Do I Have Bipolar? (Beyond The Stereotype)

Bipolar is a complex, chronic mental health disorder that exists on a spectrum of severity and can be challenging to diagnose and treat. While as many as 2% of the world’s population may have bipolar disorder (BD), it often evades accurate diagnosis due to being confused with major depressive disorder (MDD). Yet BD can have a significant impact on quality of life as well as mental and physical health. In addition to mental health struggles, individuals with BD often have co-morbidities such as heart health issues, obesity, substance use, etc. It is important to identify and treat BD as soon as possible to minimize its potential long-term negative impact.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder, like major depressive disorder (MDD), is known as a mood disorder, which means it primarily involves our emotions. Unlike depression, however, BD involves high (manic) emotions as well as low (depressed) emotions. While depression is a fairly well-understood emotional state, mania is less well understood, and we’ll discuss those details later. 

First, it can be helpful to think of BD on a spectrum of severity with varying levels and frequency of mania and depression. At the most severe level is Bipolar 1, which is characterized by having full and extended manic episodes. Less severe is Bipolar 2, which has a shorter and less intense level of mania known as hypomania. Lastly, the level with the least severe symptoms is known as Cyclothymia, where a person “cycles” through depressed and elevated moods without meeting full diagnostic levels of either mania or major depression. While Bipolar 1 is easier to spot due to the intensity of the manic episodes, Bipolar 2 and Cyclothymia carry a greater risk of going undiagnosed due to less severe symptoms. 

What Does Treatment Look Like?

Unfortunately, BD is a chronic, lifetime illness, meaning there is no known cure. With that said, treatment can be effective in mitigating symptoms and improving quality of life. Treatment usually involves psychiatric medication in addition to psychotherapy for the best results. Since BD can have a detrimental impact on physical and mental health, as well as general wellbeing (finances, relationships), it is important to initiate treatment early.

What Should You Look Out For? 

Bipolar is often misdiagnosed, diagnosed late, or goes undiagnosed altogether. This unusual difficulty around diagnosis is due to BD being mistaken for and treated as depression or anxiety before any mania symptoms are noticed. Or, as in cyclothymia, the symptoms may be more challenging to assess. Mania is perhaps the easiest way to identify the presence of BD, but what exactly is mania? Here are a few things to notice. Each of these individually does not indicate the presence of BD, but all of them might mean it’s time to see a professional. 

Elevated Mood

Elevated mood is more than just feeling good, it’s feeling like you can conquer the world, like you’ve never felt better in your life. It also might mean feeling very irritable, lashing out at those around you at the drop of a hat. Whether it’s feeling amazing or irritable, the feeling would be uncharacteristic of how you normally feel or function.

Less Need for Sleep

During a manic episode, individuals with BD may feel rested on as little as a few hours of sleep each night. If you find that you are functioning on 2-3 hours of sleep just fine, that could be cause for concern.

Heightened Activity or Risky Behavior

During a manic episode, you may feel a huge burst of energy to start and finish projects. You may find yourself staying up all night and completing things like you’ve never done before. On the other hand, increased energy may be turned towards risky behaviors, like gambling, shopping, or indiscriminate sex. These behaviors are most likely to be noticed by those around you because they are so dramatic and sudden.

Delusions and Other Psychotic Features

During a manic episode, you may have “delusions of grandeur,” believe that you’ve received divine revelations that no one else has access to, or you may experience visual or auditory hallucinations. While this could indicate a diagnosis of schizophrenia, psychosis is also a part of BD’s symptoms and may occur during a manic episode. 

Friends and Family

Listening to input from friends and family may be helpful. Mania is likely to be noticed by those around you since it usually involves uncharacteristic behavior. While experiencing mania, people with BD may not always feel alarmed themselves. It is important, therefore, that they take warnings from friends and family seriously, as this can help mitigate negative consequences from risky behaviors. 

Assessing, Diagnosing, & Treating Bipolar Disorder

Assessing, diagnosing, and treating Bipolar disorder is a complex process that should be done under the care and supervision of an attentive psychiatric provider. Ellis Mace, MSN CRNP PMHNP-BC, is passionate about providing holistic assessment and effective treatments to those struggling with BD. Mace Behavioral Health specializes in treating clients with Bipolar and other severe mental disorders. If you have concerns about your mental health or are unhappy with your current treatment, reach out today for an intake appointment. We would be honored to come alongside you in your journey towards greater health and life satisfaction. 

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Clarity changes what’s possible, but only if you act on it.

If you’re ready for a more thorough, thoughtful approach to your mental health care, you can book an appointment HERE.