Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar is a disorder that
causes changes in a persons
mood,energy and ability to function.

People with bipolar disorder experience
extreme emotional states that usually occur
in certain periods and they're called "episodes".

These episodes are categorized as
manic/hypomanic(super happy or an irritable
mood).

People diagnosed with bipolar disorder generally
have neutral moods as well, where they are
considered "normal".

There are three different diagnosis:
bipolar 1, bipolar 2, and cyclothymic
disorder.

Bipolar 1: Commonly linked with other mental illnesses such as anxiety, substance abuse, along with ADHD. The risk of suicide is increasingly higher
with bipolar 1 than the rest of the population.

Bipolar 2: This diagnosis requires for an individual to have at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode. Between each episode the person goes back to feeling normally. People with bipolar 2 typically experience other mental illnesses such as: anxiety disorder and substance abuse.

Cyclothymic disorder: A milder form of bipolar 1 and 2, causes many mood swings with hypomanic and depressive symptoms occurring often. People with Cyclothymic experience ups and downs however, less intense than others.

Stigma Surrounding Bipolar Disorder

Lots of people with Bipolar Disorder feel all different kinds of stigma around the mental health disorder, for example; many people who suffer from Bipolar Disorder feel as if they are inferior to others with a clean mental health record. In addition to that "lots of people who do not suffer from Bipolar Disorder as "Stained", or Tainted""(Tracy, N. (2017, April 13)). These terms are quite endangering to the person suffering from Bipolar Disorder, and should not be used. This is because they are just normal people suffering a mental health crisis, this doesn't make them any less normal, or any less human; and they can have a sudden depressive mood swing and possibly even take their own life due to seeing themselves as a "stain", or a "taint" on their family and society. To avoid causing any harm to a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder, and just basic human decency, refrain from refering to people with Bipolar disorder as anything other than what they really are: people.

In Canada there are just short of 10,000 people who suffer from Bipolar Disorder, and this may seem relatively small, however it is one of the most frequent mental health disorders in the country, meaning doctors and specialists are well informed; and well equipped to deal with the disorder. Not only that, but the vast majority of people with Bipolar Disorder ( a number around 1.5-2.4%) are between the ages of 14 and 18. It is not anything teenagers have to worry about due to the amount of treatments available, and due to the fact that it usually recedes after a period of time.

In conclusion individuals with this illness are able to live full happy lives with treatments for there illness. Everyone matters and everyone deserves a life.

How to advocate for people suffering.

The first step on your journey is speaking with your doctor. They will be able to give you recommendations on specialists near you.

There are many websites as well that are able to give you more information and someone to relate to. These websites include but are not limited to: www.bcss.org,www.heretohelp.bc.ca, www.mdabc.net. You may also want to talk to a therapist. Talking about how you are feeling is the best way to identify the problem.

Treatments can be hard for these types of illnesses, as it is difficult to diagnose. However, treatments vary from person to person. Everyone reacts differently and has different severities than others so it is difficult to put everyone on the same thing. here are a few examples of treatments.

Treatments for this disease may include medication-lithium(mood stabilizers), Benzodiazepine(anti-anxiety),anticonvulsants. It is also recommended that one with this illness takes psychotherapy- the two primary types are: behavioral therapy and well-being therapy. Keeping a mood journal may also help you stay stabilized. Each treatment is individualized and you should seek your doctors help.