My Friend Carrie and Her Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder

My friend Carrie was diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder the second year of high school. She does not like to talk about it very much so I will do my best with details. A person that would be more familiar to you with this disorder would be Jean-Claude Van Damme. A summary of the DSM definition is as follows:

To be diagnosed as Bipolar I, an individual must have at least one manic or mixed episode (lasting for at least a week) within his or her lifetime. A depressive episode is not required in order to warrant a diagnosis of Bipolar I, although most people usually have multiple depressive episodes.

There are many speculations as to the cause of bipolar disorder. Some believe it to be a genetically inherited tendency. Doctors have found that people with bipolar disorder primarily have a biological disorder of an imbalance or dysfunction of neurotransmitters in the brain such as norepinephrine and serotonin. It can lie dormant until activated by psychological stress, social circumstances, or just on its own. It is also possible that a life event can trigger an episode.

I didn’t really know Carrie too well early in high school. She would always be with the delinquent crowd. She and her friends would drink a lot, smoke marijuana, and engage in other behaviors unbecoming of high school kids. In her sophomore year, she was kicked out of school (along with her friends) for smoking marijuana on a school bus. Her parents took her to a psychologist who diagnosed her with Bipolar I disorder. She had apparently been in a long manic period, which explained her delinquent behavior. After getting kicked out of school, she immediately cycled into a depressive episode. It was also found that she had a neurotransmitter imbalance in her brain (I do not remember which one exactly). She was put on an anti-depressant and some mother medication for the neurotransmitter imbalance. After 9 months of counseling, she was allowed to come back to school.

As state before, to be considered Bipolar I, there must be a manic episode and there usually is a depressive episode. Carrie falls into this category perfectly. She also has the chemical imbalance that is found in most bipolar cases. Now I will go into more detail about her manic episode and how it affected her.

Carrie told me that her life was troubled before she was diagnosed. Personally, she would go through periods of elation and depression without really knowing what the cause was. As a student, she was bored and didn’t pay attention much. All she wanted to do was go hang out with her friends. At home, she would get into fights with her family all the time, especially her older brother. She was very active and would do anything she could to be out of the house with her friends. She was very rude to people that did not run in her normal crowd (such as me) even if she had no reason to be. These are all symptoms of a manic phase. Being bored in school is an example of poor concentration or being easily distracted. An increased level in activity and excessive need to do things that pleased her (like be with her friends) is another symptom. While some people are just naturally rude, excessive irritability and self-importance are also symptoms of a manic episode.

Carrie is being treated for her disorder with mood stabilizing medication. When she was diagnosed, she was also given a course of therapy to help her cope. These are the two most used treatments right now. A newer treatment of antipsychotics has come around but they tend to produce greater side effects. Treatments basically break down into treatment to eradicate symptoms, treatment to prevent the return of symptoms, and treatment to prevent the recurrence of an episode. If not treated, a bipolar person’s episodes will become more frequent and worsen in severity. This will cause major problems in their personal, social, and work lives. Fortunately, most people are treated. With treatment, people can live a normal, productive life. 80% of people respond to the medication while the rest have chronic symptoms that do not respond to treatment well. Thankfully, Carrie responds to her medication and I can usually tell when she is off of it.

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