Hello Everyone. I came across a couple of interesting articles dealing with bipolar. One was a study and the other was an article. When I read study I was tempted to be sarcastic and say " No Sh*T, Sherlock, great detective work, did it take you long to discover the obvious " because to me they were just stating the obvious.
However after some reflection it is good to see that at least somebody is talking about mixed states, because in my experience it is a rare doctor who mentions it to a patient, yet it makes bipolar harder to diagnose and to treat.
Both of these articles came out of BP Hope magazine (a great magazine). I am passing them on to you as they may a difference in your understanding of your illness and what is required to treat it.
The IMPACT study had this to say about people who have bipolar 1
"People with bipolar I disorder rarely experience symptom free periods. Between the severe mood episodes, people with bipolar I disorder often have residual symptoms, which contributes to impaired functioning."
I can vouch for that. I don't know how many times that I have been asked "I'm not manic or depressed, how come when I try to return to work, I seem to be unable to function? My only answer is, your brain needs time to rest and recover.
The study also advises "While there is no cure for bipolar I disorder, it is a treatable condition. Treatment often includes a combination of medications and psychotherapy, support and education".
Again it's nice to see a study come up with the fact that it takes a lot more than swallowing pills to make you better.
The IMPACT study is surprisingly accurate and interesting. In one part they found that in Canada it took over 5 yrs for 31% of the people top be diagnosed and another 32% took 1-5 yrs. Considering the degree of illness that has person has with bipolar 1, those percentages are extremely high and I often wonder how so many doctors can miss the diagnosis. Give it a read, the whole study is interesting
In the same issue Roger McIntyre, MD, FRCPC writes a great article on mixed states and that produce anxiety, irritability etc etc. He advises "should my treatment be different if I have episodes with mixed symptoms? In a word, yes."
He then goes on to explain why. http://www.bphope.ca/ Dr. McIntryre is a great doc who has long been a mega phone for change in the way people with bipolar should be treated. (medically wise)
Take Care. paul m
However after some reflection it is good to see that at least somebody is talking about mixed states, because in my experience it is a rare doctor who mentions it to a patient, yet it makes bipolar harder to diagnose and to treat.
Both of these articles came out of BP Hope magazine (a great magazine). I am passing them on to you as they may a difference in your understanding of your illness and what is required to treat it.
The IMPACT study had this to say about people who have bipolar 1
"People with bipolar I disorder rarely experience symptom free periods. Between the severe mood episodes, people with bipolar I disorder often have residual symptoms, which contributes to impaired functioning."
I can vouch for that. I don't know how many times that I have been asked "I'm not manic or depressed, how come when I try to return to work, I seem to be unable to function? My only answer is, your brain needs time to rest and recover.
The study also advises "While there is no cure for bipolar I disorder, it is a treatable condition. Treatment often includes a combination of medications and psychotherapy, support and education".
Again it's nice to see a study come up with the fact that it takes a lot more than swallowing pills to make you better.
The IMPACT study is surprisingly accurate and interesting. In one part they found that in Canada it took over 5 yrs for 31% of the people top be diagnosed and another 32% took 1-5 yrs. Considering the degree of illness that has person has with bipolar 1, those percentages are extremely high and I often wonder how so many doctors can miss the diagnosis. Give it a read, the whole study is interesting
In the same issue Roger McIntyre, MD, FRCPC writes a great article on mixed states and that produce anxiety, irritability etc etc. He advises "should my treatment be different if I have episodes with mixed symptoms? In a word, yes."
He then goes on to explain why. http://www.bphope.ca/ Dr. McIntryre is a great doc who has long been a mega phone for change in the way people with bipolar should be treated. (medically wise)
Take Care. paul m
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