I read a joke the other day, and it really stuck with me:
“Is 4 a lot? Well, it depends on the context. On Instagram, no. In a dark alley, yes!”
Now of course, it’s a joke – but it really got me thinking about the power of context. Only seeing part of the picture really damages our ability to make effective choices. And this is especially true with our mental health. Some disorders – bipolar disorder in particular – can appear as other disorders when we just look at some of the symptoms.
Take for example the story of one young woman – we can call her Ava. After a long battle with substance abuse, Ava went to her doctor and complained of disturbing symptoms:
She felt like her mind was getting away from her. Sometimes her thoughts would race or she would talk so fast, it was like she couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Though she lived alone, she sometimes heard noises coming from other rooms in her apartment – and on a few occasions, voices whispering unintelligibly. She confided in her doctor that she felt like someone was watching her.
She had been living with it for weeks when she approached her doctor, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand it.
It didn’t take much more probing for her doctor to diagnose her with psychosis. But that sent her down a long treatment path that provided little relief.
After trying her new treatment plan for several months, Ava returned to her doctor. Her psychotic symptoms seemed to ebb and flow. Sometimes, she heard voices and had disorganized, racing thoughts. Other times, she didn’t. If not, she might feel sluggish, like she couldn’t get anything done. During these periods she would sleep all day and keep away from family and friends.
That’s when it became clear: Ava was not psychotic – she was bipolar.
Her doctor adjusted her treatment plan, and Ava flourished. Her new treatment plan kept symptoms from disrupting her life, giving her back a sense of normalcy.
Bipolar disorder is a nuanced mental illness. Its symptoms can disguise the disorder as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and even borderline personality disorder. But once it is discovered, healthcare providers can offer a number of effective treatment options.
If you are or someone you know is navigating bipolar disorder, you can help manage symptoms by…
1. Staying faithful to a treatment plan.
That may seem counterproductive – after all, in Ava’s case, her treatment plan wasn’t helpful because she was misdiagnosed. But it was actually her treatment plan that helped her see her misdiagnosis.
Stick to the treatment plan your doctor has outlined for you. Stay communicative with them about its effectiveness, too. If you are consistent about your treatment and keep in regular contact with your doctor, you take a step closer to wellness every day.
2. Being aware of yourself.
Make note of your mood and habits from day to day. The more you keep track of your emotions, your eating and sleeping habits, and major life events, the better you can notice patterns and identify triggers. This information is the context your healthcare provider could be missing and it helps them create a more effective treatment plan.
3. Creating a support system for yourself.
Many mental illnesses have the unfortunate side effect of isolating us from our loved ones. Anxious and depressed symptoms make it difficult to reach out to others. But we don’t heal in a vacuum. Share your experiences with friends and family so they know how to help. Seek out support groups; they may have invaluable support resources as well.
Ava is certainly not the only one to have had her bipolar disorder misdiagnosed. But, encouragingly, she also is not the only one to discover hope when her disorder was discovered. If you are dealing with this illness, don’t be discouraged – stay consistent, communicative, and connected.
Make today your masterpiece!
Florina
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