Volume 5 Issue 13 Jan 2015
❌Bipolar Disorder is a figment of one’s imagination.
✅Bipolar disorder is a treatable brain disorder that is real and can cause a lot of suffering, especially if it is not well managed.
❌Bipolar disorder is a single identifiable disorder.
✅Bipolar disorder is a diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders where a person experiences episodes of mania (elevated mood), and depression (state of sadness) or mixed states (when symptoms of mania and depression occur simultaneously). In between these episodes, a person will be free of symptoms.
❌People who have bipolar disorder cannot work.
✅Proper medical treatment and good support enables most people (more than 75%) with bipolar to work and be successful.
❌Children do not get bipolar disorder.
✅Bipolar disorder can occur in children as young as age six. It is more likely to affect children of parents who have bipolar disorder. Children tend to have very fast mood swings between depression and mania many times during the day whereas adults tend to experience intense moods for weeks or months at a time.
❌Bipolar disorder is under control, people can stop their medications once.
✅Medication used, i.e. mood stabilizers act in a preventative way, helping people to avoid relapses. One should always consult doctor before stopping any medications.
By Dr Anisha Landage, Resident, Dept of Psychiatry, MGM Medical College & Hospital, Navi Mumbai
