BIPOLAR
07/14/10
BIPOLAR
MAx Fabry is a regular contributor to a weekly column "ASK MAx" published in the SPRINGFIELD TIMES, Springfield, Oregon. The SPRINGFIELD TIMES is published weekly on Friday by S.J. Olson Publishing, Inc. This column is published on this blog by permission of the SPRINGFIELD TIMES. Visit their website at http://www.springfieldtimes.net.
_____________________________________________
Dear MAx,
Finally my daughter has made it into treatment for her alcohol and drug addiction! During a family session at the treatment center she is in we learned that she may be bi-polar. Would bi-polar explain my daughter’s addiction? I am not sure I totally understand what bi-polar is? If she is bi-polar, how do I help her?
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
Great questions for a common occurrence that happens during very early recovery: deflecting the problem by creating another problem. Some might say this is “hope”; others, like myself, may say “Let’s get through detox first.”
The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”, the DSM, is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM sets the standard and criteria to classify mental disorders. This Manual is used by clinicians to develop a plan of action with the client to move toward a healthier lifestyle. As new information is gathered through research, the Manual is periodically updated.
Bi-polar and substance disorders are classified in the same DSM IV category under “Psychiatric Disorders”. The primary symptom in this category includes “a disturbance in mood”. These “disturbances” would include “inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings…..feeling depressed, suicidal….or having excessive energy where sleep is not needed for days.”
As you can see by the symptoms listed, both bi-polar and substance addiction can look the same. The biggest difference is that one is “organic” and one is “self-induced.”
Researchers are still not sure what specifically causes bi-polar, but, most evidence points to genetics as the primary cause. There are varying degrees of bi-polar so the possibility of childhood abuse or trauma has not been ruled out as a cause factor. A third possible cause is fluctuations in body chemicals such as calcium, dopamine, and other neurochemical transmitters.
The same principles are applied with trying to understand the cause of substance addiction. Genetic? Environmental? Physiological?
Symptoms of bi-polar vary depending on the individual. However, the symptoms are identified in “manic” behavior and “depressant” behavior. Bi-polar people will often vacillate between manic and depressant.
“Manic” episodes might find the person with elevated self-esteem, a sense of self-centeredness, extremely talkative, spending too much money, making rash life decisions, promiscuous sex, use of drugs and/or alcohol, and a euphoric high. Hallucinations and delusions are often experienced.
“Depressant” behavior usually follows the manic highs as the person is faced with the consequences of their manic behaviors. Symptoms of this behavior include slowed mental and physical capabilities, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, low energy levels, and feelings of despair. Suicidal ideations are common.
Again, the same behaviors are characteristic of addiction: self-centeredness, grandiose thinking, experiencing highs and lows depending on the substance used. Examples, alcohol is a depressant; drink enough alcohol, you will be depressed—don’t tell your doctor how much you are using, you will end up on anti-depressants. Cocaine use will cause the same emotional and physical highs and lows that correspond with bi-polar.
True bi-polar disorder, or any other psychiatric mood disorder, is difficult to diagnose while someone continues using, or while they are in, at least, the first year of recovery. Detox from alcohol and all other substances vary on the quantity used, length of use, method of use, and peak age of use. It can take the body a good 24 months to detox totally from alcohol dependence.
Leslie, the best approach for dealing with the information you have been given about your daughter is to educate yourself, ask questions, and seek a second opinion. Remember, knowledge is power; the more you know, the more you can help, and the easier it will be to support your daughter no matter what the diagnosis.
An excellent resource to learn more about bi-polar is the international Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, DBSA. This group is dedicated to helping people with mood disorders. In addition to local off shoots, they provide online support groups, discussion forums, and other information resources.
Worldwide millions of people are diagnosed with bi-polar. Many famous people have exemplified that this label can be overcome: Robin Williams, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Vincent Van Gogh, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Gabriel, Winston Chruchill, and Theodore Roosevelt are just some of the notables. If your daughter is, in fact, bi-polar, she will be in good company.
To learn everything you need to know about the latest information on substance abuse, visit the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, at www.samhsa.gov.
No matter what label you are given, always be well and in awareness on your journey.
Have a question about addiction, recovery, or life transitions such as retirement, career change, grief and loss issues, empty nesting, etc, ‘Ask MAx’. Send your questions to Lifestyle Changes, PO Box 1962, Eugene, OR 97440; or, e-mail your questions to: askmaxcolumn@yahoo.com. Learn more about MAx Fabry and read her blog at www.lifestylechangescounseling.com.
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MAx Fabry is a regular contributor to a weekly column "ASK MAx" published in the SPRINGFIELD TIMES, Springfield, Oregon. The SPRINGFIELD TIMES is published weekly on Friday by S.J. Olson Publishing, Inc. This column is published on this blog by permission of the SPRINGFIELD TIMES. Visit their website at http://www.springfieldtimes.net.
_____________________________________________
Dear MAx,
Finally my daughter has made it into treatment for her alcohol and drug addiction! During a family session at the treatment center she is in we learned that she may be bi-polar. Would bi-polar explain my daughter’s addiction? I am not sure I totally understand what bi-polar is? If she is bi-polar, how do I help her?
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
Great questions for a common occurrence that happens during very early recovery: deflecting the problem by creating another problem. Some might say this is “hope”; others, like myself, may say “Let’s get through detox first.”
The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”, the DSM, is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM sets the standard and criteria to classify mental disorders. This Manual is used by clinicians to develop a plan of action with the client to move toward a healthier lifestyle. As new information is gathered through research, the Manual is periodically updated.
Bi-polar and substance disorders are classified in the same DSM IV category under “Psychiatric Disorders”. The primary symptom in this category includes “a disturbance in mood”. These “disturbances” would include “inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings…..feeling depressed, suicidal….or having excessive energy where sleep is not needed for days.”
As you can see by the symptoms listed, both bi-polar and substance addiction can look the same. The biggest difference is that one is “organic” and one is “self-induced.”
Researchers are still not sure what specifically causes bi-polar, but, most evidence points to genetics as the primary cause. There are varying degrees of bi-polar so the possibility of childhood abuse or trauma has not been ruled out as a cause factor. A third possible cause is fluctuations in body chemicals such as calcium, dopamine, and other neurochemical transmitters.
The same principles are applied with trying to understand the cause of substance addiction. Genetic? Environmental? Physiological?
Symptoms of bi-polar vary depending on the individual. However, the symptoms are identified in “manic” behavior and “depressant” behavior. Bi-polar people will often vacillate between manic and depressant.
“Manic” episodes might find the person with elevated self-esteem, a sense of self-centeredness, extremely talkative, spending too much money, making rash life decisions, promiscuous sex, use of drugs and/or alcohol, and a euphoric high. Hallucinations and delusions are often experienced.
“Depressant” behavior usually follows the manic highs as the person is faced with the consequences of their manic behaviors. Symptoms of this behavior include slowed mental and physical capabilities, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, low energy levels, and feelings of despair. Suicidal ideations are common.
Again, the same behaviors are characteristic of addiction: self-centeredness, grandiose thinking, experiencing highs and lows depending on the substance used. Examples, alcohol is a depressant; drink enough alcohol, you will be depressed—don’t tell your doctor how much you are using, you will end up on anti-depressants. Cocaine use will cause the same emotional and physical highs and lows that correspond with bi-polar.
True bi-polar disorder, or any other psychiatric mood disorder, is difficult to diagnose while someone continues using, or while they are in, at least, the first year of recovery. Detox from alcohol and all other substances vary on the quantity used, length of use, method of use, and peak age of use. It can take the body a good 24 months to detox totally from alcohol dependence.
Leslie, the best approach for dealing with the information you have been given about your daughter is to educate yourself, ask questions, and seek a second opinion. Remember, knowledge is power; the more you know, the more you can help, and the easier it will be to support your daughter no matter what the diagnosis.
An excellent resource to learn more about bi-polar is the international Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, DBSA. This group is dedicated to helping people with mood disorders. In addition to local off shoots, they provide online support groups, discussion forums, and other information resources.
Worldwide millions of people are diagnosed with bi-polar. Many famous people have exemplified that this label can be overcome: Robin Williams, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Vincent Van Gogh, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Gabriel, Winston Chruchill, and Theodore Roosevelt are just some of the notables. If your daughter is, in fact, bi-polar, she will be in good company.
To learn everything you need to know about the latest information on substance abuse, visit the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, at www.samhsa.gov.
No matter what label you are given, always be well and in awareness on your journey.
Have a question about addiction, recovery, or life transitions such as retirement, career change, grief and loss issues, empty nesting, etc, ‘Ask MAx’. Send your questions to Lifestyle Changes, PO Box 1962, Eugene, OR 97440; or, e-mail your questions to: askmaxcolumn@yahoo.com. Learn more about MAx Fabry and read her blog at www.lifestylechangescounseling.com.
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