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Anxiety and bipolar disorder |
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Bipolar disorder,
also known as manic depression, is a mood disorder and is characterised
by typical mood swings which swing between extremes of mania and
depression. These moods last for abnormal amounts of time, lasting
anywhere from a week to a month or even more. During a mood episode, a
person with bipolar disorder experiences symptoms characteristic of
both moods. In mania some of the symptoms include feeling euphoric,
optimistic, reckless, impulsive, hyper-active, decreased need to sleep,
irritable, rapid speech, hallucinations, delusions etc. Some symptoms
for depression include lethargy, increased sleep, lack of concentration
and attention, distractedness, aggressiveness, suicidal ideation etc.
While the above mentioned symptoms are now known to be part of bipolar
disorder, one symptom that was mentioned as far back as 1921 is
anxiety. Anxiety and bipolar disorder have long been studied and some
controversy exists as to whether anxiety really is one of the core
symptoms of bipolar disorder. Anxiety and bipolar disorder can exist in
one of two ways. In one situation anxiety and bipolar disorder are
co-morbid conditions - which means that the person has bipolar disorder
as well as a separate anxiety condition (as recognised by the
Diagnostic Statistical Manual- IV TR) which implies two separate
conditions existing together. This situation can be tricky because both
the conditions will require different medication, something is
not
usually recommended. Another problem is that the anti-depressants used
to treat an anxiety disorder often make the condition of bipolar
disorder worse. In the second condition anxiety is the result of
bipolar disorder and as a rule should go away when the condition is
treated. If anxiety and bipolar disorder exist as cause and effect,
there are certain manifestations specific to bipolar disorder. Most
patients experiencing anxiety and bipolar disorder will describe it as
feeling agitated. This is obvious in actions such as tapping their foot
on the floor when talking, picking or chewing their nails, finding it
difficult to sit in one place and constantly jumping in and out of the
chair etc. While these are external behaviours, some patients with
anxiety and bipolar disorder also complain of feeling like they're
going to explode or that there is too much energy in their skin etc.
They also mention racing thoughts or disorganised thinking where they
are unable to keep their mind on one thing for more than a few seconds.
Usually people with anxiety and bipolar disorder find that even though
they may realise the extent of their illness, they are unable to
explain it to anyone else. This is because there is no obvious physical
manifestation and this can worsen the anxiety. Anxiety and bipolar
disorder can form a vicious cycle since many people find that alcohol
settles their symptoms. With time this can lead to substance abuse,
which just serves to worsen the entire situation.
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