Adam Clark's List: Bipolar Disorder

These photos highlight the findings from a recent Priory Group survey which shows that, more often than not, workers would rather hide behind a "fake" illness than admit to a mental one

A friend who shares my bipolar II diagnosis said something recently that really resonated with me. He commented that “nobody understands people with bipolar II because there’s no high, there’s just anger and angst.”

"Jason Bee is a Texas filmmaker who also happens to have bipolar disorder. Luckily for us, he's decided to try and make a movie about bipolar disorder, and share with the world what it's like to live with this mental health concern.

"It's the story of a recently divorced man trying to be a good father to his young son, but becomes consumed by a mysterious new woman and his own bipolar disorder," Jason tells me."

"Bipolar disorder — sometimes called manic-depressive disorder — is associated with mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania. When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts in the other direction, you may feel euphoric and full of energy. Mood shifts may occur only a few times a year, or as often as several times a day. In some cases, bipolar disorder causes symptoms of depression and mania at the same time.

Although bipolar disorder is a disruptive, long-term condition, you can keep your moods in check by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder can be controlled with medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy)."

"Solid evidence to guide the use of antidepressants in patients with bipolar disorder is “remarkably limited,” says the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Task Force.

The panel of international experts, led by Eduard Vieta (University of Barcelona, Spain), found that it “is not currently possible to make firm clinical recommendations that are soundly evidence based.” As well as the evidence being very limited, “much of it is methodologically weak,” they say."