What is bipolar disorder? The word bipolar means two extremes. For the many millions experiencing
bipolar disorder around the world, life is split between
two different realities - elation and depression. Although there are many variations
of bipolar disorder, let's consider a couple. Type 1 has extreme highs
alongside the lows, while Type 2 involves briefer,
less extreme periods of elation interspersed with long periods
of depression. For someone seesawing between
emotional states, it can feel impossible to find the balance
necessary to lead a healthy life. Type 1's extreme highs are known
as manic episodes, and they can make a person range from
feeling irritable to invincible. But these euphoric episodes exceed
ordinary feelings of joy, causing troubling symptoms
like racing thoughts, sleeplessness, rapid speech, impuslive actions, and risky behaviors. Without treatment, these episodes
become more frequent, intense, and take longer to subside. The depressed phase of bipolar disorder
manifests in many ways - a low mood, dwindling interest in hobbies, changes in appetite, feeling worthless or excessively guilty, sleeping either too much or too little, restlessness or slowness, or persistent thoughts of suicide. Worldwide, about one
to three percent of adults experience the broad range of symptoms
that indicate bipolar disorder. Most of those people are functional,
contributing members of society, and their lives, choices,
and relationships aren't defined by the disorder, but still, for many, the consequences
are serious. The illness can undermine educational
and professional performance, relationships, financial security, and personal safety. So what causes bipolar disorder? Researchers think a key player is
the brain's intricate wiring. Healthy brains maintain strong connections
between neurons thanks to the brain's continuous efforts
to prune itself and remove unused or faulty
neural connections. This process is important because our
neural pathways serve as a map for everything we do. Using functional magnetic
resonance imaging, scientists have discovered that the brain's
pruning ability is disrupted in people with bipolar disorder. That means their neurons go haywire and create a network
that's impossible to navigate. With only confusing signals as a guide, people with bipolar disorder develop
abnormal thoughts and behaviors. Also, psychotic symptoms, like disorganized speech and behavior, delusional thoughts, paranoia, and hallucinations can emerge during extreme phases
of bipolar disorder. This is attributed to the overabundance
of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. But despite these insights, we can't pin
bipolar disorder down to a single cause. In reality, it's a complex problem. For example, the brain's amygdala
is involved in thinking, long-term memory, and emotional processing. In this brain region, factors as varied
as genetics and social trauma may create abnormalities and trigger
the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The condition tends to run in families, so we do know that genetics have
a lot to do with it. But that doesn't mean there's
a single bipolar gene. In fact, the likelihood of developing
bipolar disorder is driven by the interactions between
many genes in a complicated recipe we're still
trying to understand. The causes are complex, and consequently, diagnosing and living
with bipolar disorder is a challenge. Despite this, the disorder
is controllable. Certain medications like lithium can help
manage risky thoughts and behaviors by stabilizing moods. These mood stabilizing medications work by
decreasing abnormal activity in the brain, thereby strengthening the viable
neural connections. Other frequently used medications
include antipsychotics, which alter the effects of dopamine, and electroconvulsive therapy, which works like a carefully controlled
seizure in the brain, is sometimes used as
an emergency treatment. Some bipolar patients reject treatment because they're afraid it will
dim their emotions and destroy their creativity. But modern psychiatry is actively
trying to avoid that. Today, doctors work with patients
on a case-by-case basis to administer a combination of treatments
and therapies that allows them to live
to their fullest possible potential. And beyond treatment, people with
bipolar disorder can benefit from even simpler changes. Those include regular exercise, good sleep habits, and sobriety from drugs and alcohol, not to mention the acceptance
and empathy of family and friends. Remember, bipolar disorder
is a medical condition, not a person's fault, or their whole identity, and it's something that can be controlled through a combination of medical
treatments doing their work internally, friends and family fostering acceptance
and understanding on the outside, and people with bipolar disorder
empowering themselves to find balance in their lives.
I found the video really irksome. It's factually wrong on some key points and it greatly minimizes the severity of the disease. One time in that video I heard something about suicidal thoughts, but no mention of the fact that over 20% of bipolar patients will take their own lives (succumb to the illness more accurately). Repeatedly I heard that it's manageable if you just take your meds and do what you ought to, but this is also nonsense for many bipolar patients. I'm on 1500 mg of lithium now and have had two significant episodes of hypomania in the last two months. I'm also on a couple drugs to help battle side effects of lithium (diabetes insipidus, essential tremors). I'm also taking Depakote as another anti-manic drug and AED. One does not simply will themselves to sleep well or have the energy for exercise when depressed/highly medicated.
They decided to go with some abstract geometric animation, ok, that's fine, but it way oversimplified things and straight out falsified what bipolar is like for the overwhelming majority of patients. A couple times they used a circle that was half white and half black to represent the extremes of bipolar. My main problem with this is that almost none of us spend an equal amount of time in an elevated mood as in a depressed mood.
They probably could have defined mania much better and just how deadly it can be. Last time I had an episode it began to end when terrified cops had guns pointed at my back.
Last, but not least, while I'll be the first to describe this as a scourge most of the time, the video could have mentioned one or two positives about bipolar people, e.g. often founded to have greater creative powers and more empathy.
I love videos like these.
I'd like to share some other video resources as well!
Polar Warriors is an easily digestible and approachable short video series that tackles a lot of the issues people with bipolar face. It also goes into the many categories of bipolar. If you're trying to educate people you know about the illness, this is what I'd show them.
Basically any bipolar video on the Aware channel. Dr Patrick McKeon has some very good lectures. Bipolar Disorder: What it is and what to do (2015), Bipolar Disorder: Preventing relapse. These videos are in lecture format as they are intended for a student / conference audience, but they are still very good.
Of these two I would say that Polar Warriors is definitely the best. I think he does a wonderful job.
This is great. I was DYING laughing at the comparison illustration of the bipolar person’s pathways being so fucked up and confusing
This is one of the best videos I've seen that captures everything so succinctly. Thank you so much for sharing with us all. Really comforted me, too. :-)