Many people have bipolar disorder in some form. There are three types of bipolar disorder; bipolar type one, bipolar type two, and bipolar type three which is also known as unipolar disorder or depression. Bipolar disorder is often called “manic depression.” People who have been diagnosed bipolar type one or type two have had what are known as “manic” episodes, as well as depressive episodes.
While not as severe as some other mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia), bipolar disorder still has a huge impact on a person’s thoughts and feelings, a person’s decision-making skills, and a person’s family. I have been diagnosed bipolar type one, and I know firsthand some of the effects of this mental illness.
If a person is going to study the effects of bipolar disorder, first, he or she must have an idea of what bipolar disorder is. Bipolar disorder, simply put, is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes a person to have intense “up” times called manic episodes, and severe “down” times called depressive episodes. Going back and forth between manic and depressive states is called “cycling,” and doing so very quickly is called “rapid cycling.” I have a problem with rapid cycling, and it is like a roller coaster ride that I cannot stop.
A manic episode is basically when a person feels like he or she is on speed, when he or she is not on any drugs at all. Some people experience a “euphoric” feeling along with this. To me, a manic episode is when I am extremely hyper, moving and talking too fast, and when I am getting very little or no sleep. I have only experienced the euphoria a few times in my life, and even then I was uncomfortable because I was so restless. Manic episodes are bad because a person may feel good when he or she is manic, but that person is not really in his or her right mind, and judgment is impaired.
Depressive episodes, however, are much different. During a depressed state a person who is bipolar may experience extreme sadness, lethargy, emotional and sometimes physical pain, lack of motivation, increased emotional sensitivity, and sometimes thoughts of self-mutilation and/or suicide. This is a very bad predicament for a bipolar person to be in, but it is not as bad as having what is called a “mixed” episode.
A mixed episode is when a person with bipolar disorder exhibits symptoms of both mania and depression. This usually happens to me when I have been rapid cycling, but, it can occur at anytime. First, I should explain that during mania people tend to lose their inhibitions and their decision-making skills are hindered, because at that time, their judgment is crippled or impaired. People who are manic have been known to do some pretty strange things such as spending very large amounts of money all at once, having sex freely with multiple partners, wild cleaning sprees, and some have even abandoned their families for periods of time. I should also mention that the reason these things happen when a person is manic, is because that person feels inclined (because of the mania) to make split-second judgments or decisions. A manic person’s mind races because he or she is so sped up in that moment. So, when people are having mixed episodes, they may have symptoms of depression such as thoughts of self-mutilation and/or suicide, paired with symptoms of mania, like rash decision-making and impaired judgment. That is an awful feeling, I know.
It has been established that people with bipolar disorder are affected by certain thoughts and feelings, and impaired judgment sometimes. The next logical question would be (now that we know how the bipolar individual is effected), how does bipolar disorder affect the family of a person that has this mental illness? This is a complex question with many possible answers. When a person is diagnosed bipolar, his or her family could react in several different ways. Family members of that person might be in denial, claiming that the diagnosing doctor or psychiatrist is mistaken. The family may feel that they have done something wrong to cause the person to be this way. Then again, the family might blame that person for the state he or she is in. The family may decide to educate themselves about bipolar disorder, and do their best to love and support their bipolar loved one. There are many ways a family can react to the diagnosis of a loved one, but the most important thing they can do is provide unconditional love and support.
