I did --& felt-- much better after I completely stopped eating & drinking anything with caffeine &/or cocoa or chocolate, and, sugar (including medicines). Some people report finding relief of symptoms from other diet changes, as well . . .
Some cases are more serious than others. My fiancee is pretty seriously bipolar. If she goes off her medication, she becomes totally irrational and ends up being institutionalized, as she can no longer care for herself and becomes dangerous to herself and others. We both are constantly on the lookout for signs that her medication may need adjustment, since life has become a totally chaotic hell in the past when the levels were wrong or she stopped taking it. When the meds are right, she's a wonderful, perfectly normal person.
This is a term which has been appropriated by everyone from 'cod' psychologists to teenage girls with mood rings.
The term originated with the medical profession, but was not widely used as it covers a number of similar conditions which may or may not have different medical causes, but it properly refers to manic depression. That is a condition where the patient alternates between an over-excited 'manic' phase and a 'down' period of clinical depression.
This loose term might cover mental conditions such as the 'shell shock' related mood swings of the late comedian 'Spike' Milligan, or the metabolism related highs and lows of a Lithium maniac. People have been described as 'bipolar' after experiencing a 'high' period which includes hallucinations, and which might even be the onset of schizophrenia.
It is time that the medical profession ditched this term, and became much more wary about coining terms which cover large groups of symptoms in unrelated mental diseases, and which lend themselves so easily to adoption and misuse by self-diagnosers, quacks and media pundits.
One of your biggest problems is the people who say they have bipolar just to claim benefits, etc because they are destroying the credibilty of this as an illness.
I don't doubt that you and many others do have this and it is a genuine illness but there are many who suffer in a very slight way or not at all and are just faking, it is these people who are your problem to getting this accepted by the majority as a serious illness.
It depends on what degree you have it. It is def something you want to tak to your family doctor about and get treatment mainly just so it doesnt get worse. I myself have been treated for it and I am not able to live without the medication.
i would have to say if untreated and/or if the person diagnosed with it is impulsive and in a downswing, then yes, it could definitely be considered serious. and even if its not "serious" it should definitely be treated, as it can be VERY bad when it isn't.
everyone is effed up in some way or another. don't think that you are alone. people weren't made to be on medications, try to look your problem in the face, and help yourself.. medicines just mask the problem, and give side effects.
Comments
Yes, it can often be!
I did --& felt-- much better after I completely stopped eating & drinking anything with caffeine &/or cocoa or chocolate, and, sugar (including medicines). Some people report finding relief of symptoms from other diet changes, as well . . .
"Food for the Brain"
- Bipolar Disorder / Manic Depression
http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Cont...
"Bipolar Disorder Treated With Nutritional Supplement"
- "Early Study Shows Promising Results"
http://ucalgary.ca/UofC/events/unicomm/NewsRelease...
"Caffeine Allergy: A Hidden Allergy & Toxic Dementia"
http://www.successfulschizophrenia.org/stories/wha...
"Understanding Mood Disorders" :
- Tormented Minds
- Living With a Mood Disorder
- Hope for Sufferers
- How Others Can Help
http://watchtower.org/e/20040108/article_01.htm
Some cases are more serious than others. My fiancee is pretty seriously bipolar. If she goes off her medication, she becomes totally irrational and ends up being institutionalized, as she can no longer care for herself and becomes dangerous to herself and others. We both are constantly on the lookout for signs that her medication may need adjustment, since life has become a totally chaotic hell in the past when the levels were wrong or she stopped taking it. When the meds are right, she's a wonderful, perfectly normal person.
This is a term which has been appropriated by everyone from 'cod' psychologists to teenage girls with mood rings.
The term originated with the medical profession, but was not widely used as it covers a number of similar conditions which may or may not have different medical causes, but it properly refers to manic depression. That is a condition where the patient alternates between an over-excited 'manic' phase and a 'down' period of clinical depression.
This loose term might cover mental conditions such as the 'shell shock' related mood swings of the late comedian 'Spike' Milligan, or the metabolism related highs and lows of a Lithium maniac. People have been described as 'bipolar' after experiencing a 'high' period which includes hallucinations, and which might even be the onset of schizophrenia.
It is time that the medical profession ditched this term, and became much more wary about coining terms which cover large groups of symptoms in unrelated mental diseases, and which lend themselves so easily to adoption and misuse by self-diagnosers, quacks and media pundits.
One of your biggest problems is the people who say they have bipolar just to claim benefits, etc because they are destroying the credibilty of this as an illness.
I don't doubt that you and many others do have this and it is a genuine illness but there are many who suffer in a very slight way or not at all and are just faking, it is these people who are your problem to getting this accepted by the majority as a serious illness.
It depends on what degree you have it. It is def something you want to tak to your family doctor about and get treatment mainly just so it doesnt get worse. I myself have been treated for it and I am not able to live without the medication.
i would have to say if untreated and/or if the person diagnosed with it is impulsive and in a downswing, then yes, it could definitely be considered serious. and even if its not "serious" it should definitely be treated, as it can be VERY bad when it isn't.
Everyone with BP experiences it differently and respond to medication and/or treatment differently. I have BP and consider it to be very serious.
However, there are those that do respond very well to their treatment and live normal lives with little difficulty. Wish I was one of them........
everyone is effed up in some way or another. don't think that you are alone. people weren't made to be on medications, try to look your problem in the face, and help yourself.. medicines just mask the problem, and give side effects.
I think it is very serious for some people. It can lead to depression on those "bad" days and it can lead to bad outcomes.
it is a serious illness and its owner is supported by gravity.