The Many Faces of Bipolar – A Constant Change and Evolution
I am sure you have heard the question, “Can people really change?” Perhaps you have wondered the same thing?
A neurotypical individual is a person who does not have a mental illness like bipolar disorder. From my own experience, I would be hard-pressed to find an example of a neurotypical person who can change.
On the other hand, if you ask the same question regarding someone living with bipolar disorder, I can say with absolute certainty: YES!
What Kind of Change?
If someone is living a particular way, can they make a long-term change in their overall behavior?
This is a very tricky question.
After all, you can change your habits to adopt healthier activities. For example, you can get into the habit of working out daily, doing daily chores, or adopting a hobby.
For someone who has a “normal” working brain (a chemically balanced brain), a behavior change can take place with the proper motivation and discipline.
If you live with a mental illness such as bipolar disorder, it is a completely different story. There is no “normal” in the brain of someone living with bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as redirecting your motivation and having a positive attitude.
Bipolar disorder influences both the mind and body. A person’s personality, morals, and values can change based on the severity and type of their bipolar disorder.
Change is something you can count on if you live with bipolar disorder.
The majority of people have a very linear way of thinking. This is not a bad thing, it is just the way the human brain is made.
If you think about people, we each have our own personal point of view. Most people are set in their ways when it comes to subjects like politics or religion. I’m sure you have experienced this firsthand – especially in the current state of our society.
Let us dive deeper into a few areas that could change as a result of living with bipolar disorder.
Personality
As we grow older and mature, our personality evolves and changes.
If you look at the teenage years of development, it is a time for personal expression and exploration. Generally speaking, it is a time when the majority find who they are as individuals. After this period, most people have solidified their personality and it will stay this way with slightly varying degrees for the rest of their life.
When you are asked to describe someone’s personality, what comes to mind?
I think of labels—or adjectives—to help describe a person’s personality. Labels help us to describe anything—in this case, a person’s personality.
For a person’s personality to change, there generally has to be a severe trauma, the emergence of a mental illness, or some other extreme circumstance. Even then, there will not always be a personality change.
Morals and Values
The evolution of a person’s personality coincides with that of their morals and values.
An individual’s set of morals and values is pretty solidified by the time they finish high school. This isn’t always the case, but it is the general rule of thumb.
Do you remember when you were a teenager? What were some ways you tried to “find” yourself as a person?
Morals and values are an eloquent way to describe how you see right versus wrong. They provide a roadmap to an individual’s ethics and integrity; and their overall character.
People don’t always mature and develop in the same time frame. Some are late bloomers and some mature faster than others. Environmental, genetic, and biological factors all impact development.
I’m not going to pretend I am some kind of medical professional. I’ll leave the discussion regarding stages of development to the experts.
Some Key Points About Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder does not discriminate. It does not care about your gender, race, age, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. No one is completely immune to bipolar disorder. Thank you to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) for backing me up with your statistics.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM 5) is the holy grail for psychiatrists.
There is a set of diagnostic criteria that clinicians use to determine the presence of bipolar disorder in an individual. The DSM 5 is a manual that presents this uniform criterion to diagnose bipolar disorder.
Although there is a set of standards to diagnose bipolar disorder, the symptomology is wide and varied.
When I was first diagnosed back in 1999, my doctor told me that bipolar disorder is a degenerative disease. She went on to explain bipolar disorder will get progressively worse if I do not properly treat it. This made sense after I read all the current research (at the time in 1999).
One of the first questions I asked myself was, “Where is the line between myself and my bipolar disorder?”
As I mentioned before, an individual’s personality and set of morals and values are pretty much engrained by the end of their teenage years.
Now that I was diagnosed as bipolar, what thoughts and actions were the results of my bipolar disorder? What about myself? It is important to explore these questions to become more self-aware and to help manage your bipolar disorder.
How Episodes and Stability Can Change You
With bipolar disorder, there are three states of functionality:
- Stable
- Manic (hypomanic if you are type 2)
- Depressed
If you are newly diagnosed or learning about bipolar disorder, focus on these states. There are other variations, but these are the main ones.
These three states of mind directly impact a person’s personality and both morals and values.
Stable
We accomplish a state of stability when an individual has not experienced an episode for at least 6 months. This is more of a subjective timeline based on a clinician’s assessment. Different doctors have their own ideas.
One time, I had a doctor tell me that my bipolar was in remission because I hadn’t had an episode in over a year.
If someone newly diagnosed you with bipolar, stability may seem like a nonexistent ideal. Always remember that you can successfully manage bipolar disorder with the proper treatment.
Stability is a phase of bipolar disorder that you will mainly live in when you and your doctor find the right treatment plan for your specific situation.
When you are stable, you will have a better idea of your true morals and values, along with your actual personality.
Manic (or hypomanic) Episode
A manic episode is at the top of the curve if a curve represents the intensity of your bipolar disorder.
The neurons are firing so fast in your brain that you can’t keep up with your own thoughts.
Your senses go into overdrive, and smell or a sound can knock you onto your knees.
Everyone’s personal experience with mania is different, but very similar.
In a stable state, you may be more reserved and a very calculated thinker. Once mania hits, you become the life of the party and you don’t have a filter or any impulse control.
Hypersexuality may be a symptom when you are manic.
You may not drink or use drugs when stable. During a manic episode, drugs and alcohol become a daily necessity.
Do you see how a person’s morals and values can switch along with their personality during a manic episode?
Depressive Episode
A depressive episode is at the bottom of the curve if a curve represents the intensity of your bipolar mood disorder.
During depression, your morals, values, and personality can change like that in a manic episode.
Unlike a manic episode, the neurons in your brain slow down to a snail’s pace during a depressive mood episode.
The symptoms of depression directly impact your ability to function, sleep, think, and question your overall capacity to survive.
If you or someone you know is thinking about death or suicide, please contact the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free service available to anyone. You can also go to your nearest emergency room or dial 911.
Types of Change
Negative Change
Let us look at negative change as something over which you do not have control.
A negative change usually takes place after an accident or a traumatic event.
Most people do not like to change. In fact, many fear any kind of change.
It is counterintuitive if you think about it. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness based on extremes and changes in states or episodes.
Instead of changing by choice, you are forced into an episode because of bipolar disorder. Generally, a change is not something you can consciously make if you are in the throes of a severe manic or depressive episode.
Positive Change
The ability to evolve into a better person is something I strive to do every day.
If I am manic or depressed, I cannot make any lasting changes to my behavior or way of thinking. During an episode, I am at the mercy of my mental illness.
Stability is the state I can make a lasting positive change in my life.
Stabilization and How It Impacts Change
Proper treatment allows us to manage our bipolar disorder.
Decreasing the amount of stress in your life will decrease the potential incidence of a mood episode.
Becoming more self-aware will help you to manage your illness. Ultimately, this will put you in a more stable spot in your life.
You can become self-aware by:
- Educating yourself about bipolar disorder
- Learning about healthy lifestyle choices
- Becoming aware of your triggers
- Adopting healthy coping techniques
- Creating a crisis and treatment plan
- Reducing the stress in your life
This list will get you started.
Last Thoughts
There is a lot of uncertainty about your behavior, thoughts, and actions when you have bipolar disorder. I say this to give you hope and not vice versa.
You actually have more control over your bipolar disorder than you probably think.
There are so many ways you can empower yourself.
For me, the question is not just about stability. I want to function in my daily life and be a positive contributing member of society.
In a bipolar mood episode, I don’t have control. I cannot make any long-lasting positive changes during an episode.
So, do not focus on the time when you do not have control. Focus on the other times that you do have control.
Bipolar disorder is constantly changing and evolving.
I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder right before my 21st birthday. I had no control.
Fast forward to the present. I am in the best spot I have ever been in my life.
I’m alive, married with kiddos, taking it one day at a time, and proactively managing my bipolar disorder on a daily basis.
Can people change? If you have bipolar disorder, I can guarantee it.
