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Old Aug 07, 2019, 07:09 PM
fern46 fern46 is offline
Grand Magnate
 
Member Since: Mar 2019
Location: USA
Posts: 3,021
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose72 View Post
It made me think of the thread "physical...." And there are so many posts that make references to mental this and physical that. Your brain IS physical! It really goes wrong from physical happenings and habits. We can do DBT to change our habits but bipolar is still physical. Jmo. Ymmv.
I agree with this. Optimal physical health includes mental health. All of the systems need to be in balance for us to be healthy. It is all interrelated. Bipolar disorder is primarily a physical issue that causes a mood disorder, not a mood disorder that causes physical issues. The meds complicate things by causing additional physical issues, so its a vicious cycle.

The first thing I learned about bipolar disorder is that one of the causes is believed to be a chemical imbalance. That's a physical problem that manifests as a difference in the brain's ability to properly process emotion. Mental illness is then a symptom, not the cause. A book I read likened it to having type 1 diabetes.