[hamster-bamster]

I cannot find this blog now. I have once happened upon a blog maintained by a guy whose wife has BP. He posited that BP is essentially a sleep disorder. I am so dependent on the quality of sleep I get that I am ready to agree with him. Sleep can be both a trigger - you spend a sleepless night and you trigger mania, e.g. - and a symptom, from early awakenings in depression to hypersomnia in depression to decreased need for sleep in mania. There is obviously more to bp than that, but sleep is a big part.

[mojave_rose8]

I am not sure. I have had very odd sleep habits basically my whole life (when I was about three I would stay up late into the night looking at my books – my parents would find me in the morning or the middle of the night still awake).

I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 21 and had bipolar symptoms as early as age 12.

I guess it’s a chicken or egg type of question, really.

[Confusedinomicon]

I don't think it's a sleep disorder. It's known in science that sleep deprivation causes multiple physical and mental ailments in anybody. I have always been a chronic sleeper and generally sleep around 10 hours a night. (Which isn't good!) Sleep, in general, is very important to humans. I think it's a symptom, but I don't think it is the cause for the disorder.

((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation))

[cocoabeans]

I've considered the same thing.

[LiveThroughThis]

My P-Doc told me that Bipolar, OCD, and obviously GAD are all branches of the "anxiety" tree....hence why when one acts up, they all do. I agree that sleep issues can trigger episodes, but so can traumatic events, caffeine (for some), getting lax on meds, etc.

People always say Bipolar is a mood disorder, but I fine that minimizing and a bit offensive. Because to the rest of society, you're just, "Moody," and that's your only problem...i.e., you're just obnoxious to be around and it doesn't affect any other aspect of your life. But it involves so much more than moods.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

[Mollie May]

Originally Posted by LiveThroughThis

My P-Doc told me that Bipolar, OCD, and obviously GAD are all branches of the "anxiety" tree....hence why when one acts up, they all do. I agree that sleep issues can trigger episodes, but so can traumatic events, caffeine (for some), getting lax on meds, etc.

People always say Bipolar is a mood disorder, but I fine that minimizing and a bit offensive. Because to the rest of society, you're just, "Moody," and that's your only problem...i.e., you're just obnoxious to be around and it doesn't affect any other aspect of your life. But it involves so much more than moods.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

I also hate the "mood disorder" classification because it minimalizes this disorder.

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by Mollie May

I also hate the "mood disorder" classification because it minimalizes this disorder.

Interesting! Personally, I like the mood disorder clasification. Think it explains it quite well.

I can see a connection, or line of thought here, but if that was so (which is possible) then it also could be that Bipolar could be a light exposure disorder as well. I'll look at any type of explanation and take it for what its worth. For myself I believe it's highly related to my food intake. I would have thought that nonsense before, but the evidence in my case is stacking up.

I don't like "mood disorder" either, it certainly doesn't paint a very clear picture of what is going on for me.

[BlueInanna]

i think mood disorder is fitting from what i've seen. I heard something about emotional dysregulation a while back. I'm sure they'll change the name again sometime. I think manic-depressive summed it up well. and I dont tlike the name bipolar. It really makes me think of polar bears who look cool, but they'll kill you. hmmm... maybe it does make sense haha.

Haha, ya it might. I think for me mood disorder doesn't feel right, because it cuts out all the physical symptoms, and other mental problems such as psychosis. I hear mood, and I think mood, ring, purple, flying, fuzzy, underpants.... . I don't have any idea for a better description tho.

I like Manic Depression better than Bipolar too.

[hamster-bamster]

I agree. That is Kay Jamison's point, too. The old term Manic Depressive Illness (or Manic Depressive Psychosis, even more self-explanatory) depicts the illness for what it mostly is - the only thing it misses, big time, is anxiety. "mood disorder" or "affective disorder" also misses anxiety. For me now when I have no mood problems but have bouts with anxiety every evening, pretty much, these terms are insufficient. I want a term that accounts for anxiety... Maybe that is not possible.

i wouldn't mind reading this blog, if you ever found it.

hugs

[LiveThroughThis]

I agree with everyone who said Manic-Depressive fits better. I think it does a much better job to laymen to hear that than hear "Bipolar"---Bipolar just sounds, too simple and undescriptive. Manic Depressive, you're like, "Ah, I think I can get that sorta." And as hamster said, it does not encapsulate anxiety, which is definitely a biggie.

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by BlueInanna

i think mood disorder is fitting from what i've seen. I heard something about emotional dysregulation a while back. I'm sure they'll change the name again sometime. I think manic-depressive summed it up well. and I dont tlike the name bipolar. It really makes me think of polar bears who look cool, but they'll kill you. hmmm... maybe it does make sense haha.

Ew. Emotional dysregulation wouldn't work for me. It isn't my "emotions" that are the issue, it's my mood and I'm fine with mood because I understand "mood" as something that hangs over and clouds perspective which naturally will affect judgement, thought, behaviors, emotions etc.

Never saw what was wrong with "manic depression" though.

[Trippin2.0]

Manic depression is far more fitting than mood disorder or bipolar... Oh and I think my insomnia is a symptom not much else, but thats just my 2c

[BlueInanna]

I had to put my kids in the ED emotionally disturbed class, because of their mood disorders.... go figure. I really thought it would help them but they hated it and dropped out of high school.

Jimi Hendrix sang it how it is, manic-depression is a frustrating mess.