5 Bipolar Myths Debunked

There are several misconceptions regarding Bipolar Disorder. Here I intend to debunk a few with the help of WebMD.

1) Bipolar is a rare condition. False, in a given year, bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It seemed as though most individuals I came across while in the psych ward were diagnosed with Bipolar.

2) Bipolar is just another name for mood swings. Incorrect. This often aggitates me when I hear the lyrics to songs about being bipolar when the artist is simply referring to mood swings, such as Katy Perry's Hot n Cold. The mood swings associated with bipolar disorder are very different than those of people without the condition, says Matthew Rudorfer, MD, associate director of treatment research in the division of services and intervention research at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md. "The mood swings of bipolar [disorder] are more severe, longer lasting, and maybe most significant of all, they interfere with some important aspect of functioning, such as ability to work at one's job, or manage one's home, or be a successful student," he says.

3) People with bipolar disorder shift back and forth from depression to mania very often. The Jekyll-Hyde personality, the type that can turn on a dime from sad to euphoric, is a myth about bipolar, says Gary Sachs, MD, director of the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. ''The average bipolar patient will be depressed more often [than manic]," he says. This definitely rings true for myself. I have only had a few bouts of mania, being depressed the majority of the time.

4) When they're in the manic phase, people with bipolar disorder are often very happy. True for some, experts tell WebMD, but not for others. And a person with bipolar disorder may enter the manic phase happy but not stay that way. "The hallmark of mania is a euphoric or elevated mood," Smith says. But, he says, "a significant number of people become edgy and irritable as the mania progresses." "Many people are actually frightened when they go into mania," says Sue Bergeson, CEO of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in Chicago, a patient-run mental health organization. "When you are moving into mania, you are losing control of your actions and thoughts," she says. Patients often complain they can't sleep, too. A person in a manic phase may go on spending sprees, use poor judgment, abuse drugs or alcohol, and have difficulty concentrating. Sexual drive can be increased and behavior can be "off" or out of character for what is normal for them. I myself would only be able to get 3 hours of sleep a night.

5) There is a bipolar test. Not true. In early 2008, an at-home bipolar test, sold over the Internet, made headlines. But the test only tells users whether their genetic makeup puts them at higher risk of having or getting bipolar disorder. The bipolar test evaluates saliva samples for two mutations in a gene called GRK3, associated with the disorder. But it can't tell users for sure. Today, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder depends on a doctor taking a careful patient history, asking about symptoms over time. A family history of the disorder increases a person's chances of getting it.

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