Published in the Westchester Guardian, August 2013
With instant and various forms of communications, it is still amazing that ignorance and obliviousness exist to such an extent, but just listen to talk radio and it feels if our culture has taken a step backward. After focusing on certain aspects and individuals with mental illness, it’s time to flush out some myths and misconceptions of bipolar disorder which are applicable to most other mental health conditions. Life is too precious to waste on narrow-mindedness and arrogance.
Bipolar is just a mood disorder. Everyone has their ups and downs, so mine aren’t that serious. Normal mood swings don’t disrupt one’s daily functions, responsibilities and relationships. Bipolar disorder mood swings are more frequent, severe, longer lasting, trigging anxiety and sleep issues.
Like depression, bipolar disorder is just a state of mind. One of the worse statements anyone can say about any illness. Mental health disorders are not signs of weakness or personality flaws! A pure lack of understanding and a display of ignorance. It is not a choice. Would one state this in regards to more physically predominate diseases?
Mania is a great high. Maybe true for a very few, but mania can lead to drug and/or alcohol abuse, spending sprees, intense sexual drives and a loss of control of thoughts and actions. As the mania progresses the individual becomes irritable and nervous.
Bipolar is characterized by drastic, rapid mood swings. “The average bipolar person will be depressed more often than manic.” The mania can be very subtle and depression is more observable, “overlooked by both patient and psychiatrist.”
Treatment is a cop-out for people who are too weak or lazy and aren’t trying hard enough. Treatment, medicinal and/or talk therapy, is difficult, financially, emotionally stressful and time consuming with many challenges and obstacles. Treatments can be complex, involving various medication combinations, individual therapy, group therapy over long periods of time – if the inflicted have good insurance and/or a generous amount of cash.
Talk therapy is just about whining and complaining. Will be said by someone who may never had a trained therapist or group therapy. By investing time, emotions and a lot of soul searching, the participant is willing to face challenges and difficulties to grow, to change, developing a new outlook of life. Therapy helps identify triggers, avoid life style deviations, discover positive changes and offer opportunities previous unnoticed. (I started writing and volunteering leading to many unforeseen benefits.) The inflicted can learn new skill sets that the general population might be oblivious to. (See my article on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, March 2012)
Medications are the only treatment and will take care of everything. Medications help build consistency of moods but many other factors should/must be taken into account on the road to stability and recovery. Factors, short and long term (spirituality, family, work) support and are supported by medicinal benefits. Concerns inhibiting growth (relationship problems, financial, triggers, etc.) are softened by medicinal benefits. Other treatments include professional therapy (group and/or individual, I have both and a good state sponsored insurance), improving ones’ life style/daily routine from nutrition to exercise and sleep. Importantly, add spirituality, religion, faith to all levels of recovery for confronting the many diseases and life’s hardships.
Medications don’t work. Maybe for some few, but mainly it takes time, patience. For mental illness, there are no blood tests to confirm its existence, type of mental illness and which medication(s) to use. Medications should be administered gradually in low dosages under careful observation and slowly increased. Additional prescriptions and combinations should also be administered gradually. This will occur over agonizing periods of hoping, praying. As one who was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, on various medications and combinations, the tribulations can overwhelm. The uncertainty is formidable. I’m scheduled for a medication adjustment/change and it scares me.
Medications are habit forming and can change one’s personality. A few may have addiction tendencies, but properly prescribed, administered and used they are not habit forming. Neither are they ‘happy’ pills. Medications help stabilize the individual and do not cloud and affect one’s judgment or personality like street drugs and alcohol. The self, the soul is not affected, but enhanced with the right meds.
Medications cause a tradeoff between a reduction of mood swings and a lower quality of life. Totally false, but recovery, progression takes time. Medications along with supports (family, friends and professional) are extremely important to growing, helping one find a new life path, opportunities, and a clearer vision. Patience is always advised as side effects and manifestations may lessen.
People cannot get better. History has shown otherwise for any mental illness. A difficult path, quality of life can be improved upon.
Bipolar is caused only by chemical imbalance. Simplistic explanation omitting life’s complexities and stressors. One’s genes, biological makeup, family and history are strong influences.
Bipolar and depression, also known as unipolar are completely different. They may represent two ends of the same spectrum according to one source.
One should be able to ‘bounce’ back after a severe episode (hospitalization). Pure ignorance. Who would say that to someone after an operation? From my experience, leaving hospitalization is only the first step to recovery.
There is a bipolar test. The only test is a genetic one, looking for specific gene and incomplete. The best method of diagnosis, for now is a careful review by a doctor of patient’s history, behaviors and symptoms.
Bipolar is a rare condition. About 5.7 million Americans suffer. Certainly not rare to the afflicted, their families and the overbooked hospital staffs.
Those inflicted are dangerous. Another ignorant statement. The scary ones are those walking the streets, working, etc., believing they are “normal”, immune, above it all. People with mental illness are more likely to be victims of crimes.
The inflicted should not have children. They will pass on the illness and will not be good at parenting. It’s more than just genetics. And a very un-Christian statement. The mystery of life should it be denied? With skills, training awareness, begotten through therapy, we can have a more “normal”, giving family life.
Remember, you are not alone. Our pain can be relieved. Most of my information can from webmd.com, healthcentral.com and psychcentral.com and NAMI.
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Glenn Slaby Blog