Bipolar Disorder

After ending a five-year-marriage, Ms. Lee was living by herself for a few months and there was a period of time that she was feeling depressed. Recently, she claimed she was happy that her depression was over. Her colleagues working at the department store began to notice a marked brightening of sprit in her for several weeks but it was followed by a "breakdown". During her brightening period, she talked incessantly, jumped from one topic to another, and was uncontainable when she was telling lewd stories and jokes to her customers as well as to her colleagues. Her indiscretions and her pseudo-exuberance promoted her supervisor to recommend her to visit EAP profession, who later suggested her to receive a psychiatric treatment.

Jack, who is a young adult growing up in a protective family, suffered from depression after he was rejected by his crush. Shortly after the rejection, he suddenly became energetic; he only needed a few hours of sleep every night and he always had many great plans running though his mind. He planned to travel around the world by himself; he thought about being a CID, and he believed he was smarter than his supervisor and his teammates that he was able to finish a project by himself. In one afternoon, he accused one of his colleagues for keeping a close watch on him. He also thought that all of his teammates were gossiping about his past including the rejection. In fact, Jack's crush was a conspirator of the colleague being accused. As a result, Jack was sent to a hospital by his parents and colleagues. In addition, Jack was diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder with psychotic symptoms.

We, as human beings, are inevitable to experience a variety of moods including happiness, sadness and anger. Changes in mood are normal reactions to our everyday life and we do know the causes of our mood changes. Yet, extreme changes in mood affecting activities of daily functioning may indicate one's possible diagnosis of Mood Disorder. Bipolar Disorder is a severe biological disorder that affects approximately 1.2% of the adult population. Although the symptoms and severity vary, Bipolar Disorder always has a powerful impact on those who have the mental diseases, as well as on their family members, partners, friends and colleagues.

Bipolar Disorder is a mental disease that causes abnormal ups and downs in a person's mood over time. The person would experience periods of unusual elevated mood, periods of depressed mood, and there are times when the mood is normal. The early onset of Bipolar Disorder starts with depression only, and later developed into both depressive and manic episodes.

There are 3 types of mood episodes experienced by most people with Bipolar Disorders. They include:

A. Mania.

Mania often begins with a pleasurable sense of heightened energy, creativity and social ease. These feeling quickly progress to extremely high mood or sever irritability. People with mania typically lack insight, denying anything is wrong and angrily blame anyone who points out a problem. People usually feel "high" or irritable; they may need a little sleep yet have a lot of energy; they may talk so fast that others cannot follow; they may have racing thoughts, easily distracted, have an inflated feeling of power, greatness, or importance; and they may do reckless things without concern about possible consequences such as overspending, inappropriate sexual activity or making foolish investment. In some severe cases, people may experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions.

B. Hypomania

Hypomania is a milder form of mania that has similar but less sever symptoms and cause less impairment. During the hypomanic episode, a person may have better mood than usual and be more productive. However, it is often followed by a progression to mania or a crash to depression.

C. Depression

In a depressive mood episode, people's functioning are often affected. They may feel sad or lose interest in things normally enjoyed; they may either have difficulty sleeping or oversleep; they may lose appetite or overeat; they may have problems in concentration or making decisions; feeling slowed down, worthless, guilt or low self-esteem. Last but not least, they may have thoughts of suicide or death.

Perhaps the most disabling episodes are those experience symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time or alternating frequently during the day. They are excitable but also feel irritable and depressed.