Bipolar Chick 2 the Rescue
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Deb Johnson
Author/Speaker/Bipolar Chick
AWAKENINGS
UNDERSTANDING
THE ATTACK PACK PLAN
Copyright 2009 Deborah Johnson, Bipolar Chick 2 the Rescue . All Rights Reserved.
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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Bipolar Disease, also known as
manic-depressive illness, "is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood,
energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes
through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships,
poor job or school performance, and even suicide."

There are symptoms common to both bipolar and ADHD and it can sometimes be confusing. For
example, many with ADHD are hyperactive, which can seem somewhat like the mania that those
with bipolar may experience. But there are distinct differences between the two.

Can the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder disappear?

Bipolar Disorder is both recurrent and often unpredictable, but many old hands will tell you that
the management of symptoms can get better over time. This often relates to something of a very
personal journey in which medication and lifestyle issues play something of a central role.

Bipolar Disorder or PTSD?

I was recently asked to explain the difference between BP and PTSD.  I didn't know, so I did some
research (at work I was known as Research Girl) and here is the what I found out:

PTSD symptoms (the official ones for the diagnosis): hypervigilance, hyperarousal, avoidance,
numbing. Hypervigilance can look like the agitation/anxiety that can be part of bipolar disorder.  
Avoidance is a pretty common behavior in many situations and not very specific for anything (e.g.
it's part of panic disorder, as agoraphobia; it is part of depression, as withdrawal from activities
and relationships; it's part of social phobia, as avoidance of particular situations).  And numbing
(physical and especially mental) is also somewhat similarly non-specific, as it's kind of the mental
internal equivalent of avoidance in some respects.

How about bipolar disorder, which can be viewed broadly as "cyclical changes in mood and
energy"....  This is a little more distinct, in some respects.  There should be some history
of mood symptoms, something suggestive of cyclic changes, some family history usually of
something like mood problems or anger problems or sometimes just florid alcohol problems.  
There should be some problems with sleep, although this overlaps completely with PTSD, except
that phases of sleeping 12 or 14 or 16 hours a day is not characteristic of PTSD.

Additionally, there must be history of trauma (something life- threatening) in PTSD and this is not
required in bipolar (but people with bipolar disorder probably have an excess exposure,
through their family history as well as their potential for sexual acting out and other risk taking, to
life-threatening trauma).

The objective would be to rule out bipolar disorder, however, if both PTSD and bipolar disorder
exist many doctors start with treating the bipolar disorder.

Have a Question?  Just ask and I'll do my best to answer ~ Please remember, I'm not a
doctor.  Write Me

MORE TO COME