Alexis_2 said:
Carrie, I've seen the 'classic' kind of manic-depressive or bipolar disorder you are talking about, up close - complete with psychotic episodes, hospitalization and thorazine. In the last 5 or 10 years I've also heard of quite a few people I know being diagnosed as 'bi-polar.' The rate of incidence is almost alarming .. and yet, their "disorders" have little or no resemblance at all to the classic M/D disorder I was familiar with.
It's like it's become trendy or something to label people ... these professional medicators are only too happy to find a box each one of us can fit in ...
Not trendy just different forms of the same illness. The patient you describe is most likely Bipolar 1. There seems to be a reluctance to view the link I provided on the differences in symptoms so I might as well list them here along with the different types:
TYPES
Bipolar 1 - involves episodes of severe mood swings from mania to depression
Bipolar 2 - involves episodes of milder mood swings from milder episodes of hypomania to depression
Cyclothymic Disorder - describes even milder mood swings
Mixed Bipolar disorder - this is the bad one folks, well for the individual to go through - it involves people who manifest both mania and depression at the same time. To describe this as feeling imagine feeling grandiose with a million thoughts running through your head (racing thoughts) mixed with felling irritable, angry, moody and feeling bad all at the same time.
Rapid Cycling Bipolar disorder: Patients with this may experience 4 or more events in a twelve month period. Some people even have multiple episodes in one week. This usually develops in the later course of Bipolar patients an woman more often develop this condition then men. It is this condition that a patient is more likely to commit suicide and it is a condition that worries Doctors more than anything else regarding the possibility of death. While anyone of these conditions lead to suicide this one, rapid cycling is at the top of the list.
Description of Hypomania and Mania
Hypomania
At first when I'm high, it's tremendous ... ideas are fast ... like shooting stars you follow until brighter ones appear... . All shyness disappears, the right words and gestures are suddenly there ... uninteresting people, things become intensely interesting. Sensuality is pervasive, the desire to seduce and be seduced is irresistible. Your marrow is infused with unbelievable feelings of ease, power, well-being, omnipotence, euphoria ... you can do anything ... but somewhere this changes.
Signs of hypomania with bipolar II disorder include:
* Decreased need for sleep
* Extreme focus on projects at work or at home
* Exuberant and elated mood
* Increased confidence
* Increased creativity and productivity
* Increased energy and libido
* Reckless behaviors
* Risk-taking behaviors
Mania
The fast ideas start coming too fast and there are far too many ... overwhelming confusion replaces clarity ... you stop keeping up with it … memory goes. Infectious humor ceases to amuse. Your friends become frightened ... everything is now against the grain ... you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and trapped.
The signs of mania with bipolar disorder include:
* Disconnected and racing thoughts
* Grandiose notions
* Inappropriate elation
* Inappropriate irritability
* Inappropriate social behavior
* Increased sexual desire
* Increased talking speed and/or volume
* Markedly increased energy
* Poor judgment
* Severe insomnia
Some people with bipolar disorder become psychotic, hearing things that aren't there. They may hold onto false beliefs, and cannot be swayed from them. In some instances, they see themselves as having superhuman skills and powers -- even consider themselves to be god-like.
Depression with Bipolar disorder
The clinical depression symptoms seen with bipolar disorder include:
* Decreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
* Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
* Fatigue, decreased energy, being "slowed down"
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
* Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
* Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
* Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
* Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
* Persistently sad, anxious, or "empty" moods
* Restlessness, irritability
* Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
As I've been saying this is a very complex illness and while it is way off topic to what the OP originally started I only started this conversation because the idea of medicating a 3 year old depression with St.Johns wort was troublesome to me. In fact doctors are reluctant to prescribe anti depressants to Bipolar patients because of the ability of these medications to create maniac conditions. The OP described himself as a three year old medicated depressive - that is simply too long for that condition. The OP needs to go further and seek additional help.
Going back to you Alex - yes it can seem like this is a catch all illness and that's because it has so many symptoms. This is not a rare illness and is present in 2.4% of the US population with the majority of these individuals being functional productive members of society if properly treated. The ignorance and stigmatization of this illness leads to many untreated individuals who are not functional.
. I personally have had three different psychiatric assessments and each shrink diagnosed me with something different. What these shrinks try to do is to establish a differential diagnosis.
