Why Is Everyone Suddenly Bipolar?

[ecstatichamster]

Omg. Everyone's bipolar now. It's the diagnostic norm now. Wtf? Is there a Peaty explanation?

 

[DKayJoe]

What do you mean by everyone?

 

[docall18]

Yep, its true.

 

[Simonsays]

Mental health has been rebranded like everything else, used to be called Manic Depression, but thats so last millenium .....Bipolar is more non threatening

Psychopathy and Sociopathy has been rebranded as Anti-Social Personality Disorder

Narcissism is making strong inroads in the media i notice, but no one likes to be seen as self obsessed ,,,so its generally used in general terms as in "well all live an increasingly narcissistic, fame obsessed society "

I think some people are diagnosed Bipolar, but maybe be Borderline

"Borderlines have pronounced mood swings, shifting between dysphoria (sadness or depression) and euphoria, manic self-confidence and paralyzing anxiety, irritability and indifference."

Borderline Personality Disorder is a woefully under diagnosed condition, as are most personality disorders,,

There is some evidence for a possible genetic input for Bipolar Disorder,,,so in a way it makes more sympathetic,,as in "i dont have any control over it",,,,dont think theres a Peat angle,,

 

[milk_lover]

body and brain inflammation and energy deficiency might cause bipolar? I find when I quit starch and PUFA I become "myself" more if that makes sense. I get anxiety from starch endotoxins maybe and when I get anxiety my personality changes. I wouldn't call it bipolar though

 

[bobbybobbob]

The idea of "bipolar" pairs neatly with manicheanism/dialecticism which dominates modern western thinking. It's a subconsciously appealing diagnosis to people for little more than that reason.

Dr. Jekyll vs. Mr. Hyde. Goofus and Gallant. The archetype runs deep in the psyche.

 

[Simonsays]

Coincidentally new thread ; High-dose Methylene Blue For Treating Manic-depressive Psychosis

Nb Its still called manic depressive not bipolar

 

[Greg says]

I don't think everyone is necessarily bipolar, I think people are suffering from certain degrees of trauma. I think complex PTSD, Bipolar and borderline (they are all really just forms of emotional dysregulation [up and down]) are all related. The cause is usually from prolonged psychological stress that cannot be escaped from. Add to that poor diet (hypothyroidism), huge nutritional deficiencies, dysregulated HPA axis, incessant trauma inducing news stories, constantly told we are in danger and we are not good enough etc. is a bad recipe for the human psyche. Life is like a game designed that we cannot win. Going slightly mental is a natural symptom of this.

'Renowned traumatologist, John Briere, is said to have quipped that if Complex PTSD were ever given its due – that is, if the role of dysfunctional parenting in adult psychological disorders was ever fully recognized, the DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by all mental health professionals) would shrink to the size of a thin pamphlet. It currently resembles a large dictionary. In my experience, many clients with Complex PTSD have been misdiagnosed with various anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as bipolar, narcissistic, codependent and borderline disorders.' - Pete Walker.

 

[Simonsays]

the role of dysfunctional parenting in adult psychological disorders was ever fully recognized, the DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by all mental health professionals) would shrink to the size of a thin pamphlet

Yep, ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp3MfTScds

 

[HDD]

"The idea that schizophrenia is a disease in itself tends to distract attention from the things it has in common with Alzheimer’s disease, autism, depression, mania, the manic-depressive syndrome, the hyperactivity-attention deficit syndrome, and many other physical and mental problems. When brain abnormalities are found in “schizophrenics” but not in their normal siblings, it could be tempting to see the abnormalities as the “cause of schizophrenia,” unless we see similar abnormalities in a variety of sicknesses.

For the present, it’s best to think first in the most general terms possible, such as a “brain stress syndrome,” which will include brain aging, stroke, altitude sickness, seizures, malnutrition, poisoning, the despair brought on by inescapable stress, and insomnia, which are relatively free of culturally arbitrary definitions. Difficulty in learning, remembering, and analyzing are objective enough that it could be useful to see what they have to do with a “brain stress syndrome.”

Stress damages the energy producing systems of cells, especially the aerobic mitochondria, in many ways, and this damage can often be repaired. The insanities that are most often called schizophrenia tend to occur in late adolescence, or around menopause, or in old age, which are times of stress, especially hormonal stress. Post-partum psychosis often has features that resemble schizophrenia."

"Although the prenatal factors that predispose a person toward the brain stress syndrome, and those that trigger specific symptoms later in life, might seem to be utterly different, the hormonal and biochemical reactions are probably closely related, involving the adaptive responses of various functional systems to the problem of insufficient adaptive ability and inadequate energy.

By considering cellular energy production,
local blood flow, and the systemic support system, we can get insight into some of the biochemical events that are involved in therapies that are sometimes successful. A unified concept of health and disease will help to understand both the origins and the appropriate treatments for a great variety of brain stress syndromes."

Thyroid, insomnia, and the insanities: Commonalities in disease

 

[thegiantess]

Crappy, modern diets... That's the simplest answer.

 

[Gray Ling]

No no. Wait it's not that simple madam. I'd say it's the crappy modern analysts with their ultra-motivated arguments. That's the fact.

 

[HDD]

"Although Freud expressed the thought that biological causes and cures would eventually be found, the profession he founded was not sympathetic to the idea of physiological therapies."
Thyroid, insomnia, and the insanities: Commonalities in disease

 

[mujuro]

I have moments where I question whether I really am bipolar.

Then I come off my meds and I realize how bipolar I am.

EDIT - worth nothing that thyroid issues are almost always present in female bipolars. I don't have any myself, nor does my half-brother (also bipolar).

 

[DaveFoster]

Crappy, modern diets... That's the simplest answer.

This. Many at my college has high anxiety levels, aggression, and low tolerance for others. So did I until very recently.

 

[Gray Ling]

If any scientists challenged Freud and his men would they have defended/protected their cause?

 

[Hugh Johnson]

It's probably just fashionable. Psychologists tend to be really susceptible to fashions.

 

[sladerunner69]

Because this is a two pole system and we dont ahve room or the thinking capacity for a multi-pole system.

 

[Xisca]

I don't think everyone is necessarily bipolar, I think people are suffering from certain degrees of trauma. I think complex PTSD, Bipolar and borderline (they are all really just forms of emotional dysregulation [up and down]) are all related. The cause is usually from prolonged psychological stress that cannot be escaped from. Add to that poor diet (hypothyroidism), huge nutritional deficiencies, dysregulated HPA axis, incessant trauma inducing news stories, constantly told we are in danger and we are not good enough etc. is a bad recipe for the human psyche. Life is like a game designed that we cannot win. Going slightly mental is a natural symptom of this.

'Renowned traumatologist, John Briere, is said to have quipped that if Complex PTSD were ever given its due – that is, if the role of dysfunctional parenting in adult psychological disorders was ever fully recognized, the DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by all mental health professionals) would shrink to the size of a thin pamphlet. It currently resembles a large dictionary. In my experience, many clients with Complex PTSD have been misdiagnosed with various anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as bipolar, narcissistic, codependent and borderline disorders.' - Pete Walker.

IMO that's it.
Trauma is not about the story, not about what happened, it is about how you got rid of the un-used activation. We all survived to what happened to us until now, but our system can still be running under un-discharged activations. In general it is, more or less. When you are on the "more" side, then you get diagnosed "something".
If you have ever escaped , let's say a car accident. You just escaped by turning the driving wheel the way it was needed. You absolutely know that you were more activated at this moment than you would have been to turn the same wheel to change direction! When your body notice a danger, it puts all its energy for reacting NOW, or else there might not be any tomorrow.
And then, you escape easily, and you have not used this energy, and it has to go away. When the energy is for defense it is called fight and flight. And you know that after such an event, you are very likely to need to stop driving because you are trembling. This is the sympathical discharge. If you block it with consciouness, it is sometimes possible, but you keep the energy inside. It will come back again, you might shake again at another moment, and if it does not, you will sooner or later develop some symptoms.
Just for a little accident, no, an escaped accident. then add multiple challenging situations, repetition, diversity, like poor eating, resisting polution, uncountless stresses. If you know that stress before 6 months are more damaging, and if you got some surgery, or accidents, child abuse etc, then I can tell you what you can just believe: we are really really VERY resistant not be in a worse state or more rapidly!
PTSD can be the real short cut to just say that we have residues of activation, and that they are different according to all the different factors. Yes, just complex PTSD.
Food is only a part of it. Of course it is fundamental to help recovery.
Hormons are fundamental as well, but their disbalance might be more a consecuence than a cause of the problems.
Undischarged activation is like driving a car with the hand-brake on: it sucks energy.
You can find many videos about animals, fight, flight and freeze responses.
And more interesting, the way they GO OUT of these states when it is over.
The going out is what makes you able to keep on hangling stress with no trauma left.
They all shake when they get up. you can see this very easily with dogs. They shake as if going out of a bath all day long. They shake off stress residues. They do not put back their hair when they do this! I am a dog behaviourist, and you can find out about what was called calming signals. If you add some neuro-science knowledge to it, then it becomes more scientific about what it really is. And it is all automatic, as when you start yawning, it just comes.
Study yourself by the felt sense and you will feel a world!

 

[Simonsays]

If you suffer a violent attack or a rape for example and subsequently develop PTSD, i dont think you can link this to diet.

More US Vietnam veterans have died through suicide, than were killed in action, probably as a result of PTSD, not poor diet.

Sense of proportion needed here i think.