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It was once called manic-depressive disorder to capture the emotional swings from intense mania to the lowest of depression. Today it is called bipolar disorder. This is another way to describe a mental illness that has two completely different symptoms.
comedian taylor tomlinson The host of CBS’ new late-night show After Midnight, which launches in early 2024, opened up about her bipolar disorder diagnosis in a Netflix special.
“Being bipolar is like not knowing how to swim. It can be embarrassing to tell people, and it can be difficult to take yourself to certain places,” Tomlinson told Netflix in 2022. He spoke on the special “Taylor Tomlinson: Look at You.” “But they have arm floaties. (Laughter in the audience) And they just float their arms and they can go anywhere.”
Mr Tomlinson is one of an estimated 40 million to 50 million people worldwide who may be living with bipolar disorder. Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “This disease is a major public health concern and a cause of disability worldwide because it usually begins in young adulthood, often follows a chronic course, and increases the risk of suicide.” said the hospital.
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Comedian Taylor Tomlinson has opened up about her bipolar disorder diagnosis in a comedy sketch.
Diagnosis and treatment become more difficult — people with bipolar disorder can go without symptoms for months or even years, or rapidly cycle between extremes, the report says. states. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Experts say mood swings from high to low and back can affect a person’s behavior, judgment, energy, sleep and ability to think clearly.
According to the Mayo Clinic, when people with bipolar disorder are “in high spirits,” they are often euphoric, feeling very happy, excited, and full of energy, but abnormal irritability is also part of their swing. It is said that there is a possibility that it is.
People can have mania or the less extreme form of mania, hypomania, both of which have the same symptoms. The person is often nervous, excited, unusually cheerful and self-confident, with an exaggerated sense of happiness. You may have increased energy and excitement, become easily distracted, have racing thoughts, and have little need for sleep. The person may become very talkative, spendthrift, make reckless investments, or take sexual risks, all of which are signs of poor decision-making.
Mayo said more extreme mania can cause very noticeable problems at work, school, at home and in social situations. In some cases, a manic person may detach from reality, hear voices, become delusional and psychotic, and require hospitalization.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from the manic episodes of bipolar disorder are periods of depression, often severe or “profound” depression, which can cause significant problems at work, school, home, and relationships. there is.
To be diagnosed with major depression, some of the following signs must be present:
The main symptoms are feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, sadness and tearfulness, and loss of interest or enjoyment in almost all activities. Sleep may be affected and you may experience insomnia or sleep too much.
Fatigue and loss of energy are other symptoms in addition to restlessness and sluggishness. Weight fluctuations are another cause, either a significant increase or decrease in weight, or an increase or decrease in appetite.
Indecision and difficulty concentrating and thinking, feelings of worthlessness and inappropriate guilt are more symptoms, as are suicidal thoughts and attempts.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are several types of bipolar disorder, which vary in how they present.
Bipolar disorder I: People with bipolar I disorder experience at least one manic episode, along with periods of major depression or less severe mania. People with bipolar disorder type I can become detached from reality and develop psychotic episodes that require hospitalization.
Bipolar disorder II: People with bipolar disorder II have never experienced a manic episode. Instead, they experience at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode.
cyclothymic bipolar disorder: This form of the illness involves repeated periods of less severe hypomanic episodes and periods of depressive symptoms that do not meet the criteria for major depression.
Mayo noted that bipolar disorder can also be caused by drugs, alcohol, or medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or stroke.
Depending on the symptoms and severity, there are several treatments for bipolar disorder, and several of them can be used at the same time.
Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers are often prescribed, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy are other treatment tools, as are self-management techniques. Exercise, meditation, faith and prayer “can support treatment, but they can’t replace it,” Nami says.
A long-term study called A systematic treatment enrichment program for bipolar disorder I found “People taking medications for bipolar disorder are more likely to recover faster and stay well if they receive intensive psychotherapy.”
a 2021 survey A study by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, an international consortium of scientists dedicated to studying the genetic basis of mental illness, found 64 DNA mutations that increase the risk of bipolar disorder.
These common fluctuations overlap with other mental health conditions, the study found. For example, researchers have found that bipolar I disorder is genetically similar to schizophrenia, but bipolar II disorder is more genetically similar to major depression.
