**Applause**
Ophelia: (to
audience) Welcome to our show. Today we will be examining a very serious mental
health issue, Bipolar Disorder II, with our special guests Stacy and Dr. O’.
(To
guests) Welcome.
Dr. O’: Thank
you for having us.
Stacy:
Hello, Ophelia, it is nice to meet you.
Ophelia: Dr
O’ can you tell the audience what bipolar disorder II is?
Dr O’: Certainly.
According to the DSM- IV, bipolar disorder II is the presence of one or more
depressive episodes with at least one hypomanic episode. We call it bipolar
because it is a disorder of extremes, a sufferer can go from being depressed to
being hypomanic.1
Ophelia: What
is hypomania, Dr. O’?
Dr. O’: Hypomania
is a period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive or irritable
mood that lasts at least 4 days but not severe enough to cause marked
impairment in social or occupational functioning. It also includes at least
three of the following symptoms:
inflated
self esteem
decreased
need for sleep
pressure
of speech
flight
of ideas
distractibility
psychomotor
agitation 2
Ophelia: Stacy,
can you tell us what bipolar disorder is for you?
Stacy: Well,
it is kind of like losing yourself. I didn’t know who I was anymore, I used to
be a pretty happy person. Then, when I was in my twenties I began to go through
very black periods of time when I just felt hopeless and thought it would be
better to just end it all. Then I would seem to focus on something to get out
of my mood and I would run with it until I could not run anymore and the
darkness would take over yet again.
Ophelia: How
long did this go on?
Stacy: I
quit drinking in April of 1997 and my symptoms appeared almost immediately
after that but I was only diagnosed in 1999.
Ophelia: Dr.
O’ is there a correlation between Stacy’s drinking and her bipolar?
Dr. O’: Bizzarri’s
study in 2007 showed that there was a high prevalence of those who had bipolar
disorder and substance abuse. 96% of patients said that the substances they
abused improved their mood. Symptoms
such as depression and racing thoughts are said to lessen with the substance
use.3
Perhaps while Stacy had a drinking problem, this addiction to alcohol masked
her bipolar symptoms and they became apparent only after she quit drinking.
Ophelia: Stacy
can you explain what happened to you prior to your diagnosis of Bipolar.
Stacy: I
had moved back home after completing my Psychology degree at Bishop’s University
in 1995, I was working as a temporary supply teacher at my old elementary
school and I was also supply teaching at two other local schools. If that was
not enough to keep me busy, I took on teaching English as a Second language to
the guards at the federal penitentiary in the evenings.
Ophelia: You
must have been exhausted.
Stacy: You
would think that but actually, I was not quite busy enough, I decided to get my
life guard certification. I took my Bronze Cross and Bronze Medallion so that I
could supervise my physical education class in the pool without having to pay
for an extra lifeguard.
Ophelia: Wow,
that is a lot for one person to be doing.
We are going to take a short break and be right back with Stacy and Dr.
O’.
*****************************************************************************
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excited the next? If you think you might have bipolar disorder, test with
Psynomics and get the peace of mind that comes from having done all you can to
manage your health.”
Note: this advertisement is paid for by Psynomics-
Genomics for the new psychiatry and does not represent the view of this station
or the current programing.4 (Satire)
******************************************************************************
Ophelia: We
are here, with Stacy and Dr .O’, discussing bipolar II disorder. Stacy, before
the break you were telling us about all that you undertook in your life prior
to being diagnosed as bipolar. I’d love for you to describe some of the behaviours
that you experienced that you now recognize as red flags to the fact that
something was “not quite right”.
Stacy: When
I was awake I had to constantly be moving, if I was not busy teaching, I would
drive up and down the highway. Just driving without reason. If I knew I had to
be at work in an hour, I’d drive for 30 minutes and then turn around and head
back. Looking back , that should have been a sign for me. If I start driving
aimlessly now I know something is wrong.
Ophelia: Dr.
O’, is bipolar disorder common?
Dr. O’: It
seems that Bipolar Disorder II is more prevalent in women. It occurs in 0.5%
-1% of the population.
Ophelia: Stacy,
my producers mentioned you had an interesting trip during all this upheaval,
can you tell us about it?
Stacy: I
taught in my hometown for another year after that but someone suggested I go
back to school and get an education degree. Not wanting to be “bumped” out of
my job I enrolled in the University Of New Brunswick’s bachelor of Education
program and began attending classes in the fall of 1997. While I was at UNB, I
was given the opportunity to take an International Issues in Education class in
Wallsall, England and teach part time in a British elementary school.
My family is not poor but my father spent lots of our
money on alcohol and cigarettes. There was no way they could buy my ticket to
England, so I had to figure out how to do this for myself.
I did not know it at the time but my mania helped get
me to England.
Ophelia: Dr.
O’, can you remind us what mania is?
Dr. O’: Mania
is an inflated feeling, where you are on top of the world and nothing can stop
you. It is accompanied by racing thoughts and very specific goal-directed
behaviour.5
Stacy: I
was goal-directed all right, I decided I could raise the $4,000 needed for the
month long class by having fund raisers at the local pub. I hosted an open mike
night once a week for 4 months. These were usually on Tuesdays from 9-11. I
would not get home till midnight and I am usually up by 6am each day. I also
decided that I could sell some items to raise more money so I sold off all my
CDs and jewelry except my mother’s wedding ring. It did not matter what the
cost, I was going to England.
Ophelia: You
sure worked hard to get to England, how was the trip?
Stacy: It
could have been a wonderful adventure with lots of fun side trips across
Europe, but when I arrived I moved into a dorm room and I crashed, I was so
exhausted I could barely get out of bed to get to class and I was teaching
little ones who had so much energy, it tired me out.
Other students went on trips to Ireland and France but
I just stayed in my room when I was not supposed to be in class or teaching. I
had made only just enough money to get there and back but England is very
expensive and I had little spending money so I just stayed home and slept from
one day to the next. I would not even have money for lunches so my team teacher
noticed and started bringing sandwiches for me. Ophelia, have you ever had a
liver and onion sandwich?
Ophelia: Can’t
say that I have.
Stacy: It
was nice of my teacher, but they are gross! I don’t recommend them at all.
When the month was up, my accompanying professor made
sure I was on the plane back to Canada. I was a mess. When I arrived home I
stayed in bed for three days eating shortbread cookies I had picked up at the
airport in the duty free shop and drinking water. On day four, I called my Mom
and told her I was coming home. I went to a doctor in my home town but he
diagnosed me as depressed and gave me antidepressants. I took them because I
thought they would help, but now I know this was a terrible mistake.
Dr. O’: When
someone is bipolar and is given anti-depressants it can send them to the
complete opposite extreme and they can become manic.
Stacy: Here
I was, just like a year earlier, manic as can be, with all kinds of fancy full
ideas. I did very well at school because nothing stopped me, I’d stay up all
night working on assignments. I would speak up in class and share whatever
popped into my head. I often said if I could bottle what was giving me my
“high” it would be worth a fortune. Now, I know that mania is not fun, I spent
money I didn’t have, I completely disregarded people’s feelings and I used
everyone I could, to get what I thought I needed.
Ophelia: We
are going to head to a commercial break, but coming up, Stacy will tell us all
about her manic adventures.
***********************************************************************
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Note: this advertisement is paid for by Empower
Plus-Pig Fix Calgary and does not represent the view of this station or the
current programming. 6 (Satire)
*****************************************************************************
Ophelia: Can you tell us about something that you did then that,
looking back, you really regret?
Stacy: It was Easter 1999, I decided I was going to visit some
friends in Montreal, I told my Mom I was going to visit children in the
hospital, but I rented a car and drove from Fredericton, NB to Montreal. I just
stopped in and saw everyone I knew, without warning, gave them a hug and said I
had to go ‘cause I had lots of other people to see.
The last person on my list was my
friend Janice, she called my Mom when I arrived at her door unannounced ‘cause
she was worried. My mother freaked out and told me to be sure to get back to
school I had my last two weeks of practicum to complete.
Dr O’: Another common symptom of Bipolar II is “excessive
involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful
consequences”7
Ophelia: Did you make it back to school, Stacy?
Stacy: Yes, but I needed gas to get there, so I traded my
mother’s wedding ring in exchange for a full tank of gas. I also got a speeding
ticket for going 120 in an 80 zone, but I’d have to figure out how to pay for
that later.
Ophelia: You mentioned you were completing your practicum, how did
your bipolar affect that?
Stacy: Well, I have to say, it had the most impact on my
practicum. The Friday after my Easter- Montreal adventure, my cooperating
teacher sat me down as she had every other week to go over my progress. She
began speaking to me and I burst into tears, “why are you so hard on me?” I
wailed.
Once I had calmed down, she asked me
when I had last had a good nights sleep. I told her that would have been about
8 weeks ago when I started my practicum!
She
excused herself and came back five minutes later with my coat and bag, she said she was bringing me to the hospital so I could get some rest. I was so mad at
her. Here I was, five days away from completing my practicum and she was
bringing me to the hospital.
Dr. O’: Stacy, was very lucky that her teacher
recognized the signs of hypomania and brought her in.
Stacy: Yes, looking back now, I can safely say she saved my
life.
Ophelia: That was what you needed.
Stacy: Yes, that was ten years ago. I am on mood
stabilizers, Lithium and Gabapentin now and doing very well.
Dr O’: Once a patient is stable on lithium it is very important
to not go off their medication. 8 Stacy learned that valuable lesson in
2003 when she was doing very well and decided she didn’t need her medication
anymore.
Stacy: Yes, I bought a car and a house! Then after a few
months of craziness I readmitted myself into hospital and after four weeks was
all regulated again.
Ophelia: Dr. O’, Stacy was very lucky, can you tell us about some
recent breakthroughs that can be beneficial to people who suffer from Bipolar
Disorder.
Dr. O’: The best thing for a person with bipolar
disorder to do is learn as much as they can and take control of their life
instead of letting their disorder control them. Black Dog Institute had
developed an internet based bipolar education program which I recommend to all
of my patients. It is a great way to stay informed and it takes away the stigma
of mental illness.9
Ophelia: here is the website:
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/bipolar/bep/index.cfm
*scrolls across the bottom of the TV
screen
Dr. O’: Stacy is all to familiar with the stigma of
mental illness, Stacy can you share with us?
Stacy: When I told my Mother that I was diagnosed as bipolar
she wondered how to tell our family. She wondered what to say if anything.
I was upset by this but realized that
this was all new for her too.
So I said, “If I had cancer, would
you tell them?”
“Of course I would” Mom said .
“Then tell them that I am sick and that I will
be on medication to help me. If they have any other questions they can ask me
directly.”
Ophelia: That is our show for today, Thank you so much for joining us
today, Stacy and Dr O’. God Bless and Good Health.
References
American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic
and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C., pp.
332-363
Bizzarri, J.V. et al. (2007) The spectrum of substance
abuse in bipolar disorder: reasons for use, sensation seeking and substance
sensitivity. Bipolar Disorders 2007, Volume 9, 213-220. Bolzano, Italy.
Lawrence, H. Price, (2008) Editor’s commentary
psychiatric gene testing: are we ready? Brown University, Psychopharmacology
Update.
CBC television True Hope for Bipolar Patients retrieved
from
Biel, M.G. et al. (2007) Continuation versus
discontinuation of lithium in recurrent bipolar illness: a naturalistic study.
Bipolar Disorders: 9:435-442. New York, New York.
Proudfoot, J. et al. (2007) Next generation of self
management education: web based bipolar disorder program. The Royal
Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Journal of Psychiatry:
41:903-909. New South Wales, Australia.
American
Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C., pp. 359-363
American
Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C., pp. 335-338
Bizzarri, J.V.
et al. (2007) The spectrum of substance abuse in bipolar disorder: reasons for
use, sensation seeking and substance sensitivity. Bipolar Disorders 2007,
Volume 9, 213-220. Bolzano, Italy.
Lawrence, H.
Price, (2008) Editor’s commentary psychiatric gene testing: are we ready? Brown
University, Psychopharmacology Update.
American
Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C., p. 332
Empower plus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV8Tb2ONjxU
American
Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C., p. 332
Biel, M.G. et
al. (2007) Continuation versus discontinuation of lithium in recurrent bipolar
illness: a naturalistic study. Bipolar Disorders: 9:435-442. New York,
New York.
Proudfoot, J.
Et al. (2007) Next generation of self management education: web based bipolar
disorder program. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
Psychiatrists. Journal of Psychiatry: 41:903-909. New South Wales,
Australia.
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