| Frequently Asked Questions |
Deb Johnson, CPC
Author/Speaker/Bipolar Chick
Author/Speaker/Bipolar Chick
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| Copyright 2010 Deborah Johnson, Bipolar Chick 2 the Rescue. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement, Medical Disclaimer & Copyright Statement |
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Bipolar Disease, also known as manic-depressive
illness, "is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.
Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder
There are symptoms common to both bipolar and ADHD and it can sometimes be confusing. For example,
many with ADHD are hyperactive, which can seem somewhat like the mania that those with bipolar may
experience. But there are distinct differences between the two.
Can the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder disappear?
Bipolar Disorder is both recurrent and often unpredictable, but many old hands will tell you that the
management of symptoms can get better over time. This often relates to something of a very personal
journey in which medication and lifestyle issues play something of a central role.
Bipolar Disorder or PTSD?
I was recently asked to explain the difference between BP and PTSD. I didn't know, so I did some research
(at work I was known as Research Girl) and here is the what I found out:
PTSD symptoms (the official ones for the diagnosis): hypervigilance, hyperarousal, avoidance, numbing.
Hypervigilance can look like the agitation/anxiety that can be part of bipolar disorder. Avoidance is a pretty
common behavior in many situations and not very specific for anything (e.g. it's part of panic disorder, as
agoraphobia; it is part of depression, as withdrawal from activities and relationships; it's part of social
phobia, as avoidance of particular situations). And numbing (physical and especially mental) is also
somewhat similarly non-specific, as it's kind of the mental internal equivalent of avoidance in some
respects.
How about bipolar disorder, which can be viewed broadly as "cyclical changes in mood and energy"....
This is a little more distinct, in some respects. There should be some history
of mood symptoms, something suggestive of cyclic changes, some family history usually of something like
mood problems or anger problems or sometimes just florid alcohol problems. There should be some
problems with sleep, although this overlaps completely with PTSD, except that phases of sleeping 12 or 14
or 16 hours a day is not characteristic of PTSD.
Additionally, there must be history of trauma (something life- threatening) in PTSD and this is not required
in bipolar (but people with bipolar disorder probably have an excess exposure,
through their family history as well as their potential for sexual acting out and other risk taking, to
life-threatening trauma).
The objective would be to rule out bipolar disorder, however, if both PTSD and bipolar disorder exist many
doctors start with treating the bipolar disorder.
Have a Question? Just ask and I'll do my best to answer ~ Please remember, I'm not a doctor.
Write Me
MORE TO COME
illness, "is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.
Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder
There are symptoms common to both bipolar and ADHD and it can sometimes be confusing. For example,
many with ADHD are hyperactive, which can seem somewhat like the mania that those with bipolar may
experience. But there are distinct differences between the two.
Can the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder disappear?
Bipolar Disorder is both recurrent and often unpredictable, but many old hands will tell you that the
management of symptoms can get better over time. This often relates to something of a very personal
journey in which medication and lifestyle issues play something of a central role.
Bipolar Disorder or PTSD?
I was recently asked to explain the difference between BP and PTSD. I didn't know, so I did some research
(at work I was known as Research Girl) and here is the what I found out:
PTSD symptoms (the official ones for the diagnosis): hypervigilance, hyperarousal, avoidance, numbing.
Hypervigilance can look like the agitation/anxiety that can be part of bipolar disorder. Avoidance is a pretty
common behavior in many situations and not very specific for anything (e.g. it's part of panic disorder, as
agoraphobia; it is part of depression, as withdrawal from activities and relationships; it's part of social
phobia, as avoidance of particular situations). And numbing (physical and especially mental) is also
somewhat similarly non-specific, as it's kind of the mental internal equivalent of avoidance in some
respects.
How about bipolar disorder, which can be viewed broadly as "cyclical changes in mood and energy"....
This is a little more distinct, in some respects. There should be some history
of mood symptoms, something suggestive of cyclic changes, some family history usually of something like
mood problems or anger problems or sometimes just florid alcohol problems. There should be some
problems with sleep, although this overlaps completely with PTSD, except that phases of sleeping 12 or 14
or 16 hours a day is not characteristic of PTSD.
Additionally, there must be history of trauma (something life- threatening) in PTSD and this is not required
in bipolar (but people with bipolar disorder probably have an excess exposure,
through their family history as well as their potential for sexual acting out and other risk taking, to
life-threatening trauma).
The objective would be to rule out bipolar disorder, however, if both PTSD and bipolar disorder exist many
doctors start with treating the bipolar disorder.
Have a Question? Just ask and I'll do my best to answer ~ Please remember, I'm not a doctor.
Write Me
MORE TO COME
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