Part 1 of 2 #BipolarDisorder is misunderstood by many. There are many helpful, reliable sources on the internet that explain it well and many books that provide both psychological expertise and personal stories of living with #BipolarDisorder . Still, the general public believes many myths about the disorder. Here are a few of them and the real information that can counteract them.
#BipolarDisorder is #BipolarDisorder is #BipolarDisorder . There are many types of #BipolarDisorder . The best known are #Bipolar1Disorder and #Bipolar2Disorder . But there are also #BipolarDisorder 3 and 4 – less well-known but still troubling versions of the disorder. #BipolarDisorder 3 is also called #CyclothymicDisorder . #BipolarDisorder 4 is #BipolarDisorder due to another medical or substance #Abuse disorder. Each of these types of #BipolarDisorder has differing symptoms – #Mania and #Depression for different lengths of time, for example – but they are not identical.
Hourly mood swings are symptoms of #BipolarDisorder . It’s common for people to say that their friend’s moods change rapidly, so they must have #BipolarDisorder . This is a misconception. #BipolarDisorder is characterized by alternating periods of #Mania and #Depression , but these last longer than hours or days. They can and do last for months or even years. There are types of #BipolarDisorder that are called rapid-cycling and ultra-rapid cycling, but these forms of the condition still feature episodes of #Mania and #Depression that occur up to four times in a year. There is (or may be) ultra-ultra-rapid cycling #BipolarDisorder , which can manifest over a day or two, but this is extremely rare.
You can “fix” someone with #BipolarDisorder . No, you can’t. My husband tried to fix me, with no success. Perhaps because he had some experience as an aide in a psychiatric facility or because he had once led a laughter therapy group, he thought he could. He loves me more than anyone ever has, but I was immune to his attempts. When he offered advice, I told him to “quit shrinking at me.” When he told the same joke over and over trying to get a laugh out of me, I just looked at him. Even a psychiatrist and medication can’t “fix” a person with #BipolarDisorder . They can help to alleviate the condition and even help a person go into remission, but there is just no fixing #BipolarDisorder .
#BipolarDisorder people end up hospitalized. Although some people with #BipolarDisorder are hospitalized, this is far from the only outcome for them, and many are hospitalized only for short periods. In fact, it can be very difficult to find a hospital or psychiatric facility when one is needed. The closing of many care facilities and the low number of beds available, along with insurance requirements, have contributed to this. Hospitalization is considered in emergency situations, such as when #BipolarDisorder persons are an immediate threat to themselves or others. Outpatient treatment is preferred for all but the most extreme cases.
Medication, particularly with lithium, is the only treatment for #BipolarDisorder . Lithium was the first medication to be used with #BipolarDisorder patients, but it is now far from the only one. Medication (with a wide array of choices) is certainly an important treatment for #BipolarDisorder , but there are others. “Talk therapy” can help people with #BipolarDisorder develop coping mechanisms and deal with mood swings. If medication doesn’t work, there are more avenues that can be explored. ECT (electro-convulsive treatment) has come a long way from the bad old days and the horrors depicted in Cuckoo’s Nest. TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is another kind of therapy that has shown progress in treatment-resistant <
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