Alcohol Addiction Diagnosis and Treatmen

Diagnosis
Most people know very well that either they can control their drinking habit, or the alcohol will control their lives. People who feel guilty about their drinking habit can quit this addiction by making little efforts.
Here are the signs of alcohol dependence:
• Feeling of frustration when someone suggests drinking less.
• Consuming alcohol even when the consequences could be harmful (e.g. at work).
• Drinking alcohol in the morning to face the day.
• Hide liquor bottles at home or at work.
• Drinking alone or in secret.
• Feeling lack of interest in activities and leisure that once provided pleasure.
If you think you are at risk of alcohol dependence, or if this is the case for someone dear to you, get help from the resources available to you.
Treatment and Prevention
Some people exhibit severe physical symptoms when they try to refrain from drinking alcohol. Hallucinations and delirium tremens, which are considered toxic symptoms, are actually caused by a sudden sobriety. These people show alcohol dependency symptoms such as fear, confusion, fever and rapid pulse when the drug is no longer in their system. The hospital treatment and anti-anxiety medication may help alleviate the physical effects during the withdrawal phase. For most people who stop drinking, the greatest danger is to start drinking again (i.e. relapse).
It is not easy to bring a loved one to seek help for alcohol dependence, since most people deny the problem (this denial is related to cognitive changes associated with the disease). It may be that you have to raise the subject more than once and you have to involve friends and family members in the discussion to show how much you care. It is best to approach handle the subject calmly without launching accusations and focusing on supporting the individual. You should mention about the specific events and behaviours that caused your concerns rather than speaking generally.
Know that there are various effective interventions to treat alcoholism. Some people will be able to change or discontinue their drinking if a trustworthy person talks to them about the devastating effects of their behaviour. Sadly, the interventions of the family and friends are insufficient in a majority of cases.
The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) may be a possible choice. Known for its 12-step program, this international organization can be very useful to many people through the personal efforts and peer support. For more information, look for the phone number of the AA in your local directory.

For more tips to get rid of alcohol addiction, do visit www.alcoholrehabmn.com.

Bipolar Disorder - How the Low Side Afflicts You

Bipolar disorder is, in fact, a name given to a group of mood disorders. It is not a specific mental health diagnosis. The disorder is characterized by mood-swings between high and low moods. The low moods can range from mild depression to a very severe depression which can last for many months. In fact the actual diagnosis is related to the pattern of mood-swings the afflicted person has. As a result the degree of the mood-swings relates to the actual bipolar disorder diagnoses the afflicted person has.
A diagnosis of cyclothyiac's disorder applies when there are definite mood-swings but they are not of a severe nature. Here the person will only enter a mild depression. Most likely they will experience:
• Change in sleeping habits (increase or decrease)
• Change in eating habits (increase or decrease)
• Little or no energy and
• Poor concentration with difficulty in focusing and decision-making. Poor decisions can result.
Cyclothyiac's disorder can bring with it its own set of problems. Specifically, the mood-swings can be such that the afflicted person does not realize that their mood-swings are any greater than a "normal persons." Their friends and loved ones may not be aware that the person is experiencing mood-swings at a level greater than normal. The result is that the disorder can be extremely hard to diagnose. In turn those so afflicted can go through life experiencing a series of mood-swings greater than what they should have to experience.
A diagnosis of bipolar, type 2 can lead to either mild or severe depression. The symptoms for severe depression are as for mild depression. However a number of these additional symptoms will also apply:
• Sadness, often including crying
• Little interest in or pleasure from normal daily activities
• Irritability and anger
• Anxious feelings and worrying
• A feeling that everything is going wrong for then
• Withdrawal from social activity
• Aches and pains with no physical cause
• Greatly reduced self-esteem and
• Suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts.
A diagnosis of bipolar, type 1 normally leads to severe depression. Recovering from severe depression can be extremely hard. There is an added danger if the person with severe depression has a diagnosis from within the bipolar disorder spectrum. Any treatment prescribed can push them past a normal mood. They could be pushed into hypomanic episode or even into full-blown mania.
By its medical definition a person with a diagnosis from the bipolar disorder spectrum will experience some degree of depression at some stage of their bipolar cycle. Their specific bipolar diagnosis will relate back to their normal cycle of highs and lows. The extent of the depression they experience will normally relate back to their specific bipolar diagnosis. Cyclothyiac's disorder normally lead to mild depression. Bipolar, type 2 can lead mild or severe bipolar. Bipolar, type 1 generally leads to severe depression.

Ray Tyler was diagnosed with manic depressive disorder in 1982. He still lives with, and receives treatment for the disorder, today. However he has not had a manic depressive episode since 1997.
You can follow Ray's blog at Bipolar Manic Depressive.com Ray has recently written a series of posts on depression in his blog. You can check out the most recent one HERE
Learn how to manage Manic Depressive (now known as Bipolar) disorder. This will enable you to regain control of your life.

Teenage Depression - Peer Pressure

A key aspect of the teenage years is for the individual to develop self-identity and this is done within the context of the social environment. Social interaction and the development of effective social skills become fundamental during this stage of life, and thus most teens become preoccupied with achieving social acceptability.
This is why peer influence is so powerful in the teen years. All teenagers are influencers in their own right whether they realize it or not, but conversely all teenagers are susceptible to influence from others. Unfortunately, the reality is that not all peers are a source of positive influence. For instance peers may influence each other to experiment with drugs or alcohol, or teens may feel it is expected of them to have sex by a certain age whether they are ready or not. When a teenager feels compelled to do something or behave in a certain way that makes them feel uncomfortable or that they do not agree with because they perceive it to be an expectation of their peers; that is when peer influence becomes peer pressure.
Peer pressure can be both positive and negative. Every parent blames peer pressure when their own child makes choices they disapprove of, but it is important to ask yourself if whether your own child is being influenced or if he or she is the one doing the influencing. It is equally important that you instil in your teen the values and strength of character to make good choices as it is to ensure that your child befriends those who hold similar values.
However even when a circle of friends are a relatively level-headed group, in the teen years, 'peers' extend beyond those we have close relationships with and extends to all other teens they come into contact with in their primary social environments such as schools and malls. Those teens that have low self-esteem and doubt their choices and decisions are more prone to cave to peer pressure. The key is to equip your child to be able to identify negative peer pressure from positive peer influence; the key phrase being 'pressure'. Develop in your teen the ability to:
· Be comfortable and secure in the choices they make even if their peers question or taunt them about it
· Talk to you about choices and temptations. Have a non-judgmental attitude when talking about difficult life issues such as sex. Brainstorm and discuss with your teen action plans and scenarios where peer pressure may put him or her in an awkward social position.
· Take responsibility for the choices they make. As much as peer pressure may influence your teen to make poor choices, the final decision to comply with that pressure ultimately lies with your teen. By understanding your teen's position, yet still holding them accountable for mistakes or errors in judgment you will be preparing them for inevitable difficult choices later in life.
Teenage Depression

The must read book: "All you wanted to know about Teen Depression", is available at: [http://www.depression-teenage.com]. Anne Ross is a Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Crises facilitator, Cranial Sacral and Myofascial Therapist, including various other Massage/Body/Energy techniques, but above all she is a mother. She is an accredited member of the Traditional-Medicine Society and the Association of Transactional Analysis.

Does Mental Illness Cause Violence?

Mental illness does not cause violence.
The topic of mental illness and the false belief that it is a source and cause for aggression, violence, murder and mayhem is deeply ingrained in the psyche of the American public due to the mass news and entertainment media's constant pairing of this apparent yet untrue "cause-and-effect" rationale. The truth is, violence and murder are not symptoms of mental illnesses (disorders). Motivating the popular media are the dividends of providing entertainment by means of flaunting ongoing stigma and stereo­typing of the mentally ill. The news media compete for headlines to gain readership and viewership, and will almost always connect heinous crime to mental illness to spice up and extend coverage duration in the case of a mass murder, for example.
As Heather Stuart wrote in "Violence and mental illness: an overview" World Psychiatry (Journal), June 2003,
"The public are no less accustomed to 'experiencing' violence among the mentally ill, although these experiences are mostly vicarious, through movie depictions of crazed killers or real life dramas played out with disturbing frequency on the nightly news. Indeed, the global reach of news ensures that the viewing public will have a steady diet of real-life violence linked to mental illness. The public most fear violence that is random, senseless, and unpredictable and they associate this with mental illness. In­deed, they are more reassured to know that someone was stabbed to death in a robbery, than stabbed to death by a psychotic man. In a series of surveys spanning several real-life events in Germany, Anger­meyer and Matschinger showed that the public's desire to maintain social distance from the mentally ill increased markedly after each publicized attack, never returning to initial values. Further, these inci­dents corresponded with increases in public perceptions of the mentally ill as unpredictable and dan­gerous."
This last observation alone is frightening when one considers the current undertones of potential con­gressional legislation to "do something" immediately with regard to the mentally ill and violence in the light of the recent spate of gun violence across the country. U.S. Government officials are now extremely motivated to address the problem, yet are faced by the clamor of constituen­cies who have been force-fed falsehoods by the popular media for more than a half-century. How can they knowledgeably pass laws regarding mental illness when they, too, are likely steeped in the very stereotyping, stigma and ig­norance affecting the general public?
The headline "Psychotic killer slays 8 people in their beds" is scary. Why? The media have made it so. According to The New Oxford Dictionary, psychosis is "a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality." Does being out of touch with reality necessarily cause violence or murder? No. Are the media qualified to run headlines branding murder suspects "psy­chotic killers?" No. Can a murder suspect have psychosis? Yes. Can psychosis cause violence or mur­der? No. Can a murder suspect have diabetes? Yes. Can diabetes cause violence or murder? No. Media conclusions are based upon false logic. The answers to each of these lines of questioning are equally valid. The American public has been mislead, indoctrinated and brainwashed with regard to the inert nature of mental illness itself. Other dysfunctional or deviant underlying issues may become aggravated through the prism of mental illness, but the illness itself is not a predictor of violent behaviors.
Recent killings of children immediately resulted in pure speculation by the broadcast and cable networks that an alleged shooter was mentally ill. They needed answers now. They attempted with every step from the earliest of the investigation forward to flesh out that notion with further speculative details, making the condition of Asperger's Syndrome sound like a murderous condi­tion within the shooter's brain. That notion was untrue. The headline "Man shoots 8 children in school" is much less lurid than "Psychotic killer slays 8 students."
Carefully chosen psychologists and psychiatrists eager to attest to mental illness causing such evil are pitched softball questions by their interviewers to buttress their unknowingly false reporting. These "experts" are either uninformed, academics, or money-hungry celebrity mental health practitioners who are either removed from the latest psychological journals' findings or those who rarely practice or work with patients in clinical settings, just as they do as hired guns in courtrooms to impress juries for the at­torneys who retain them.
These "psych professionals for hire" play on the public's false assumption that perpetrators are all men­tally ill. They often use street language to titillate the public instead of accurate clinical terms, once again fuel­ing the glut of false information being disseminated. They utter ambiguous words like "crazy," mirror­ing those of the reporter or anchor in order to deferentially make the interviewer seem knowledgeable. The fact is, psychiatry has come a long way "since 1970, when clinicians were dramatically found to be consis­tently wrong more often than right in predicting violent behavior." Monahan & Steadman, 1994). The verdict is now available--mental illness does not cause violence or the act of murder.
The fact that tens of thousands of violent attacks and murders go quietly unreported even when statistically being considered as rooted in mental illness indicates the most fantastic and lurid of violent cases are "cherry-picked" for public consumption.
Ninety percent of suicides result from the mental disorders of either bipolar depression or clinical depression and represent an indi­vidual's anger turned inward only. He is destructive only toward himself-not toward others. A mass murder suspect who commits suicide is not always depressed. However, the two may co-exist. Oppositely, such outward anger and lashing out at some perceived or actual slight, committing homicide and taking his own life to avoid the certain fate that would accompany his terrible deed is predictable, but not an automatic indicator of mental illness. He may happen to suffer one or more mental disorders, but they are not causal for the heinous act. It is just another happenstance finding uncovered during the investigation.
When a killer is shown to be mentally ill, why is it assumed that the illness causes the crime? Even though there is no statistical correlation for this assumption, or any substantiated history of theory or truth to support that idea, it has been indelibly tattooed into the minds of the American people through sheer repetition by news and entertainment media and the ignorant parrotting of it around "the water cooler" by innocent yet duped be­lievers.
Socioeconomic factors most assuredly come into play when discussing violent tendencies in individu­als. Bullying, discrimination, poverty, violent entertainment, favoritism, copycat behavior and all man­ner of physical, mental and emotional abuse can seethe in an individual until the litany of pain must emerge in one form or another-often as violence. That such an individual happens to manifest a mental disorder cannot take away the underlying pain, suffering and predictable acting out of one suffering from such issues.
Just why are the claims of mental illness causing violence and murder erroneous?
1) First, they are patently untrue.
2) Any competent psychologist or psychiatrist knows that violence is not a symptom of mental illness and is willing to admit it. This is true even for a medical student who does her homework. Violence seen in the mentally ill is due to external factors, real or perceived threats, situations or related physical health factors. "[... ] patients discharged from psychiatric facilities who did not abuse alcohol and ille­gal drugs had a rate of violence no different than that of their neighbors in the community. Signifi­cantly, this contradicts one of central perceptions of mental illness within society today. Unless drugs or alcohol are involved, people with mental disorders do not pose any more threat to the community than anyone else. This finding cannot be emphasized enough." -Psych Central, Dispelling the Myth of Violence and Mental Illness, John M. Grohol, Psy. D., 2004. Mental illness does not provoke or cause violence or the act of murder.
3) The preponderance of applicable mental health research, journals and statistics do not establish a mental disorder-to-violence link. Some statistical studies demonstrate the rate of violence is higher among those having serious or psychotic mental disorders than that of the general population and the rest of the mentally ill population. Once again, this singular, isolated statistic, in and of itself, does not establish psychosis as a necessary cause, or link, only a statistical correlation, not a logical determina­tion of anything, that can be evaluated in many different ways with an equal number of other conclu­sions. That a person has a mental disorder is not a predictor of his or her violent tendencies.
4) The "Psychiatrist's Bible," DSM-IV, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), indi­cates no link between mental illness and violence within its pages. A look through its detailed index fails to turn up the words "aggression," "violence," "murder," or "homicide." Neither are these terms found in the handbook's "Diagnostic Index." Violence and murder are neither symptoms of mental illness nor a result of mental illness.
5) The media's deceptive pairing of words like "psychotic" and "killer" are either misleading or untrue in the absence of mental health professionals' determinations following full examination of suspects.
6) The mass media's eager search for why violence occurs seeks quick, simplistic explanations to gain audience shares and raise revenues at the expense of the truth surrounding both suspects' and victims' lives. And they almost always get it wrong. Mental illness causes neither violence nor the act of murder.
7) One-in-four Americans now manifests some degree of mental illness, as told by actress Glen Close, founder and chair for BringChange2Mind, an organization devoted to ending the stigma aimed at the mentally ill. If this statistic is accurate, then conservatively speaking, if even 10% of Americans are seriously mentally ill, then wouldn't violent crime be rampant? Where are the one-in-four violent mentally ill Americans out there? Do the math. A single newspaper could not contain the stories of havoc they would wreak upon society. More than 5.7 million Americans are known to suffer from manic-depression (bipolar disorder); 83% of them are diagnosed as "severe." Where is all of the crime that "should" evolve from those numbers? Mental illness does not cause violence or the act of murder.
8) Mental disorders are biological in origin, as are cancer and diabetes. The only difference is that symptoms are external behaviors rather than the internal evidence of laboratory test results, surgery and imaging. That the individual's behaviors are odd and quirky does not in itself indicate anything violent or dangerous. Mental illness is not a character flaw, moral weakness, or a result of sinful living, weak-mindedness or self-pity. Again, mental illness causes neither violence nor the act of murder.
9) The search for truth has always been an uphill battle. Nowhere is that a stronger challenge than is the battle for understanding the fallacy of mental health disorders being causative in violence and murder. It is shameful that in such an "enlightened" society with all of its unprecedented amount of information available 24/7 from multitudes of verifiable sources, that such a basic issue is still being debated. When a mentally ill person is violent, he or she is responding just like anyone else does when it comes to the human actions stemming from drug or alcohol abuse, or any of life's goads that ordinarily foment anger and violence. Could pure evil residing in a person's heart cause violence and murder, whether he or she be mentally ill or not? This is likely now a rare belief in a society blinded by moral relativity and situational ethics. Regardless, mental illness does not cause violence or the act of murder.
10) Twice as many women as men suffer clinical depression. Overall, men and women suffer other mental disorders in equal numbers. Therefore, there are more mentally ill women than men. Why are mass murderers and serial killers mostly young males? Why aren't mentally ill females committing heinous violence and murders? Once again, mental illness does not cause violence.
11) My first-hand experience with co-patients and that of many others told to me second-hand support my observation that, just as there are happy and mean drunks, there are also happy and mean mood dis­order patients. As with drunkenness, episodes of mental disorders may magnify these underlying tendencies in an individual. However, "mean" doesn't necessarily translate into violence. Mental illness itself has not brought about the violence.
12) Empirically, having resided within several mental health facilities, all of them were notably as serene as public libraries. My co-patients were not drugged to make them more manageable. The peaceful environment was maintained to achieve the needed healing and progress in patient cognition and emotions. Despite the various crises suffered by co-patients within a facility, the only violent behaviors may be caused by illegal substance withdrawals, severe reactions to medications and such. No armed officers or other armed employees work on these units. Psych techs and aides are there to intervene in the event an argument occurs, as might happen among any other group of confined strangers. Again, the media has created a false image of both standard mental hospital and general hospital behavioral unit atmospheres as being disruptive, mean-spirited and violent.
May truth prevail: Mental illness is not to blame for violence; neither is it a predictor of violence; it simply does not cause violence.

Jeff C. Baker has suffered bipolar disorder since 1966. He was properly diagnosed in 1996 but was improperly medicated until 2010. His plans, goals, career, dreams and even a few hobbies all fell by the wayside as a result of his affliction. Jeff shares his dramatic story in his autobiography, BOY, INTERRUPTED:My Magical Misery Tour, available in either softcover or Kindle versions from http://www.amazon.com/dp/1475136935 where you can peek inside the book, and read its description and reader reviews.
You can reach Jeff at BipolarAid@gmail.com
Visit Jeff's informative website at http://www.BipolarAid.org

Addiction Treatment Process

Drug addiction is a complex illness characterized by intense and at times uncontrollable craving for the drug. Drugs can lead to physical as well as psychological dependence when taken in larger doses for a longer period of time. This leads to addiction. Some of the symptoms of addiction are cravings for drug, inability to abstain from the drug, physical symptoms, and inability to recognize the deterioration of relationships with friends and family, inappropriate emotional response and other behavioral problems. Drug or alcohol addiction frequently involves cycles of relapse and remission, even with long term treatment.
Addiction Treatment
The main aim of addiction treatments is not just removing or reducing drug or alcohol use. Their main goal is to help addicted people change their habits, lifestyle and core values so as to prevent them from returning back to the problem of addiction.
Quitting a stimulant addiction is not an easy process; the painful withdrawal symptoms may force the patient to relapse. Hence, it is advisable not to quit abruptly. Addiction treatment consists of three stages:
Detoxification
Detoxification is the process where an addict undergoes withdrawal of the stimulant under medical supervision. As the withdrawal is associated with several physical and psychological symptoms, detoxification is done under the supervision of medical professionals. During the detox process, medical professionals may prescribe low potency drugs in tapering doses to wean you off drug or alcohol. Weaning helps you to cope with the withdrawal symptoms so that you can carry out daily routine activities.
Along with the medications, addicts are evaluated for nutritional status. Nutrients, vitamins and a healthy diet - all of them are the part of detox process.
Behavior Therapy
Behavioral therapy help patients modify their attitude and behaviors related to drug abuse and increase healthy lifestyle skills and coping skills. They also help in enhancing the effectiveness of the drug. Therapy treatment can be delivered in many different settings:
In-patient addiction treatment- Those who are having severe addiction problem or have a previous history of drug addiction are recommended for in-patient addiction treatment. Here, the patient remains in the rehabilitative centers for at least one month to one year depending upon each case. Each day, patient/user spends 6 to 8 hours of the day in learning coping skills that can be used to reduce the reliance on the drugs/alcohol. Various types of therapeutic activities and therapies are taught to the addict.
Out-patient addiction treatment- Out-patient addiction treatment is recommended for patients, who have strong network of family and friends support, and who have no previous history of drug addiction; it includes a variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. The therapy includes group or individual counseling. While the individual sessions are important to understand why the addict began using the drug, group sessions help him by relating to other addicts who have gone through the same addiction suffering.
After Care
As the patient/addict is most vulnerable to relapse during the first few months, continuing care services are designed to monitor the emotional health of the recovering patient.

If you're looking for highly successful addiction treatment, visit Addiction Treatment Method.

Schizophrenia- Causes and Treatment

Schizophrenia is one of the least culturally understood mental disorders. For example, a common belief is that schizophrenia means split personality; which it doesn't. The term was originated by Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, in 1911. It actually means "split mind" from the Greek "schizo" meaning split and "phrene" meaning mind. It was created to describe the type of thinking that someone suffering from schizophrenia exhibited, not multiple personalities. The original term for schizophrenia was "dementia praecox" which means "early dementia." This comes from Dr. Emile Kraepelin who was one of the first to recognize the disorder. The name was to distinguish the disorder from late in life mental disorders such as Alzheimer's. The reason for the many technical names for different disorders is that scientists often do not have a full understanding of the causes of mental diseases and can only classify them by symptoms.
The cause of schizophrenia is still unknown, but its affects on the brain are clear in numerous tests, including MRI. So, schizophrenia can be easily diagnosed with the proper equipment. While the cause is still a mystery, there are indications that both genetics and brain chemistry play a role. Another important factor is drug abuse. Drugs like nicotine, marijuana, cocaine and alcohol all have an effect and the abuse of such substances can greatly impede treatment. So, it's important to ensure that schizophrenic patients are kept strictly away from recreational drugs.
Although those with a family history of schizophrenia are more likely to develop it, depression, chronic stress, anxiety and traumatic life events can also trigger the onset of the disorder.
Visual and auditory hallucinations are a feature of schizophrenia, although not in every case. Other significant symptoms are the inability to rationally assess the environment or to rationally understand interactions with other people, which may result in extreme paranoia and lack of trust.
Other symptoms include apathy, poor concentration, withdrawal, difficulty in speaking or movement disorders or a poor ability to express emotions. Nevertheless, it should be kept in mind that other disorders, even very mild ones, can cause some of these symptoms. And so, the symptoms alone do not necessarily signify schizophrenia. People should avoid self-diagnosis. And it should be remembered that one of the hallmarks of schizophrenia is the inability to notice the disorder in oneself. So, if you think that you have schizophrenia, you probably don't. When in doubt, consult a professional.
There are five subtypes of schizophrenia. These are the Paranoid subtype which is typified by delusions of persecution and conspiracy along with auditory hallucinations. Those who suffer from this subtype can often appear normal, or at least what is accepted as normal.
There is Disorganized Schizophrenia which exhibits disorganized thinking and difficulty in performing normal tasks such as bathing and dressing. While symptoms of delusion and hallucination may exist in this subtype, they are not as severe. The other three types are Catatonic, Residual and Undifferentiated.
Disorganized, Catatonic and Residual were all categories originally proposed by Kraepelin.
Diagnosis of schizophrenia usually involves a psychological evaluation including collecting information on the individuals mental health, information on his or her family, understanding the patients medical situation, such as what prescription drugs they might be taking, as well as social and cultural influences. Lab tests are also performed including a complete blood count (CBC), imaging of the brain through MRI and CTs and screening for drugs and alcohol.
Anti-psychotics are presently the best form of treatment, as they help balance neurotransmissions within the brain. But they do have side effects, including weight gain and tremors.
The person diagnosed with schizophrenia will also need the attendance, guidance and understanding of family members if he or she is to get better.

About the Author:
Dr. Tali Shenfield is a child psychologist accredited by The Ontario College of Psychologists. She is an expert in clinical and educational psychology and provides psychological assessment and psychotherapy for clients age 4-20.

Living With Bipolar

I have suffered with Bipolar for over 20 years. Bipolar disorder usually first occurs between the ages of 15 - 30 years, with an average age of onset at 25 years. I was 27 years old when I started noticing my Bipolar symptoms. However, bipolar disorder can affect people of all ages, including children. Bipolar disorder frequently occurs within families. Family members of patients with bipolar disorder are also more likely to have other psychiatric disorders. They include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and major depression. This is true in my case, my Grandmother was schizophrenic, and my mom is bipolar.
I also had just about all of the classic symptoms of bipolar:
• Decreased interest in friends and activities >yes
• Difficulty concentrating >yes
• A drop in grades or frequent absences from school >yes
• Complaints of tiredness or boredom
• Vague physical symptoms, such as unexplained aches and
pains
• Changes in sleep patterns, such as insomnia or oversleeping >yes
• Increased crankiness, hostility, or anger >yes
• Outbursts of shouting or crying
• Reckless behavior >yes
• Alcohol or drug abuse >yes
• Trouble getting along with others >yes
• Social withdrawal >yes
• Hypersensitivity to rejection or failure >yes
• Self-injurious behavior or talk of suicide
As many as 90% of marriages involving someone with bipolar disorder reportedly fail.
Bipolar disorder puts a huge additional strain on a relationship, particularly when you don't have a diagnosis. In my two marriages, I never openly stated what was wrong with me medically. I also did not seriously pursue treatment for my bipolar. Bipolar disorder causes significant psychosocial morbidity, because it frequently affects patients' relationships with family members as well as workplace functioning.
A recent community survey investigated the impact of bipolar disorder on people's lives, using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) as a screening instrument. Subjects screening positive for bipolar disorder on the MDQ reported significantly more work and relationship problems and a greater burden of comorbid medical illness than subjects who were negative for bipolar disorder. Significantly more respondents with positive screens for bipolar disorder had been arrested, convicted, or jailed for a crime compared with respondents with negative screens for bipolar disorder.
Before my Bipolar, I was very active in studying the bible. I even became a Ministerial Servant, and was considered a potential Elder for the congregation. My mental illness Bipolar, sapped out all the discernment I had for the scriptures. I use to have very deep conversations about the bible. Bipolar caused me to now avoid, even the simplest spiritual discussions. I use to feel very close to God, Bipolar caused me to withdraw into a shell, even with God.
I use to be a very successful sales person. Every sales organization I joined, in very short time, I climbed to the top. Before my Bipolar, I was a very sharp and personable person. For me, my Bipolar affects me very severely, as to my thinking ability. My brain feels like there is a cloud or fog encompassing it. Besides, how can you succeed at sales anymore, when your mental illness makes you just want to stay home in bed? I tried for many years to manage my Bipolar out in the workforce, but in the end Bipolar got the best of me.
Worst of all, Bipolar affected my relationships, with the people I dearly loved. Bipolar caused me to withdraw emotionally from those I loved. I lost my first marriage, because she was very deep into the bible and I no longer felt the same spiritual connection. I met her in the congregation, she was a wonderful wife, and devoted person. When I withdrew from God, I also withdrew from her. My mental illness also helped ruin my second marriage. She too, was a very nice person, even meeting me at the door when I arrived home from work, because she wanted to. My Bipolar was getting progressively worst at this point. I begin extremely isolating myself. I would spend all my time alone in the basement, severely affecting my marriage. Eventually, my bipolar again assisted in my losing someone I truly loved.
Today, I am 47 years old. I struggle daily, to live a happy and successful life despite my living with severe Bipolar. Unfortunately, it's the hand I was dealt. I have Bipolar, and it's not going anywhere. I now work at home as a customer service agent. I do have a significant other. I still believe in creation, but am not active at all in practicing religion.
http://mentalhealthlivingwithbipolar.blogspot.com

You can follow my continuing story at http://mentalhealthlivingwithbipolar.blogspot.com