Dear Dr. LeCrone:
My wife has bipolar disorder, which is well controlled when she takes her prescribed medicine and sees her therapist.
However, there are occasions when, for various reasons, she has deviated from the medical and psychological care prescribed for her and her illness has returned.
When she is in the so-called manic phase of the bipolar disorder, she goes on “spending sprees,” talks very rapidly in a nonstop fashion, and becomes very sexually demanding. She has other problems during these times, including a decreased need for sleep and feelings of boundless energy. Could you please discuss bipolar disorder?
-A reader in Oklahoma
Dear Reader:
Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic-depressive illness, is a mood disorder in which feelings, behaviors, thoughts and perceptions are changed during episodes of mania and depression. Although everyone experiences mood changes at times, more drastic mood swings are characteristic of bipolar illness.
This form of major mental illness can occur in both children and adults and can be treated very effectively, often with both medication and psychotherapy. Noncompliance with treatment in this and many other psychiatric illnesses often produces regression to symptoms, which can be very problematic.
Bipolar disorder occurs in about 1-3 percent of the general population. Males and females are affected at about equal rates, and there are several types of bipolar disorder.
An accurate diagnosis of this disease is difficult and crucial to make, and many sufferers are undiagnosed and untreated.
Some of the symptoms of a manic episode include: Feelings of high energy and restlessness and euphoria, racing thoughts, pressured speech and inability to concentrate, diminished need for sleep, problems sleeping, inflated sense of one’s abilities, feelings of grandiosity, spending sprees, and increased sexual drive.
Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include: Persistent feelings of sadness, feelings of hopelessness, chronic fatigue despite adequate rest, problems in concentration, change in appetite and unintended weight gain or loss, diminished interest in sex, loss of interest in friends and things that were formerly pleasurable, thoughts of death, suicide or suicide attempts.
This is not an exhaustive list of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Both medical and mental health professionals are needed to do a thorough evaluation.
The National Association of Mental Illness, www.nami.org, has more information on this topic.
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