Choroba afektywna dwubiegunowa. "Osoba w manii może nam zrobić jajecznicę w głowie" #psyche

Bipolar disorder, also known as BD, can wreak havoc on the lives of sufferers and their loved ones. One of our listeners, Karina, shared her story with us. She wrote: "My husband has BD, or bipolar disorder, and our lives are dictated by his episodes of depression and mania. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster (...) I've had enough of this," concluding her letter with a question about whether their relationship can still be saved. We don't have a complete picture of our listener's situation, so we can't offer advice, but we asked Sylwia Sitkowska, a psychologist, therapist, and author of psychology books, for help. In the psychology podcast "Psyche," the expert explains what BD is, what symptoms accompany episodes of depression, mania, or hypomania, why living with someone with BD is so difficult, and how to cope. BD is a mood disorder, but it's interspersed with either depression and mania, or depression and hypomania. Mania is a period of highly elevated mood, even a sense of euphoria, excitement, and excessive self-confidence. Hypomania, on the other hand, is an elevated mood, but not as violent as in mania. Manic episodes are probably the most difficult. Why? Sylwia Sitkowska explains. "Patients experiencing a manic episode feel a surge of energy; they sometimes don't need sleep, or only need a small amount. They are very active and talkative. But this period is also associated with unrealistic thinking. In addition to this elevated mood and feelings of euphoria, excessive self-confidence also appears, and with it, unrealistic ideas and plans. People with BD during a period of mania may experience hallucinations, delusions, or false experiences, such as hearing voices. They may be impulsive and engage in various risky, harmful behaviors, such as gambling or fast driving." On the other hand, at the other extreme, we have depression and low mood, sadness, loss of appetite..." Sylwia Sitkowska explains, adding that such behaviors can impact the life of the entire family. She added: "A sick person needs emotional support and strengthening, but not 100%. We need to maintain our boundaries, take care of ourselves, our mental health, and our hobbies. Let's not use all our energy on daily living with a sick person, because we won't have the strength to help them when further episodes of the disease occur." We invite you to listen to the entire conversation. The psychology podcast Psyche is co-created by Monika Karbarczyk, Aleksandra Pucułek, and Aleksandra Sobieraj. You can also find all episodes of the #psyche podcast on streaming platforms: Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3SzDEp9 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xxnYZy Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IxbWWr