In a Nutshell

The Turbulent Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder

From “Psychology. An Introduction. 8^th edition” by Jerome Kagan and Julius Segal  (page 488)

When people have recurrent episodes of depression like the one just described, the disorder is called unipolar disorder.  But there is another severe affective disorder – known as bipolar disorder, and referred to in the past as manic – depression – in which the lows typically alternate with exaggerated highs.  Most of us, of course, know that our mood can shift – sometimes for no apparent reason – from bright and joyful to dark and sad.  For those suffering from this disorder, the emotional pendulum swings wildly from intense excitement to deep melancholy, at first with long time intervals in between, but later with frequent and abrupt shifts from his to low (Goodwin & Jamieson, 1990).

A recent study of people with bipolar disorder estimates that more than three million Americans have the disorder (National Depressive and Manic – Depressive Association, 1993).

My comment:  when I read this in the year 2000, to be precise when I studied this book to take the proficiency exam at DeVry, I was depressed, as always, since the age of 10 and I did not take any antidepressants.  Maybe I was not always depressed, but more often than not.  The whole three years at DeVry for sure.  But I was not diagnosed.  In 2005, when my depression made me dysfunctional to the point that I could not do anything with my life but to seek help, then I was diagnosed as having depression and I was prescribed anti-depressants. 

 

Little did I know, that it would lead to mania.  Drug induced, mind you.  So, my first episode happened in December 2005 – January 2006.  I did go to see a Psychiatrist # 2 (the Psychiatrist # 1 who gave me the bloody drugs disappeared without a trace).  I told him I might be bipolar.  He did not believe me.  “Do not rush with the diagnosis”, I was told.  In May 2007, when I was doing the JVS program I had my second episode.  And that was when the whole hell broke loose. 

 

I will tell that story eventually, just give me time.  It is painful to write about it, but living this life was always painful.  Coming to grips with whatever happened to me is really worth it.  For you, my reader, it might save some pain in the future.  You are not alone.  Your situation may not be the worst.  And for those who in the different category (sane and good boys and girls), it might be just hilarious bordering on ridiculous.  Read it, if you have ever been depressed, on drugs, diagnosed with bipolar or were treated in a hospital, chained to a bed.  Well, back to the book…

Like unipolar depression, it appears to be on the rise – as shown in Figure 10.4.  Bipolar affects men and women equally, and sometimes appears during childhood.  Unfortunately, childhood or adolescent onset predicts more treatment difficulties and increased social disability.  The disorder often can be managed fairly well with drug therapy, but people often delay seeking treatment when early symptoms appear, and the problem is often misdiagnosed.

Bipolar disorder magnifies common human experiences to larger-than-life proportions.  Among the symptoms are exaggerations of normal sadness and fatigue, joy and exuberance, sexuality and sexuality, irritability and rage, energy and creativity.  To those afflicted, it can be so painful that suicide seems the only means of escape: about one of every four untreated for the condition actually does commit suicide.

In the manic phase, people with this disorder ten to be talkative, restless, aggressive, boastful, and destructive.  They develop a feeling of intense well-being and even ecstasy.  Sexual and moral inhibitions disappear and life is one uninterrupted “high”.  The manic person needs little sleep and is filled with abundant energy and grandiose notions.  Soon, however, most manic individuals plummet back to the depressed phase, becoming so gloomy and hopeless that they are immobilized.

As far as the ancient Greeks, society has believed that the artistic temperament is often touched by divine madness.  In recent years evidence has accumulated linking mood disorders to creativity (Jamison, 1993).  From the melancholy Lord Byron to the suicidal Sylvia Plath, biographies of celebrated poets, musicians, and artists have attested to extreme moods in creative people.  Here is how writer Virginia Woolf described her divine inspiration:

“As an experience, madness is terrific I can assure you, and not to be sniffed at: and in its Lava I still find most of the things I write about.  It shoots out of one everything shaped, final, not in mere driblets, as sanity does” (Woolf, 1978).

            Despite the links between creativity and bipolar disorder, it is important not to glamorize or trivialize the disorder.  In fact, most sufferers are not great creative geniuses, and most talented artists are mentally stable.  Modern medicine can today offer relief to those who endure the ravages of mood.  In the past, artist who were in the clutches of this devastating disorder had nowhere but their art to seek solace.  A further discussion in the Psychology and the Media box entitled “Making Art of Madness” (to be continued.)

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Posted on August 5th, 2009 under Bipolar Disorder, Chapters, Psychology • Tags: bipolar, insane, insanity, madness, psychiatry, psychology. • • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback