Undiagnosed Hypomania

Undiagnosed Hypomania – Nancy

How big a problem is undiagnosed hypomania?  By some estimates as many as 50% of people being treated for depression may have hypomania (similar to mania, but milder) episodes as well. A recent article in Psychiatric Times encourages doctors to maintain an increased level of suspicion about the possibility of hypomania in patients who are receiving treatment for a range …

Denial: I’m not Bipolar, Doctor

You’re wrong, Doctor ! I’m not bipolar! How can you say that to me?  You just met me – how can you possibly know??!! I’m just depressed and I get agitated and anxious and hyper – sometimes but everyone gets moody ! It s normal to have moods. You re pathologizing me! No other doctor has ever told me I have bipolar, …

The Switch: Manic to Normal Mood

I have been thinking about what it is that we do in Psychiatry that is potentially helpful for people with bipolar and why that works. In many ways, the fulcrum of our work involves addressing the “switch process”. This refers to the way that moods can shift from manic to normal behavior, often quite suddenly. A recent discovery has been …