I call psychosis the forgotten bipolar disorder symptom!
My bipolar psychosis intensified at age 19. I consistently had hallucinations of seeing myself killed and thought it was normal. I eventually learned to manage my psychosis, but it sure would have helped if the health care professionals in my life had explained the symptoms of psychosis and that they were often a normal part of the bipolar disorder diagnosis.
I just received the following question from Mario on the topic:
Julie, I thought that people w/ Bipolar II don’t get psychotic? Or did you have a psychotic depression?
Hi Mario,
People with bipolar II can definitely get psychotic. I’ve had psychotic symptoms since age 16. Mine are usually with depression – as it’s rare for someone with bipolar II to have psychosis with hypomania. One reason I can identify with so many forms of bipolar disorder is the psychosis. I have hallucinations and as I got older, delusions. Later in life, I realized that I also have psychosis when I am not depressed which is why my official diagnosis is schizoaffective disorder.
The difference for those with bipolar two who have psychosis is in intensity- people with bipolar I have full blown psychosis – usually with mania. In fact, 70% of people with full blown mania have full blown psychosis at the same time. This is when most people with bipolar I have to go to the hospital and often have to be committed by a family member.
If you have bipolar disorder or care about someone with the illness, it’s essential that you learn about the signs of psychosis. I have a psychosis Health Card (my treatment plan) and am especially careful to look for paranoia (a psychotic delusion) when I’m speaking in public!
Thanks for writing!
Julie
PS: Here is an explanation of the difference between bipolar i and bipolar II. If you are new to bipolar disorder terms, I think you will find this helpful.
Interesting stuff. I guess I’ll have to wait until your next article to find out the difference between psychosis and full blown psychosis 🙂 Thanks!
Julie, you mentioned in your latest newsletter that BP medications treat the symptoms of BP. I can understand that, but sometimes it also seems like a band-aid approach to treating BP, i.e. give her this med for mania, this for anxiety, this for BP depression, etc. instead of looking at the symptoms as a whole and treating them accordingly. (Obviously, I need Dr. Preston’s book!) How does one determine which meds are truly essential and which are duplicating what is already being treated? (I’m currently taking five meds for BP I symptoms.)
Hello,
I need some help. I was diagnosed with bipolar II about 6 years ago. I have visual hallucinations when I am under heavy stress (and have had auditory ones since 16. They were very mild. Like seeing movement out of the corner of my eye. (Initially I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder around the age of 14) The visual hallucinations are usually accompanied by anxiety, perhaps before the onset or at the end of a hypomanic state. (I have also have been diagnosed with delayed onset PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD) I have recently undergone the traumatic experience of witnessing the death of my bestfriend of 16 years and seeing her ashes. I am currently in a hypomanic state (I believe I am in a mixed state) and have had auditory and more intense visual hallucinations- specifically seeing my lost companion. Long story short I cannot see a psychiatrist until mid September and have no medication. I am trying to do research on ‘soft psychosis’ A term that a psychiatrist once told me I have. The problem is that everything I find states that with bipolar only type I has psychosis. That or I am directed to a website regarding schizophrenia. Do you have any information you can share with me regarding this term or where I might be able to find some good information.
Thank you
It sounds like you have bipolar 2 with psychotic features. There isn’t much literature or clinical study results on the disorder but there has been a couple that confirm it like this one: http://m.medwire-news.md/47/89090/Psychiatry/Psychosis_prevalent_in_bipolar_II_depression
From my understanding with bipolar 2 psychosis the hallucinations are mild, infrequent and they don’t block our insight like with schizophrenia (we can tell what’s real and what’s a hallucination). Bipolar psychosis is mood congruent so the psychotic features are attached to either manic episodes or depressive episodes. From what I read about psychotic depression is that since ours are generally mild and we retain insight that we rarely are forthcoming about the symptoms nor do we always recognize psychotic episodes.
I think you can have Schizoaffective disorder with any of the mood disorders, including Bipolar II. So I think if you’re Bipolar II with moderate to severe psychosis you’re more likely Schizoaffective (mix of schizophrenia & a mood disorder)?
Since I don’t have family to support me, which book would you recommend for me to start with? I like the idea of the workbook-my boy friend said he would listen to an audio for helping me…
I was diagnosed bipolar when I turned 50. I am 61 now and still struggling with meds and controlling my mood swings. It’s mostly I can’t sleep…I get to where I can’t function at all and even lose important things, like meds. I am a very organized person so when this happens I can’t figure out what happened. It’s like I lose moments of time somewhere…
As you know, I could go on and on, but I’ll leave it with this one question.
Thank You,
Katie
Hello Katia,
I recommend you start with Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder. Your boyfriend can read Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder. They really compliment each other! Julie