Bipolar Disorder Overview

Bipolar Disorder Video

HOST ON CAMERA:
Hello, and welcome to the Answered Patient.  I’m Jane Hanson. Bipolar disorder is a complex and sometimes devastating mental illness. It’s characterized by extreme mood swings, which is why the disease was once known as manic depression. Today, nearly 6 million American adults suffer from the condition.  In this episode of The Answered Patient, we’ll discuss the risk factors for bipolar disorder… the symptoms to look out for … and the latest treatments available.

HOST NARRATION:
Bipolar disorder is chronic, incurable, and can be life-threatening.  Nearly one in five commit suicide.  But bipolar disorder can be controlled. Many of the world’s most creative and successful people are living with this illness every day.

TONY ZIPPLE: A combination of medications and good psycho-social services can mean that somebody with Bipolar Disorder has a tremendous shot at having really quite a normal regular life.

HOST NARRATION: People living with bipolar disorder experience dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and thought.

SHARON: I just felt like my head was spinning.

BRIAN: You feel the need to go out and achieve and conquer, but you’re not in control of yourself. 

SARAH EBADI: You’re sinking. You have to wait until you’ve hit the bottom of the darkest pit of your life.

HOST ON CAMERA: 
The word “bipolar” means two opposites, which refers to these extreme mood swings: from energized mania, to deep depression. These moods have no pattern: they may come and go suddenly…and single episodes of mania or depression can last for months, or even years. 

DR. COREY GOLDSTEIN: Bipolar disorder is a cyclical disorder where it’s really only a matter of time until another episode hits.

HOST NARRATION: During so-called manic episodes, people say they feel important, and energized.

BRIAN: You’re out of control. Spending money that you don’t have, putting yourself deep into debt.

SHARON: I had racing thoughts, delusions of, of grandeur.

SARAH EBADI: You’re talking so fast.  You’re very tangential, um, people don’t know what you’re talking about.

HOST NARRATION:
Symptoms of mania can also include: elevated sex drive…substance abuse…hostility…and reckless, impulsive behavior. If the episodes are severe, patients may even experience hallucinations, and delusions.  When bipolar mood episodes cycle to depression, people often feel overwhelming sadness and debilitating despair.

SARAH EBADI: It’s like you’re under a rock and you can't get out of it and maybe you don’t even want to, because what's the point?

HOST ON CAMERA:
The symptoms of depression include loss of energy… changes in sleep and eating patterns…and thoughts of suicide. And while these symptoms can be overwhelming, nearly half of those suffering from bipolar disorder do not get the medical care they need.    

ADULT: That was the event that triggered it.

HOST NARRATION: If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, it’s important to seek medical attention before a major crisis develops.

Dr. Michael Easton: A lot of patients will come in and tell me, “Well, you know, this is not like a medical disease, it doesn’t kill you.” But in fact, if untreated, it can kill you.

BRIAN McGING: 
On a night when I made the decision to commit the act of suicide I thought long and hard about the decision//and it was only while planning the details//that I decided this is wrong.

HOST ON CAMERA:
There are several types of bipolar disorder, classified on a continuum from mild to severe. The two major types are “bipolar one,” the most severe form of the illness…and “bipolar two,” which is milder.

TONY ZIPPLE:
Nobody’s Bipolar Disorder is just like the next person’s.  You know, the intensity of symptoms, the cycling of symptoms looks really different from person to person.

HOST NARRATION:
Bipolar disorder affects men and women of every race, age and economic class. And while no one knows the exact cause of the illness, researchers have identified several contributing factors. 

HOST ON CAMERA:
Studies show that bipolar disorder, like other depressive illnesses, can result from abnormally functioning neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers that help regulate mood. And since the illness often runs in families, scientists believe there is also a strong genetic link.  

HOST NARRATION:
Still, some people with the genes may never develop the illness.  Researchers suspect it takes a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors to trigger bipolar episodes.

Dr. Michael Easton:
If you have a very strong genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder, you could have the most idyllic life in the world and you still may get sick. If you have a very weak predisposition to bipolar disorder, you may have to have a lot of stressors in your life//to really cause this disease to kick in.

HOST ON CAMERA:
While there is no known cure for bipolar disorder, a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes can help those with this illness live full, productive lives. In the other chapters of this episode, you’ll learn more about the symptoms of bipolar disorder…how it affects the brain…and the treatment strategies that doctors recommend most.

HOST NARRATION: And in our Personal Stories chapter, you’ll meet real patients who are living with bipolar disorder every day.