What is Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that affects your mental state of mind and your moods. These mood swings can make the person feel very low or very high. Bipolar was originally referred to as a manic depression.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder:
Depression – feeling very low and lethargic
Mania – feeling very high and overactive
Unlike temporary random mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or even longer).
However bipolar disorder carries excess baggage called depression. So depending on if you are feeling very low will determine if you also have depression. Depression can be temporary and may last a few hours or a few days but when it rolls into weeks it can be defined as bipolar.
It can also have the polar opposite hence that is why it called bipolar you can be feeling very low or very high.
Feeling very high can include:
1). Exceptional energy
2). Restlessness
3). Trouble concentrating
4). Feelings of euphoria (extreme happiness)
5). Risky Behaviours
6). Poor Sleep
Patients may first be diagnosed with clinical depression before they have a manic episode (sometimes years later), after which they may be then as having diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
When the feeling of depression is too much to bear you may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which can potentially lead to thoughts of suicide.
No one should suffer alone and if you think your life is pointless that is just your opinion and no one else’s, you can in fact pull yourself out of this state by talking to someone or seeking advice.
If you’re feeling very depressed, contact your GP do not carry the burden yourself talk to someone, a friend, neighbor, or family member. However, if you feel you have no one to talk to at all there are the Samaritans you can phone them on 116 123 for free who can listen and give you contact numbers to local mental health crisis teams without being judgmental or biased. They are just there to provide support so that you have someone you can talk to, you don’t even have to give your real name and you can hide your phone number. They are 100% on your side.
Catherine Zeta Jones Hollywood’s A-List Actress came out with being ‘Bipolar’.
There are four types of bipolar disorder:
1). Bipolar 1 disorder
2). Bipolar 2 disorder
3). Cyclothymic disorder (cyclothymia)
4). Unspecified bipolar and related disorders
Catherine suffers from Bipolar 2 which is less debilitating .
Bipolar 1 and 2 disorders are the most common of all the other types of bipolar disorder.
Catherine mentions she never wanted to be a poster girl for the disorder and that it just happened to come out one day and now she labeled for having it.
There is nothing wrong with mental or physical disabilities and as she so rightly said “everyone suffers from one thing or another and you just get on with it” and adjust your life around your disability without it defining who you actually are.
People can manage both physical and mental disabilities and can adjust their lives in a way that is manageable to them.
Final Thoughts.
I have OCD and Cerebellar Atrophy and I do have depression but my therapy is to keep myself busy and not have time to think about all the things that have gone wrong in my life but all the things that will make me happy.
I will not let these illnesses define me.
I am proud to be an ambassador to motivate and inspire people that whatever you are going through and whatever disability you have regardless if it is physical or mental that it is not the end of the world.
Use your disability as a stepping stone or tool to prosper. People who have similar disorders will relate to you.
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