Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
A mood disorder is the term given for a group of diagnoses in the DSM IV TR classification system where a disturbance in the person's emotional mood is hypothesised to be the main underlying feature.[1] The classification is known as mood (affective) disorders in ICD 10.
English psychiatrist Henry Maudsley proposed an overarching category of affective disorder.[2] The term was then replaced by mood disorder, as the latter term refers to the underlying or longitudinal emotional state, whereas the former refers to the external expression observed by others.[1]
Two groups of mood disorders are broadly recognized; the division is based on whether the person has ever had a manic or hypomanic episode. Thus, there are depressive disorders, of which the best known and most researched is major depressive disorder commonly called clinical depression or major depression, and bipolar disorder, formerly known as "manic depression" and described by intermittent periods of manic and depressed episodes.
Bipolar disorders
* Bipolar disorder, a mood disorder formerly known as "manic depression" and described by alternating periods of mania and depression (and in some cases rapid cycling, mixed states, and psychotic symptoms). Subtypes include:
* Bipolar I is distinguished by the presence or history of one or more manic episodes or mixed episodes with or without major depressive episodes. A depressive episode is not required for the diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder, but depressive episodes are often part of the course of the illness.
* Bipolar II consisting of recurrent intermittent hypomanic and depressive episodes.
* Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder, consisting of recurrent hypomanic and dysthymic episodes, but no full manic episodes or full major depressive episodes.
* Bipolar Disorder NOS, sometimes called "sub-threshold" bipolar, indicates that the patient suffers from some symptoms in the bipolar spectrum (e.g. manic and depressive symptoms) but does not fully qualify for any of the three formal bipolar DSM-IV diagnoses mentioned above.
It is estimated that roughly one percent of the adult population suffers from Bipolar I, roughly one percent of the adult population suffers from Bipolar II or Cyclothymia, and somewhere between two and five percent suffer from "sub-threshold" forms of bipolar disorder.
English psychiatrist Henry Maudsley proposed an overarching category of affective disorder.[2] The term was then replaced by mood disorder, as the latter term refers to the underlying or longitudinal emotional state, whereas the former refers to the external expression observed by others.[1]
Two groups of mood disorders are broadly recognized; the division is based on whether the person has ever had a manic or hypomanic episode. Thus, there are depressive disorders, of which the best known and most researched is major depressive disorder commonly called clinical depression or major depression, and bipolar disorder, formerly known as "manic depression" and described by intermittent periods of manic and depressed episodes.
Bipolar disorders
* Bipolar disorder, a mood disorder formerly known as "manic depression" and described by alternating periods of mania and depression (and in some cases rapid cycling, mixed states, and psychotic symptoms). Subtypes include:
* Bipolar I is distinguished by the presence or history of one or more manic episodes or mixed episodes with or without major depressive episodes. A depressive episode is not required for the diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder, but depressive episodes are often part of the course of the illness.
* Bipolar II consisting of recurrent intermittent hypomanic and depressive episodes.
* Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder, consisting of recurrent hypomanic and dysthymic episodes, but no full manic episodes or full major depressive episodes.
* Bipolar Disorder NOS, sometimes called "sub-threshold" bipolar, indicates that the patient suffers from some symptoms in the bipolar spectrum (e.g. manic and depressive symptoms) but does not fully qualify for any of the three formal bipolar DSM-IV diagnoses mentioned above.
It is estimated that roughly one percent of the adult population suffers from Bipolar I, roughly one percent of the adult population suffers from Bipolar II or Cyclothymia, and somewhere between two and five percent suffer from "sub-threshold" forms of bipolar disorder.
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I find myself going places in the car and not wanting to get out of the car. I come back home and I don't want to get out of the car. I think it's the only time I spend reflecting. Chronic tiredness from Long Covid plus the immunosupressing meds for my Crohn's is slowing me down but everything just seems a massive effort. I am dealing with the paperwork following my father's death but it's not...
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Wow, it's the middle of the week already!Today is our 11 year anniversary, so we're going out to a nice dinner. I'm losing a lot of sleep these days, hence a wonky schedule and uncomfortable feelings. But I know it will pass, eventually.I hope all of you have a peaceful day, and may good things come your way!
Then again, if you were a non-BP, things would get ugly....I'm sure you remember those episodes....I think fish had to kindly ask the non-BP's to restrain themselves from posting!
I'm sorry, but the truth is, there are a LOT of us BPers that are smarter than the psychs. I used to believe they had to be a lot smarter than they do. I was wrong. Because of this, a lot of these professionals are more confused by the specifics than helped. That's all they have to go on, since they're entirely what people in the South used to call, "book smart", but not very good at analyzing based on their own observations, thus they get things confused when patients don't mirror exactly what the DSM says. I read the DSM IV when it was new, I guess, 'cuz to me, this is old hat.
{{{{{HUGS}}}}}
While we are on the subject, while I've read the definitions what defines a "major depressive episode"? Oddly I was sort of diagnosed as cyclothemic despite having one 6 week period off work (part of which was spent just staring into space) in 80s (after that anti-depressants mostly full time) ..but had it switched to BP2 after a high hypomania (yes, makes no sense really)
Akiskal, H.S. & Mallya, G., 1987. Criteria for the soft bipolar spectrum: treatment implications. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 23(1).
But I don't think it is used "technically"- I mean, I'm sure lots of people use it to refer to all non-BPI points on the spectrum.
Wow, Amal- that'll be interesting to see what they do about SA. Have you heard how that will change?
PS- I have pdfs of the articles (plus hundreds over) so if you ever want me to email you one, I can...
I too, am worried about the clustermess that is likely to come out of this.
I worry that the DSM is trying to include any glimmer of bp into a catagory, instead of just labeling it BP and being done with it. It seems that we keep adding more and more to the BP umbrella- eventually we'll all be bipolar lol
Wait- if we're all bipolar, does that mean we'll be getting better meds?
a little faddish, eh?
*puke*