Chapter Text
Bipolar disorder is formerly known as manic-depressive disorder. There are 2 different types. Type 1 is the more severe one, as they have way longer and extreme episodes with manic episodes lasting an average of 1-2 weeks, which may last longer, and major depressive episodes lasting around the same amount of time; both types may require hospitalization.
Type 2, which consists of hypomanic episodes lasting at least 4 days and major depressive episodes lasting around 1-2 weeks.
With some people, they can go long periods of time without an episode due to medication such as mood stabilizers and other things. In some cases, people relapse, experience extreme
emotional outbreaks, commit suicide, and many other things that sometimes end in hospitalization, death, or jail.
Causes of bipolar
Having a first-degree relative with bipolar disorder raises the risks, but it can come on at any time to anyone.
The average age of diagnosis is teens to 20s, but it can start at any age.
Periods of high stress, misuse of drugs or alcohol can induce an episode, whether it is the first episode or the third one.
Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder
Hypomanic/Manic episodes
Contrary to the uneducated belief, mania isn’t a state of happiness and everlasting joy. Manic episodes can include
±1. Grandiose delusions (an inflated ego or delusion around being a god-like being, etc.)
±2. Decreased need for sleep (feeling ok even if only slept for 4 hours)
±3. Racing fleeting thoughts (an extreme rush of ideas)
±4. Being way more talkative or feeling pressured to talk
±5. Being very easily distracted by unimportant things
±6. Increase in goal related activity (working to the point of burnout or agitation)
±7. Impulsivity towards possibly harmful actions (relapse, spending, poor business choices, etc.)
±8. An increase of emotional fragility (easily frustrated, panicked, etc.)
These will not count as symptoms or signs if they can be explained by physical, substance abuse, or other medical reasons.
Hypomanic episodes are not required for type 1, but are very common.
Symptoms must cause severe distress in everyday life to be considered as signs.
Major Depressive episodes
±These are episodes of extreme depression.
±1. Depressive mood most of the day, every day of the episode
±2. Diminished or low pleasure or interest in most things in everything thing
±3. Significant weight loss/gain (5% of body weight change), or a severe change in appetite
±4. Insomnia or hypersomnia on most or all days
±5. Intense energy loss on most or all days
±6. feelings of restlessness or being slowed down
±7. Feelings of dread and worthlessness in an excessive amount nearly every day
±8. Slowed ability to concentrate or indecisiveness nearly every day
±9. constant thoughts of death and suicide
Like other symptoms, they will not count if they can be explained by physical reasons, substance abuse, or other medical reasons
Major depressive episodes are not required for type 1, but are very common.
Symptoms must cause distress in everyday life.
People with Bipolar disorder
Joshua Marks
In 2013 on October, 11 Joshua Marks passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. After losing Master Chef to the blind chef Christine Ha, one of his closest friends, he began to spiral. He had spurts of amazing ideas and tried to do multiple things at once, having fleeting thoughts for a week or so, then was in a state of shut-down depression.
After his family was too worried to let him go on like that, he was taken to a hospital and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. After multiple extreme manic episodes of him spouting on about "Gordan Ramsey turned him into a god, or the demons and voices in his head". He had run-ins with the police and paramedics, where he wasn't compliant and had assaulted medical and legal workers. He spent a few weeks in jail until his family came up with $150,000 for his bond.
After being put into an inpatient facility for 2 weeks and released to outpatient, he had extreme depressive and manic episodes, and eventually he killed himself. On the 1st anniversary of his death, Christine Ha had posted a memorial for him. In memory of Joshua Marks — Christine Ha. She recounted their memories and the text from their friends on his death.
In memory of Joshua Marks.
Joshua was an amazing man he was caring and had that larger-than-life personality. He had been an idol to hundreds, thousands of people. He was a friend to his ex-competitors, a brother, a son, a person. He beat over 30,000 other people in cooking and got 2nd place as he rose high and will always be a king in the culinary world as the 7'2'' gentle giant who could cook like an angel
R.I.P Joshua Robert Marks
Kurt Kobain
April 5th, 1994, a beloved member of Nirvana was found in his Seattle home dead his body was there for around three days. The cause of death was from him injecting an extreme amount of heroin into himself, then shooting himself in the head.
Throughout his life, Kurt Cobain had been mentally ill and in chronic pain. He was diagnosed with anxiety and bipolar disorder, leaving them medically untreated earlier in life, and later turning to substance abuse.
His art reflected his mental illness, the deep, emotionally conflicted, contrasting lyrics and paintings.
1 month before Kurt was found dead, he had written a suicide note and downed around 50 pills, though he and his management team announced it was accidental and not a suicide attempt, his note and the dose made it evident it was.
In the original paper, I added a photo of his last words, but it has been removed out of respect.
Amy Winehouse
At the age of 27 in 2011, singer Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning with a blood alcohol level 5 times the legal limit; she likely had this amount over the course of several days.
It is well known she had used hard drugs and overdosed multiple times, was seen with self-harm scars all over he legs and arms, possibly had BPD, and did have bipolar disorder.
Only after the near-death experiences and rehab visits, she had quit hard drugs, but she had not quit alcohol, which later caused her death.
I myself have Bipolar Disorder, which I talk about more in depth in Blank Document.