deal with the daily challenges that my mind inflicts upon itself. It is a common misconception that bipolar patients are incompetent and incapable of achieving the same caliber of success as those without the disorder. I defy these fallacies and I am proof that a chemical imbalance in the brain does not hinder the ability for a person to succeed. Competency is a consequence of the will to flourish. My illness may make everyday tasks more difficult, but it has not impeded the ability for me to excel in my education and in my life.

I was 10 years old when I was diagnosed with Bipolar-Depression. This was a huge challenge to me. I had to learn how to deal with the issue. I also had to learn to overcome this challenge to make life just seem okay again. It all began when i was 9, I had been constantly sad about a week and I was always angry. It slowly got worse and everything sent me into an enraged state. Even the simple things like my sister having her TV on to high while and I was trying to do school work. I would go from angry to cry in a matter of seconds. When I was 10 my mom took me to get a brain scan to see if something was wrong . It turned out i have bipolar depression .

Bipolar disorder is a much more serious disease than I had ever thought. Until recently, I just thought it was not being able to make up ones mind about which emotion to portray. Frequently, I used the term to describe people that I perceived as being temperamental or unstable. During my shift on the medical floor for work, I came in contact with my first true bipolar patient. When I first introduced myself to her, she was friendly and what I thought was a ‘normal’ patient. Small talk was made about where I am from, where I attend college, how long I have worked here, if I have a boyfriend, and

I found the article, “I Actually Don’t Know Who I am”: The Impact of Bipolar Disorder on the Development of Self” (2008), by Inder, M., Corwoe., M.,T., Moor, S., Luty, S. E., Carter, J.D., and Joyce, P. R to be very interesting and very much needed. The research explored how one’s sense of self is impacted by the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (BD) at an early age. As seen in the study, the diagnosis had a major impact on the participant’s sense of identity and self worth. There was four major problem areas that were identified; “Confusion, contradiction, self-doubt, and self-acceptance” Inder, et al (2008). All of the participants in the study have indicated that these four critical areas were impacted as a result of being labeled with

In the midst of beginning my junior year, I was diagnosed with bipolar depression. My life was a cycle of overeating, over-thinking, and over-sleeping. I quickly learned that simply running away from the thoughts was not going to be the solution, they were far more pervasive than I had imagined. Subsequently, due to poor state of health, I was then diagnosed with PCOS. This in turn was finally the wakeup call I was in desperate need of. It was an extra incentive to stop wallowing in the negative, allowing depression to consume every aspect of my life. My lifestyle needed to change immediately, to escape from the perpetual cycle of emotional and physical exhaustion. To put the whole 180 in motion, I started eating right, exercising more, and

Imagine feeling sad and hopeless for days, weeks, or even months on end, then suddenly rocketing to an overly exaggerated outlook on things. Try to envision feeling the highs and lows of innumerable emotions day after day, riding your own emotional rollercoaster and feeling like you’ll never be able to get off. This is common for one suffering from bipolar disorder also known as manic depression. According to our text book Invitation to The Life Span, bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by extreme mood swings, from euphoria to deep depression, not caused by outside experiences. This disorder can make everyday tasks difficult. For instance fighting the urge to impulsively quit your job or even maintain social relationships while battling yourself emotionally. It is not uncommon for people to suffer unknowingly with this disorder for a long period of time. According to the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Statistics: Any Disorder Among Adults. Retrieved March 5, 2013, “One in four adults—approximately 61.5 million Americans-experiences a mental illness in a given year.’’ That’s “one in seventeen about 13.6 million—live with a serious mental illness’’ like manic depression. However not all is lost, one can live a happy, normal productive life with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness affects about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population (8). It is defined by fluctuating states of depression and mania throughout ones life. Those who are depressed may be restless, irritable, have slowed thinking or speech, decreased sexual activity, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, suicidal thoughts as well as other changes. Those in a manic state may have increased activity or energy, more thoughts and faster thinking, grandiose thoughts, decreased sleep and need for sleep, increased sexual activity, elated mood, irritable mood, as well as other symptoms. Mixed state is when both depression and mania are exhibited at the same time in a cycle. Rapid cycling

Everyone has struggles, some may be physical and some may be mental. I watch helplessly as my friends and family members face their own struggles. My father struggles with bipolar depression and it puts a huge impact and secret in my life. I used to feel ashamed that my life and family are not normal and hid these facts. I mask my father’s disorder and how it affects me. My father’s method of coping drove a wedge between our relationship that still stands to this day, but lessens with understanding and patience. My attitude and understanding of my father’s disorder changed my apathy on restoring the relationship I have with my father, working in a retirement home, and meeting new people.