7 Myths About Bipolar Disorder

 1. People with Bipolar Disorder Alternate Between Extreme Depression or Mania

Truth: Most people with bipolar disorder feel depressed much more often than they feel energetic ("manic"), according to experts at Harvard Medical School. In fact, many people with bipolar disorder may go years without a manic episode, or go into long periods of remission, making diagnosis tricky. People who have experienced only mania and haven’t yet had a depressive episode may also be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. To complicate matters further, the depressive and manic aspects can overlap; people may feel restless and energetic while simultaneously feeling sad.

 

 2. Bipolar Disorder Is Rare

Truth: About 2.6 percent of the U.S. population, or almost six million American adults, are affected by bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

 

 3. Manic Episodes Are Happy and Highly Productive

Truth: Although people tend to think that manic periods “balance” depressive periods and are good “trade-offs,” this perception is inaccurate for most people with bipolar disorder. Manic episodes are characterized by intense feelings of restlessness, anxiety and poor judgment that can lead to excessive spending, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex and other problems. While some people have mild manic periods (hypomania)—in which they experience feelings of elation, lots of physical energy and a positive outlook—without proper treatment, hypomania can become severe mania in some people, or can switch to depression.

 

 4. Bipolar Disorder Is More Common in Women Than Men

Truth: Bipolar disorder is diagnosed about equally in men and women; however, one form of bipolar disorder—rapid-cycling—is diagnosed more frequently in women than in men. Rapid-cycling is characterized by four or more episodes of illness occurring within one year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Certain bipolar triggers, including hormonal fluctuations and thyroid problems, also are more common in women than in men.

 

 5. Once You Start Feeling Better, You Can Stop Taking Medication

Truth: A common mistake people with bipolar disorder make is to cease taking medication when they begin to feel better. Not only can this put them back where they started—having episodes of mania and/or depression—but stopping medications suddenly can cause extreme mood swings and behavior. Stopping a medication should be done only under your doctor’s careful monitoring, and even then the best approach usually is to taper off gradually.

 

 6. Bipolar Disorder Is Curable

Truth: Bipolar disorder is a manageable disease, and while it’s possible to lead a full, happy, productive life, there is no cure for it. It is a lifelong illness. The good news? NIMH recently determined that treatments for depressive illness are much more successful (70 to 80 percent) than treatments for other chronic illnesses, such as heart disease (45 to 50 percent successful).

 

 7. People with Bipolar Disorder Aren’t Really Sick

Truth: A recent survey from the American Psychiatric Association found that one-third of Americans believe that “emotional or personal weakness is a major cause of mental illness.” The fact is that mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, are due to such factors as genetics, environment, traumatic events and even some physical illnesses and injuries that have psychiatric side effects.

Doctors are discovering that the brains of people with bipolar disorder have real physical differences from those without it. For example, imaging studies done at the NIMH have shown that the area of the brain that regulates emotions is smaller in people with bipolar than in people without the illness.

Original slideshow at iVillage Your Total Health