No, if you go from laughing to crying in no time, you don’t necessarily have bipolarity. Chronic psychiatric illness, bipolarity is laced with stereotypes. And she is still poorly taken care of.
A report from theassociation Bipolarity France with Unafam, Pierre Deniker Foundation and Bipolar UK, published on March 30, 2023 reveals that a third of patients see their diagnosis confirmed more than 10 years – even 15 or 20 years according to testimonies – following the first symptoms.
Characterized by recurring mood disorders, these signs can be misleading. So bipolarity is often confused with other disorders like the Depression or manifestations ofan addiction. In addition to the significant impact on mental health or personal relationships, the consequences of a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder can go as far as suicidal thoughts or even acting out, alert Bipolarité France.
Between manic and depressive phase, the various signs of bipolar disorder
Formerly called manic-depression or manic-depressive psychosis, bipolarity stands out by its alternation between manic and depressive episodes.
When it comes to a type 1 bipolar disorder, the patient will be shaken by one or more manic or mixed episodes, accompanied or not by major depressive episodes.
Type 2 is associated with at least one major depressive episode with hypomania.
By manic episode – or hypomanic when it is lighter – the Academy of Medicine means “a state revealing a dysregulation of mood manifested by euphoric psychic and motor excitement”. This abnormal boost in energy and self-confidence can be expressed by hypersexuality, reckless spending, leaks of ideas or incongruous decisions. The social filter of the patient is altered, and criticism becomes very difficult to accept, describes Vidal.
The higher the manic phase, the more brutal the fall towards the depressive phase. Suddenly, the patient will experience very negative emotions, relating to the sadness, overwhelm until total demotivation. Fatigue, sleeping troubles and appetite, severe depression…these lows can last two to three times longer than the highs.
Bipolarity: when do the first symptoms appear?
These two states succeeding each other without the possibility of controlling them, the patient may be exposed to risky behaviors, suffer from social isolation, school or professional difficulties. His mental health can also be seriously affected.
According to figures from Bipolarité France, 1 out of 2 patients will make at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime, of which 15% will die. “Beyond untreated mood fluctuations, the risk is that other disorders are associated with it such as anxiety disorders and addictions”, adds Professor Chantal Henry, Scientific Director of the Pierre Deniker Foundation, in a press release.
While it is estimated that the majority of patients see their symptoms appear on the eve of their 25th birthday, 19% of respondents to the survey conducted by Bipolarité France mention the appearance of the first signs before the age of 15. Age when it is all the more difficult to express oneself or to be heard. In this sense, the association insists that diagnosing bipolar disorders as quickly as possible “represents a major public health issue”.
