Do manic episodes in Bipolar Disorder become more frequent and intense and severe as the disease progresses?
June 6th, 2010
I am Bipolar and was originally diagnosed with "Manic/Depressive Syndrome" in my mid-twenties -more than 30 years ago. I was 47 when I bottomed out and tried to kill myself -almost successfully. It was not until then that I began to be treated more successfully with drug therapy. My question is this: Do people with bipolar disorder experience more intense manic episodes more frequently as the disease progresses? -Or does this sort of thing simply indicate a need for a change in medication?
Tags: 8 Responses to “Do manic episodes in Bipolar Disorder become more frequent and intense and severe as the disease progresses?”
It does not necessarily get worse, but your body can adjust to the medications. So you were partly right. The other thing is that when you have Bipolar, it is harder for you to deal with everyday life. Without having the right meds might make you go into a manic stage. When you ever feel overwhelmed, call someone. There are alot of help lines out there for you. I am from Oklahoma and one of the lines here is Reachout. You can also call a local hospital and ask them for the number. Hope this helps you some.
Some of your medications can actually intensify manic-depressive behavior! You should check out your medications and see what the side effects are. Some even cause suicidal ideation and even exacerbate symptoms. I would look a LOT further into this if I were you!
According to several of my Drs. told me that untreated it can progress, in my case I had my first hospital stay in my 30′s. But my depression is what have gotten worse
Well, I’m not a doctor but from experience with my son, the manic episodes come from environment and what he eats.
You could need to change meds.
My son was just taken off of seroquel and put on abilify, with a possibility of having to also take lithium, and a small dose of seroquel in the evening.
I dont think the mania should be getting worse and more frequent if you are on the correct medication.
you want a general answer. That is NO. In your case, it may seem to get worse. This may be due to changes in medication, stresses, amount of sunlight, etc.
It may be that one part of your illness is more bothersome than the other part. So it seems like it is getting worse. For me, I didn’t notice the hypomania. But the depression put me in the hospital.
Yes – the symptoms and episodes often get worse for some people – it is what is known as "kindling".
The best way to prevent it is with the right meds, which almost always means lithium. Take lithium if you don’t already, and make sure you are seeing a psychiatrist who really is a bipolar expert.
Be careful about paying too much attention to answers on here unless they come from someone who is a shrink or someone who has also been diagosed as bipolar and has real experience with the meds and the bipolar life.
You can look up "bipolar kindling" and you will see there is a lot of work being done on it. My advice boils down to lithium, lithium, lithium. If you are already taking it and things are getting worse for you, then have your dose and blood levels checked and use a mood chart to figure out what is triggering your episodes.
I am a bipolar person on lithium who went through hell before finding the right treatment. I wish you the very best and hope things get better for you soon. Hang in there.
Who told you that it progresses? If you are med compliant, it does not.
Hi,
I am also Bipolar and in my 40′s. I also happen to be a therapist. For me personally and with other clients I have noticed that some people seem to be affected more radically as they get older. I have taken different medications over the years when I see I am getting worse(or am told by family and friends). However, I do personally feel it can become worse, but you can still manage it by trying different medications.
I wish you the best on your personal endeavors. Hang in there! I am glad you are still with us here!
Cat