Talking about depression or anxiety, that we are going to therapy or that we are undergoing drug treatment to improve our mental health, is something that is becoming normal.
But there are still many mental disorders that continue to be stigmatized.
The reason? Fundamentally the absolute ignorance that we have of them.
And one of the great unknowns is bipolarity.
But the problem is not only ignorance, but also stigmatization.
He Dr. Xavier Fabregaschief medical officer and founder at explains to:
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“In popular language, the idea of bipolar is often used to disqualify the daily situations of a person who is in higher moods and lower ones at times. Thus, a concept is being trivialized taking into account that we are dealing with an entity mentality that has its importance”.
A difficult disorder to diagnose
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes the patient to experience extreme moments of euphoria (manic episode) and .
Specifically, Dr. Fábregas explains that in order to diagnose it, it is essential that the patient has experienced “a manic episode and a depressive episode throughout his life”.
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“These are people who have one season in their lives where the mood is markedly higher than it would be and another episode where the mood is down.”
And it is precisely this characteristic that makes diagnosis very difficult, because when “patients who are in a manic phase do not go to the doctor, they only do so when they are in a depressed phase, therefore it is quite common for us to classify these patients as depressive because We haven’t seen the other phase.”
And why don’t they go to the doctor when they’re in that other phase of expansive mood?
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“Well, because they are delighted with life to feel that way. It is a state of feeling of fullness, euphoria, greatness, of eating the world. So instead of ‘suffering’ the patient is actually enjoying it”, explains Fábregas.
Such is the difficulty of diagnosis that on average it takes about 12 years to determine that it is a bipolar disorder.
Manic Phase Symptoms
When identifying the signs that someone suffers from bipolar disorder, it is necessary to distinguish between the symptoms of the manic phase and those of the depressive phase.
In the manic phase the patient experiences:
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Overflowing energy.
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Feeling of being capable of anything.
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Exaltation.
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few hours and wake up completely refreshed and recovered.
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Great talkativeness.
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hypersexuality
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Committing indiscretions, for example, telling very intimate things.
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Excessive spending or compulsive shopping.
Doctor Fábregas explains that all these behaviors have to be excessive, markedly different from normality.
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“We’re not bipolar because we’re more upbeat. There has to be a noticeable difference to what we feel and do during times of balance.”
In addition, this type of behavior greatly affects the people around him, who are the ones who warn that these behaviors are out of the ordinary and cause discussions and serious problems within the family and the closest environment of the patient. . “The problem is that there is a lot of resistance from the patient to come down from that cloud and recognize that he has a problem.”
Symptoms of the depressive phase
On the other side of the scale are the symptoms of the depressive phase, which are very similar to those of a common depressive state, in which the patient experiences:
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Sadness.
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Lack of spirit
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Inability to enjoy things that usually give us pleasure such as cooking, reading or exercising (anhedonia).
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Weight loss and/or decreased appetite.
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Concentration difficulties.
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Suicidal thoughts.
In either of the two phases, the symptoms usually last for at least 4 or 5 days, up to a month in the manic phase. Then they return to normal, “but sometimes the patient requires hospitalization, because that person needs containment and care,” warns the specialist.
types of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder can be classified into three types:
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bipolar disorder type 1,
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type 2
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Mixed bipolar disorder.
“The difference between 1 and 2 is that in the latter the expansive phase is of a lower intensity, which we call hypomania. While in type 1 the manic phase is highly exacerbated”, explains Fábregas.
These differences also contribute to making diagnosis difficult because “since the manic symptoms in type 2 are milder, it can lead to confusing them with a moment of improvement, of a good state of the patient,” warns the specialist.
As for the third type, mixed bipolar disorder, it is rare and is characterized by a mixture of the symptoms of the manic phase and the depressive phase at the same time.
It is considered as an aggravation of any of the other two types, caused by the lack of treatment of bipolar disorder or by not following it correctly.
Can you lead a normal life with bipolar disorder?
Despite the difficulties involved in the diagnosis and the problems it causes for the people who surround the patient with bipolar disorder, Xavier Fábregas wants to send a positive message, because in most cases the patient’s stability is achieved if diagnosed.
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