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Edge We’ve all been subject to mood swings at some point in our lives, but when the “highs” start to contrast very sharply with the “lows”; it’s time to suspect something might be very wrong.
W
hen Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta Jones announced last month that she was checking into a mental health clinic to get treated for bipolar disorder, she made public a little understood mental condition that’s commonly confused with depression or other mood disorders. Bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed as anything from schizophrenia to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), given the similar symptoms as other mental ailments. Yet, there are several distinguishing factors that can help you understand this condition, produce the right diagnosis and eventually, manage it for life.
52 | June 2012 | woman this month
What it means Also known as manic depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a brain condition that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day work. It is characterised by periods of extreme emotional highs or “mania”, alternating with severe bouts of depression. While Bipolar I symptoms are severe and can last for weeks, interfering with the sufferer’s day-to-day activities, the Bipolar II condition is less debilitating and people can cope with their daily routine. A third variation, Bipolar III, or Cyclothymia, is a mild form of bipolar disorder where episodes of hypomania shift back and
forth with mild depression for at least two years. “Symptoms of mania can include feeling overly happy, extremely agitated and nervy or irritable. In this state, the bipolar sufferer may feel they need little sleep and are more willing to take risks at work, in their relationships and with their assets,” observes Sharon Gorman, cognitive behavioural therapist and co-founder of Crisec Consultants. On the other hand, when depression sets in, the person has feelings of low esteem and emptiness, loss of interest in the usual things, marked lack of concentration and dark thoughts of suicide. The symptoms are acute and can result in damaged relationships, poor