Hypothesis on the origin of bipolar disorder

[Steve81]

7 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

This could be part of the misunderstanding about our Speculations section. We're still using mainstream knowledge here, so your hypothesis needs to rise ABOVE mere opinion, and unfortunately the scientific method tells us to avoid subjective, personal experiences and draw from a broader, more objective dataset. Your anecdote isn't useless, since you can base further research into the subject on your own experiences, but for discussion purposes, we need to see how you would go about gathering more evidence in support of your hypothesis. 

Evidence is the key here, and makes the real difference between guessing and speculating. Anybody can guess, but guesses combined with supportive evidence could lead to an actual theory.

As @Genady noted, this was the method Kay Redfield Jamison - Wikipedia utilized to discuss things. I will obtain the book for further research on the topic, as clearly I have a vested interest in the issue. I'm not sure *how* more research can realistically be done. Bipolar patients hide things, even from their therapist. I certainly didn't open up completely to my therapist in the way that I'm able to do now. Shame is extremely powerful, and in bipolar disorder, it's a severe problem. I have no opposition to MRIs and other brain studies on the subject, but I had put this in the psychology / psychiatric part of the forum for a reason.

[exchemist]

5 hours ago, Steve81 said:

Good morning! Pulling from the Wikipedia link:

I do not disagree with this at all. The affect interest-excitement is considered a genetic trait, as observed by Silvan Tomkins (more info on observed affects). Now, if you would allow me, let me relay you a few personal experiences. I was always considered "annoying", even by family members growing up. My excitement even now, clearly annoys certain people. I was bullied, harassed, etc. growing up, and began excluding myself from any social contact. After getting expelled from one high school for bad behavior, I was able to find a home at a new school towards the end of my sophomore year. 

As it relates to self-esteem, something interesting happened between sophomore and junior year of high school. I lost weight and experienced a conveniently timed growth spurt. Instead of being a short, dumpy looking kid, I was a bit taller, and in quite good shape. In my junior year, in part thanks to the self-esteem boost generated by my achievement and favorable feedback, I was able to make a few (but not many) friends. None of these friendships were close, but it was enough. My academic performance soared. By the time I graduated high school, I had obtained acceptance to George Washington University with a scholarship to study chemistry. I basically slept through AP chemistry in class, though I was fascinated by the experiments; our teacher even let us do our own experiments towards year end for demonstrations to the entire school (this was a small private school). My demonstration was thermite; while I'm not entirely sure I got it to actually ignite properly, I still got the desired reaction from the crowd. I also had an interest in history, physics, and math, and scored well on those AP exams.

The transition to college life was a hard one, especially since none of my friends went to GWU; I had begged my parents to let me attend Catholic U, where I also obtained a scholarship, and my friends went; the "prestige" of GWU was too much for my mother to disregard, and my high school counselor agreed with her. So, in a new environment, I once again had no friends, and a distinct nervousness about approaching people to make new ones. Still, I made one friend, a lovely woman named Kristina. I was smitten with her, but too immature/intimidated to do much of anything about it. We hung out all the time, and my academic performance remained stable for my freshman year at GWU. 

Things took a marked turn of events when Kristina informed me that she had to leave GWU at the end of freshman year; I knew she had to work and go to school at the same time, and that she was far from home. She was transferring to Rutgers. This had an absolutely devastating impact upon me. Sophomore year, my grades hit rock bottom, I lost my scholarship, and ultimately dropped out. I was so overwhelmingly upset I literally moved to California with nothing more than what I could carry with me in my car. One unfortunate sidenote, to indicate the kind of people my parents were: I later learned after I moved back to Maryland that Kristina had tried to keep in touch with me. I found a number of letters and cards in my old room, that my parents (who had visited me in CA) never bothered give me. 

I hope this story demonstrates how my personal experiences informed my opinion, and aren't merely written off as a useless anecdote. Thanks for reading!

Is there bipolar disorder elsewhere in your family, or among your ancestors? 

Edited August 17, 2023 by exchemist

[Steve81]

11 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Is there bipolar disorder elsewhere in your family, or among your ancestors? 

Quite probably my father was undiagnosed bipolar. My son has ADHD. Not sure of my mother's issues, but she was a hateful, abusive shrew.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Steve81

[Sensei]

People with bipolar disorder that I know are unable to have a 5-minute meaningful discussion on a single topic. They switch the topic over and over again. Their brains are constantly assaulted by random impulses. They are unable to concentrate on one topic for several minutes. They can't watch videos. After 5, 10 or 15 minutes, they lose entire context and are bored. They live in their own parallel universe of thoughts.

In mania stage, they have millions "brilliant ideas" (only they think they are brilliant). They start millions projects. And never finish them.

In the depressive phase, such a person may walk down the street (even after a good party) and start crying for no apparent reason. You ask him why you are crying, and he is unable to answer. They live in their own parallel universe.

They are extraordinary generous without expecting feedback. So, if a person with many millions in his/her account has bipolar disorder, he/she will give it away to random people..

When a person with bipolar disorder takes medication he/she is "muddled".. he or she behaves like a zombie.. you ask him or her, and wait and wait for an answer for minutes..

Edited August 17, 2023 by Sensei

[iNow]

1 hour ago, Steve81 said:

Have you ever read a psychological case study?

Yes

[Steve81]

4 minutes ago, Sensei said:

People with bipolar disorder that I know are unable to have a 5-minute meaningful discussion on a single topic. They switch the topic over and over again. Their brains are constantly assaulted by random impulses. They are unable to concentrate on one topic for several minutes. They can't watch videos. After 5, 10 or 15 minutes, they lose entire context and bores. They live in their own parallel universe of thoughts.

In mania stage, they have millions "brilliant ideas" (only they think they are brilliant). They start millions projects. And never finish them.

In the depressive phase, such a person may walk down the street (even after a good party) and start crying for no apparent reason. You ask him why you are crying, and he is unable to answer. They live in their own parallel universe.

They are extraordinary generous without expecting feedback. So, if a person with many millions in his/her account has bipolar disorder, he/she will give it away to random people..

When a person with bipolar disorder takes medication it is "muddled".. he acts/behaves like a zombie.. you ask him or her, and wait and wait for an answer for minutes..

All accurate observations in my experience. Also why I speculate a link to ADHD. Perhaps bipolar disorder IS untreated ADHD, and environmental issues turn it into bipolar disorder.

[Sensei]

2 minutes ago, Steve81 said:

All accurate observations in my experience.

..I don't see any of the symptoms on my list, in your behavior on the forum..

2 minutes ago, Steve81 said:

Also why I speculate a link to ADHD. Perhaps bipolar disorder IS untreated ADHD, and environmental issues turn it into bipolar disorder.

..people may misdiagnose bipolar disorder in the mania phase as ADHD..

For truly scientific research, real-time observation of brain activity is needed.

 

[Steve81]

17 minutes ago, Sensei said:

For truly scientific research, real-time observation of brain activity is needed.

I see psychology doesn't qualify as a science here. I have no further observations to add. @Phi for All feel free to close the thread. Thanks in advance.

17 minutes ago, Sensei said:

..I don't see any of the symptoms on my list, in your behavior on the forum..

Please clarify? PM is fine for contact.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Steve81

[iNow]

58 minutes ago, Steve81 said:

I see psychology doesn't qualify as a science here.

This is both a hasty generalization and an unsupported nonsequitur. 

[Genady]

58 minutes ago, Steve81 said:

I have no further observations to add.

I do. One. I saw how a person was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. (Unfortunately, it turned out to be something much worse.)

[TheVat]

I have seen cases of BPD, borderline personality disorder, be misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, also.  Many mental illnesses will share some common features, and amateurs will attempt to self-diagnose or diagnose a friend, which creates many problems.  Another overlap is along the autism spectrum and OCD, where high-functioning ASD and OCD can share some traits.  A relative of mine feared that he had BPD, but had the sense to see a psychologist, and was greatly relieved to learn that he had a less serious condition that was more easily resolved.  I had a neighbor that went around saying he had bipolar disorder, and yet it was  pretty clear that he did not and had just adopted the label from absorbing the notion in a movie.  I hope the easy access to web misinformation is not causing people to lose the ability to identify themselves as having moods and compulsions and neurotic concerns that are really in the range of normal.  Sometimes a mood swing is just from food or caffeine or changes in weather or difficulties in your day.  Or all of the above.  🙂🙃😒🤪