Why is manic depression now called bipolar

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI , over six million American adults are living with bipolar disorder, and many of them are not receiving adequate treatment for their symptoms. Furthermore, by reclassifying the condition as bipolar disorder, mental health professionals were better able to distinguish discrete symptoms — not just those related to emotions or mood, but physical and cognitive ones, as well.

This specificity allowed doctors to give patients a more accurate, clinical diagnosis for their condition. People with bipolar I disorder experience manic episodes that last for at least seven days or are so severe that they require hospitalization. Many people with bipolar I disorder also experience prolonged depressive episodes, lasting for two weeks or longer.

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by a pattern of interspersed manic and depressive episodes, but the symptoms are often much less severe than those of bipolar I disorder. Manic-depression was the term he used to describe mental illnesses centered in emotional or mood problems.

Dementia praecox, literally meaning "premature madness," and later renamed schizophrenia , was his title for mental illnesses derived from thought or cognitive problems. In the early s, Karl Leonhard introduced the term bipolar to differentiate unipolar depression major depressive disorder from bipolar depression. In , with the publication of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM , the term manic depression was officially changed in the classification system to bipolar disorder.

In the last few decades, the medical profession, and psychiatry specifically, has made a concerted effort to shift the vernacular to the official DSM diagnostic term of bipolar disorder. There are a number of reasons cited for this shift, including:.

There are three types of bipolar disorder recognized in DSM Dealing with racing thoughts? Always feeling tired? Our guide offers strategies to help you or your loved one live better with bipolar disorder. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free. Historical underpinnings of bipolar disorder diagnostic criteria. Behav Sci Basel. Emil Kraepelin: A pioneer of scientific understanding of psychiatry and psychopharmacology.

Both you and your GP should be given a copy of your care plan. Your carers can be involved in your care plan and given a copy if you give your consent for this to happen. You can speak to your doctor about your treatment. You could ask what other treatments you could try. Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have.

You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion. An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard. There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns.

And help you to get the treatment that you would like. You can complain about your treatment or any other aspect of the NHS verbally or in writing.

You can learn to manage your symptoms by looking after yourself. Selfcare is how you take care of your diet, sleep, exercise, daily routine, relationships and how you are feeling. Routine helps many people with their mental wellbeing. It will help to give a structure to your day and may give you a sense of purpose.

This could be a simple routine such as eating at the same time each day, going to bed at the same time each day and buying food once per week. Your healthcare professionals should offer you a combined healthy eating, exercise and sleep programme. You can find more information about wellbeing any physical health at: www. You could join a support group.

A support group is where people come together to share information, experiences and give each other support. You might be able to find a local group by searching online. The charity Bipolar UK have an online support group. They also have face to face support groups in some areas of the country.

Their contact details are in the Useful contacts at the bottom of this page. Rethink Mental Illness have support groups in some areas. You can find out what is available in your area if you follow this link: www. Or you can contact our General Enquiries team on or info rethink. Recovery colleges are part of the NHS.

They offer free courses about mental health to help you manage your symptoms. They can help you to take control of your life and become an expert in your own wellbeing and recovery. You can usually self-refer to a recovery college. But the college may inform your care team. To see if there is a recovery college in your area you can use a search engine such as Google.

Learning to spot early signs of mania or depression is important in self-management. The idea of the WRAP is to help you stay well and achieve what you would like to.

The WRAP looks at areas like how you are affected by your illness and what you could do to manage them. There are guides that can help with this. You can ask your healthcare professional to make one with you or ask them for a template of one. There is more information about the WRAP in the further reading section at the bottom of this page.

This is a guide based on information from people who have or support someone with bipolar disorder. You can download it here: www.

There can be complications and risks for people who live with bipolar disorder. But these risks can be lessened with the right support and treatment. You might have an illness where you experience psychosis, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. You are more likely to try to take your own life if you have a history of attempted suicide and depression.

It is important that you get the right treatment for your symptoms of depression and have an up to date crisis plan. If you have mania or hypomania you may struggle to manage your finances.

You may spend lots of money without thinking about the effect that it may have on your life. This means that you pick someone that you trust to manage your finances if you lack mental capacity to manage them by yourself. You can work with your carer and mental health team. You can form an action plan. This can say what they can do if you have a period of mania or hypomania and you start to make poor financial decisions. People with bipolar disorder have a higher rate of physical illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

You should have a physical health check at least once every year to help manage these risks. Drinking alcohol, smoking or taking other drugs while taking medication could stop your medication working properly and make your symptoms worse.

You must stop driving if you have an episode of severe depression, hypomania, mania or psychosis. You can speak to your GP. You should be given your own assessment through NHS mental health services to work out what effect your caring role is having on your health. And what support you need. Such as practical support and emergency support. You can also search for groups on the Carers Trust website:. You might find it easier to support someone with bipolar disorder if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills.

You should be aware of what you can do if you are worried about their mental state. It can be helpful to know contact information for their mental health team or GP. You could find out from your relative if they have a crisis plan. As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. The medical team should encourage the person that you care for to allow information to be shared with you.

You can use a WRAP to get well, stay well and make your life your own. It was developed in by a group of people who were searching for ways to overcome their own mental health issues and move on to fulfilling their life dreams and goals. Website : www. Bipolar UK This is a user led charity working to enable people affected by bipolar disorder to take control of their lives. You can email or leave a voicemail to arrange a call back with a staff member.

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