Of Cycles and Bipolar Disorder
A guide to utter chaos.
The Frontier Psychiatrists is this very newsletter. Today, how I think about bipolar disorder. I’ve written about my personal experience with this illness more than once. It’s not a secret. I’ve done podcast versions! We (with
and ) have busted myths about it.Manic-Depressive illness was a well-understood condition, and its rebrand as “bipolar disorder” and, more perniciously, “bipolar II” didn’t do the field of psychiatric care any favors. I’ve written about the role of Depakote in the evolution of the misunderstanding of this illness. I will define some concepts, and I hope they help clarify things!
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that has profound underlying biology. It lives in your brain and body.
At least once, there will be a manic episode. Mania is a state—in a time-limited period—where someone acts differently. This can range from a little different to “completely bonkers” different. It’s in the direction of “more”—more energy, more volatile mood, more enthu…