Bipolar Disorder
(Mania)
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Bursts of Normal
Riding the Bipolar Rollercoaster
 Not the First Time
Tues., June 28, 2005
About three weeks after I started taking antidepressants for depression I began speaking in tongues. My speech had become impossible to understand. My mind and my mouth were moving just short of the speed of sound. Had my speech been any faster I would have emitted a loud sonic boom.
I slept less then an hour a night. My work began to suffer as I passed the point of manic-related efficiency. This wasn't some fine print side effect of the medication; I was experiencing a full blown medication-induced mania and I was out of control.
Being whacked out on medication was the last thing I thought I'd be dealing with. I mean, at twenty-three I was being responsible for the first time. I was going to a "head doctor" for three months. I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.
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Introduction to bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, otherwise known as manic depression or bipolar
depression, is a relatively common mood disorder that affects about 5.7 million
Americans. Characterized by episodes of depression alternating with euphoric
(manic) states, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are several and often affect an individual's daily functioning
and interpersonal relationships.
Bipolar disorder symptoms include depression and
feelings of hopelessness during the depressive phase of the condition. Other
depressive symptoms include thoughts of suicide, alterations in sleep patterns, and
loss of interest in activities that once were a source of pleasure. What
differentiates bipolar disorder from major depression is the occurrence of manic
episodes, often described as emotional "highs," between the episodes of
depression. Symptoms of manic states are varied and include restlessness,
increased energy, euphoric mood, racing thoughts, poor judgment, intrusive or
provocative behavior, difficulty concentrating, and a decreased need for sleep.
People experiencing manic episodes often speak very rapidly, seem overly
irritable, and may have unrealistic beliefs about their own power and
capability.
Fortunately, bipolar disorder is a treatable condition. With appropriate
treatment, most people suffering from bipolar disorder can achieve substantial
stabilization of their mood swings and are able to lead a normal life. Treatment
of bipolar disorder involves medications known as "mood stabilizers." Lithium (Eskalith,
Lithobid) is the most commonly prescribed mood stabilizer for people with
bipolar disorder, but some anticonvulsant medications, including valproate
(Depakote) or carbamazepine (Tegretol), also can have mood-stabilizing effects
and may be used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
MedicineNet Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
The following information is provided by the National Institutes of Health.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder
that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.
Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms
of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor
job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar
disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and
productive lives.
About 5.7 million American adults or about 2.6 percent of the population age
18 and older in any given year have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder
typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people
have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life.
It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before
it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar
disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a
person's life.
"Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful
behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the
desire and will to live. It is an illness that is biological in its origins,
yet one that feels psychological in the experience of it; an illness that is
unique in conferring advantage and pleasure, yet one that brings in its wake
almost unendurable suffering and, not infrequently, suicide."
"I am fortunate that I have not died from my illness, fortunate in having
received the best medical care available, and fortunate in having the
friends, colleagues, and family that I do."
Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., An Unquiet Mind, 1995, p. 6. (Reprinted with
permission from Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.)
Next: What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder? »
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