Aug 13 2007
What You Need To Know About Bipolar II Disorder
There are two major types of bipolar disorder (commonly known as “manic depression”). Neither is very nice. Bipolar I is most familiar to the public. A sufferer has sharply contrasted mood swings. One week, they’re suicidal, the next they are the life of the party and just won’t shut up about how happy they are. In Bipolar II disorder, the patient does not have the usual manic episodes, but periods of hypomania.
What Is Hypomania?
In Bipolar I, a sufferer swings from manic episodes (really high) to depressive episodes (very low). In Bipolar II disorder, the sufferer never really leaves the manic phase. This is called hypomania. Although it sounds preferable to chronic depression, it is just as dangerous, maybe even more so, especially for any dependents.
In hypomania, you feel so good and confident that you give away almost everything you own. You can’t say no and make outlandish promises. You can’t sleep because you have so much energy. You are easily distracted. Your thoughts race to the point where it feels as if The Kentucky Derby is constantly being run in your head. You spend, spend, spend or pick up lovers right and left without thinking of the consequences. You can also overeat or use drugs during hypomania.
What To Do
Bipolar II disorder does not go away on its own. The patient needs professional medical and psychiatric help. The problem is that they often will not recognize that anything is wrong with them. This is a very dicey time. Because Bipolar II often does not appear until after the patient is of legal age, they have to often be the ones to decide if and when they go to seek treatment.
One reassuring note is that Bipolar II disorder patients are often not as dangerous to themselves or others as Bipolar I patients. The danger with Bipolar II patients is of them going into bankruptcy, not being able to hold down a job, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
It is not known why people get any kind of bipolar disorders. The most recent theory is a severe chemical imbalance in the brain. However, medication alone usually does not significantly help a person suffering from Bipolar II disorder. They also need to learn to spot symptoms and retrain their minds to immediately get help if they think they are going to go into another episode. They also can learn to take control of their life again.
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