Hypomanic Bipolar Disorder. I've known for a long time that I am a special brand of crazy, and I was 100% ready to hear that what I have been experiencing was natural for a middle aged woman on the cusp of The Change. But a half-ass mental disorder? Ordinarily, I'm a go-big-or-go-home type of person. So a less than full blown mental disorder is almost insulting. ALMOST.
In the medical world, the prefix hypo refers to underactivity. Think hypothyroidism, when a person's thyroid is not producing enough hormone, which results in a specific set of symptoms. Hypomania is similar concept. The mania I experience is significant enough to warrant an attempt at treatment, yet it falls short of what the world thinks of when someone says they are bipolar. In a nutshell, my mania last for only a few days at a time, where classic mania can last from a few weeks to a couple of years in extreme cases.
It interests me that the distinguishing verbiage between type 1 and type 2 bipolar disorder only addresses the mania aspect of the condition. There doesn't seem to be a defining factor that separates the depressive stage between the types. Maybe it's assumed that the depression is less intense given that the mania is less intense. But we don't have different wording when it comes to diabetes. There is only type 1 and type 2, not hypopancreatic or hypersugar diabetic disorder. And there are SEVEN different types of Elher Danlos Syndrome, tho type 1 and type 2, as each are actually called, are full body conditions whereas the next five are specifically named for the area of the body that is effected.
I don't know how classic bipolar disorder is medicated, but I know what I am taking. When I investigated how the medication functions physiologically, I learned that it blocks areas of the brain that seem to be overactive (maybe it will help the ADHD?) and is used to treat epilepsy. With this in mind, I'm very unclear as to what section of my brain is overactive.
The med I am on is the kind that needs to be graduated over time until the maintenance dose is reached. When I started the introduction dose I experience a midday crash where all I wanted was a nap. Not exactly conducive to working in an area where invasive procedures are performs. After starting the step up dose, I experienced wicked brain fog. Again, a hinderance to my job. I am now on the maintenance dose and thus far I have not experience a midday crash or brain fog. But I have lost my appetite to some degree. This side effect can continue as far as I concerned. I have a very hard time believing that the part of my brain that effects my energy lever is "overactive", but I DO believe that the area that craves food is.
By the time I follow up with the psychiatrist I will have been on the maintenance dose for 3 weeks. I wish I knew what to expect from this dose over the next week or so. I only hope I don't get fired.
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