Bipolar Disorder: What We Still Misunderstand About This Illness

Bipolar disorder is frequently mistaken for ordinary mood swings, a confusion exacerbated by the casual, imprecise use of the term in public discourse. Health professionals emphasize that the condition is a serious mental disorder, not merely a fluctuation of feelings.

“

Bipolar disorder is not just mood swings. It is a mental disorder characterized by clearly expressed mood episodes – depression and mania or its milder form – hypomania. Symptoms typically last for days or weeks, not hours, and disrupt daily life, work, and relationships, often requiring treatment.

"Bipolar disorder is not just mood swings," explains family doctor Margarita Varkalienė. "It is a mental disorder characterized by clearly expressed mood episodes – depression and mania or its milder form, hypomania. Symptoms typically last for days or weeks, not hours, and disrupt daily life, work, and relationships, often requiring treatment."

Pharmacist Deimantė Zalagaitytė details the distinct phases. Mania can manifest as elevated mood, unrealistic plans, impulsive spending, irritability, and increased substance use. Conversely, depression brings persistent sadness, guilt, loss of pleasure, appetite changes, and potentially suicidal thoughts. These episodes are far more intense and prolonged than natural mood shifts, which are usually tied to specific events and do not impair functioning.

“

Depression brings persistent sadness, guilt, loss of pleasure, appetite changes, and potentially suicidal thoughts.

Experts stress the chronic nature of bipolar disorder, noting it is a progressive brain condition. Early intervention and consistent adherence to prescribed medication are vital. Zalagaitytė warns that skipping doses or abruptly stopping medication can severely disrupt the illness's course, leading to nausea, dizziness, tremors, panic attacks, or insomnia. Such disruptions can cause recurring mania and depression episodes, making future treatment more complex and difficult to control. Long-term treatment, she notes, is not a sign of failure but a necessary component of managing the disorder effectively.

“

Skipping doses or abruptly stopping medication can severely disrupt the illness's course, leading to nausea, dizziness, tremors, panic attacks, or insomnia.