Note: This article has mentions of depression, mania, and suicidal ideations. 

MANILA — Bipolar disorder is a serious lifelong mental condition that affects more than half a million Filipinos and 40 million worldwide, according to 2020 and 2019 data from the World Health Organization, respectively. 

                       📸: Screenshot from the World Health Organization

Contrary to common misconceptions, bipolar disorder is not just “moodiness.”

It impairs people's functioning, can affect them for days, weeks, or months straight, and could require hospitalization if it gets severe, said Dr. April Lyn Peñaflorida-Vinoya, head of the psychiatry department of Skyline Hospital and Medical Center in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. 

So what really is bipolar disorder? 

According to the World Health Organization, bipolar disorder is characterized by “extreme mood swings and activity levels” that are different from the “usual ups and downs that everyone feels because they cause serious impairment in function.”
 

It is a brain condition that causes “intense emotional swings” that occur in manic or hypomanic and depressive phases of the disorder, Peñaflorida-Vinoya told ABS-CBN News. 

When individuals with bipolar disorder experience mania, they feel an abnormal level of elation, elevated mood, and irritability.

They may also experience having excessive energy, decreased need for sleep or insomnia, rapid and racing thoughts, and may engage in impulsive behaviors, she also said.  

During the depressive phase, individuals often feel persistent and excessive sadness, loss of interest, and hopelessness, may experience either a decrease or increase in appetite, may lose sleep or sleep too much, may lose focus, have poor concentration, and have suicidal ideations, Peñaflorida-Vinoya said. 

Severe symptoms may lead to delusions — believing things that are not true — or hallucinations — seeing, hearing, or smelling things that are not real — may require hospitalization, according to the WHO. 

Different types of bipolar disorder

There are three types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar 1 disorder is characterized by at least one episode of mania and can be preceded or followed by depressive episodes, according to the Department of Health. 

Peñaflorida-Vinoya added it is also characterized by full-blown manic episodes that last for at least 7 days and depressive episodes which lasts for at least 2 weeks. 

Bipolar 2 disorder is defined by a pattern of depressive and hypomanic episodes which are less severe than manic episodes, the United States of America’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) said. 

Cyclothymic disorder involves recurrent hypomanic and depressive symptoms that are not intense enough to meet the full criteria of full-blown hypomania or depression, according to the NIMH. 

Treatment and management

While there is still no cure for bipolar disorder, Peñaflorida-Vinoya said it can be treated and managed. 

Among the treatments are medication, psychotherapy, regular sleep, management of stress, mindfulness, and family-focused therapy.

For severe cases and for those who are resistant to taking medication, electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are often done. 

 Don't use 'bipolar' loosely

Peñaflorida-Vinoya urged the public to stop using the term “bipolar” very casually and loosely, especially when describing someone who is just “moody” as this may minimize the real struggles of those with the condition. 

“With the casual use of the bipolar word for someone who is moody may seem harmless to other people [but] it can actually perpetuate stigma and harm those generally dealing with this challenging condition,” Peñaflorida-Vinoya told ABS-CBN News. 

“People dealing with true bipolar disorder face significant challenges as we know [are] far beyond the ordinary mood swings. So the casual use of the word may lead to trivialization of a serious mental health condition thereby minimizing the real struggles of people who have it,” she added. 

Peñaflorida-Vinoya also encouraged those who might suspect they have the condition to seek professional help. 

“Early detection and diagnosis will ensure proper treatment and this is crucial for managing the symptoms. If you need support, you must reach out. If you can offer support, you may extend your hands,” she said. 

Recovery, however, does not solely lie on the person with the symptoms. 

Peñaflorida-Vinoya urged the families of people with bipolar disorder to “study the nature of the disorder” so they could better understand them, emphasizing that having the disorder is not a choice. 

She identified some factors that could affect the condition like genetics, heredity, adverse life events, traumatizing experiences especially in the childhood years, chemical imbalance in the brain, hormonal imbalance, and other environmental factors.

“Having this disorder is not a choice in the first place. The patient who is diagnosed or experiencing this disorder, it’s very hard for them that they are experiencing these symptoms,” Peñaflorida-Vinoya said. 

For World Bipolar Day, she only has one wish:

“May this World Bipolar Day remind us to induce compassion and advocate for mental health. For together, we can create a world where mental health thrives,” she said. 

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