Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
A 47-year-old man suffering from bipolar disorder who sometimes finds himself feeling like he could be totally someone else depending on how he feels at a particular moment in time. When he is depressed, he doesn’t speak to many people, but when he’s up, he feels bold and restless.
Why does a 47-year-old with bipolar disorder feel so different during each mood? Afterward, I often look back at my own behavior and barely recognize myself.
Kindly advise.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concerns.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental health condition that causes extreme emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). The term bipolar itself reflects the nature of the condition, which involves two extremes: mania and depression.
The first pole, mania, is characterized by an exaggerated sense of well-being, increased energy, elevated mood, impulsivity, heightened risk-taking behavior, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, and grandiose feelings.
The second pole, depression, is the opposite of mania and is typically marked by low mood, reduced energy, negative thoughts, and diminished interest in activities that were once pleasurable.
The second part of the term, disorder, indicates that there are changes in behavior and mood that significantly affect important areas of life, leading to considerable impairment in functioning.
In the manic stage, there could be poor personal and social judgment, thus poor reality testing. That is why people realize their abnormal behavior after the period of mania is over.
A normal mood state, also known as the euthymic state, assists us in functioning better by allowing for effective reality testing, helping us recognize our bizarre behavior during manic episodes.
I hope this clearer explanation helps you understand bipolar disorder better.
Take care.
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