Have you ever wondered why some people have alternative mood swings from an overly high, irritable phase to a sad, hopeless phase and then back again? That neighbor who is abnormally upbeat, jumpy and wired one minute and is extremely irritable the next minute can be having this disorder.
Probably that partner of yours, who is restless, fatigued and harbors suicidal thoughts in a moment and is extremely excited the next, could also be having these debilitating extremities. That younger sister who is always throwing tantrums and alternatively moody could be showing signs of this condition. Did you know that the poor decisions you take, like going on shopping sprees, making foolish investments, taking sexual risks and exploits could all be associated to a psychological disorder?
American celebrities like music icon Demi Lovato and movie/boxing sensation Jean Claude Vann Damme have all suffered cases of some form of psychological disorder. In our Ghanaian setting, Ghana celebrity’s news.com in 2017 asserted that actress Christabel Ekeh was having this disorder when she posted naked videos of herself in 2017 on social media. This same disorder was seen in a former UCC SRC presidential aspirant, Nana Abena Korkor who in an interview with Peace Fm, confessed to having a relapse when she leaked her own videos on social media in 2017(causing a lot of drama in the country) because of her mental condition diagnosed by doctors at the Accra psychiatric hospital.
This condition is inherent in our society. Millions of people worldwide suffer from manic-depressive illness. Medical news today.com (2017) report an estimated 2.9% of people worldwide have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with 83% of such cases classified as severe. A recent data from the World Health Organization 2007 estimate that, out of the 21.6 million people living in Ghana, 650,000 are suffering from a moderate to mild mental disorder.
FACTS ABOUT BIPOLAR DISORDER
According to Mayo foundation for medical education and research (1998-2019), Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression or black dog) is a mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression (being happy and sad intermittently). This disorder is associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. This condition can be acute which lasts for a few days or chronic which could be life-long. It is a no minder of persons as it affects children and adults of both genders. This condition however is confused with other mental health issues like hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder amongst others.
For a person to qualify as having bipolar disorder by psychologists, that person must meet a criterion. The person should have both mania and depression, with an elevated or irritable mood and persistently increased activity levels. “These symptoms must last at least 7 days, or less if symptoms were severe enough to need hospitalization”. This condition cannot be cured. Treatment aims to minimize the frequency of manic and depressive episodes, and to reduce the severity of symptoms to enable a relatively normal and productive life. Treatment involves a combination of therapies, which may include medications with physical and psychological interventions.
The two episodes of bipolar disorder are the mania/ hypomania episode and the depressive episode. Symptoms of mania and hypomania (which is the excited/energized phase) include a break from reality, exaggerated sense of self confidence, increased energy/agitation, decreased need for sleep, unusual talkativeness, distractibility, racing thoughts etc. The depressive episodes of bipolar disorder also include; irritability, insomnia, restlessness, fatigue, inappropriate guilt, suicidal thoughts and lack of concentration.
Scientists and psychologists have associated various biological and environmental factors as cause of bipolar disorders. Biological differences in human stemming from genetics can be a causal factor to this disease as studies show that one close relative with the illness can pass it on to another. It is also known that susceptibility stems from multiple genes as well, however research efforts have failed to identify the specific gene that causes this illness. Environmental factors however like periods of high stress, traumatic events (rape, loss of a loved one etc), drug and alcohol abuse can be a causal factor to this illness.
People with bipolar disorder end up committing suicides, have financial problems, damaged relationships, poor work or school performance, eating disorders, hyperactivity disorder, alcohol/drug problems as well as anxiety disorders. There is no sure way to prevent bipolar disorder. However if you realize you have 5 or more symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately and also remove environmental factors that can cause this disorder. Also remember to check on your relatives and close associates with any mental disorder regularly to prevent them from committing suicide.
By: Gloria Addobea Afriyie