We all have some variation in our mood. Usually this depends on what’s happening around us or what we’re thinking about. Some of us are more prone to mood changes or have more obvious mood changes. Mood changes like this aren’t Bipolar.
Bipolar Disorder is what used to be called Manic-Depressive Disorder. It’s a common mental illness, about one in 100 people have it. In Bipolar Disorder your moods (how you are feeling) swing between highs and lows. And these mood swings affect your thinking, the decisions you make and what you do.
What is it like to have a Bipolar high – a manic episode? Well, it’s feeling good about everything – all is great and your glass is more than half full. Your head is full of great ideas and you need less sleep. You’ve got extra energy, so you throw caution to the wind and take a chance, do something different, impulsively try something new. Sounds good, eh? Who wouldn’t want to feel like that?
So what’s the downside of feeling high? Well, unfortunately your judgement isn’t as good, so some of those ideas that seem so great may not be, and there are probably consequences you haven’t thought about because you’re feeling so good. Telling your boss how they should run their business, maxing out the credit card, sex with a stranger – life can end up messy and embarrassing once you’re not high.
When highs are extreme you may start to believe some pretty unusual stuff – “I have special powers”, “I’m God’s saviour for the world” – What’s worse, when you believe this, you tend to act on it – trying to fly from buildings, getting loans to visit the Pope, etc. This is called manic psychosis – and is part of Bipolar I Disorder. Less severe manias are called Bipolar II Disorder.
Now, imagine, for no reason your energy is drained out of you. Everything feels grey, nothing you do makes you feel any better, there’s no reason to do anything, your body and mind are slow, and you’re thinking “why bother” and “there’s no point”. You want to hide away and not see anyone and you start to think you are so bad this is what you deserve. This is the downside – the depressed phase of Bipolar.
What’s worse is that you can move between the two poles – mania and depression – for no reason and sometimes quite suddenly. You don’t know how you are going to feel, what decisions you are going to make. Your friends see you as unpredictable, moody and unreliable. Your partner, family and work colleagues think the same. Friends drop off, relationships fall apart and jobs don’t last.
This is what untreated Bipolar Disorder is like. Treated, it can be much different.
Regular sleep and a good routine are really important non-medical ways of staying stable, but this is one of the mental illnesses where medications work well. They’re not a cure, but they certainly help minimise those severe mood swings. There are some famous people who have great success even though they have Bipolar – Stephen Fry for example.
