hey everybody today i'm going to talk
about mixed episodes in bipolar disorder
what causes them how they can feel
why they're dangerous and of course what
we can do to better manage them
and thank you to equilibria premium cbd
company for sponsoring this video
let's get into mixed episodes themselves
and while we all have heard people talk
about the highs of mania or hypomania
and the lows of bipolar depression a
mixed episode happens when
both of these symptoms occur at the same
time
meaning that we feel impulsive having
flights of ideas
not wanting to sleep but are also
irritable physically exhausted and
hopeless about our future
and it's diagnosed as having met the
criteria for a manic or hypomanic
episode
while also having at least three
depressive symptoms
and i i know it's hard to comprehend how
someone could feel both depressed
and manic at the same time since we
often think of people swinging you know
from one
extreme to the other but mixed episodes
are extremely common
about 40 percent of those with bipolar
disorder will have one
and they are extremely uncomfortable
many of my patients in the hospital and
even in my private practice
have described it as having so much
energy but feeling
terrible about it one patient said she
wished she could just tear her skin off
it was so
unbearable because the manic symptoms
are so impulsive and erratic
but we also feel depressed or hopeless
and this state can be very dangerous
when we feel that low and have the
energy to do something about it
suicide attempts go up which is why any
mental health professional will be
watching us closely if they think that
we are in the midst of a mixed episode
it can also be dangerous to our bank
account and our relationships
because we can impulsively spend have
casual sexual encounters and even look
to argue or fight with those that we
love
which is why it's really important that
we let our treatment team know
that what we are experiencing is a mixed
episode so they can help us manage the
symptoms before
anything bad happens on average just so
you know these episodes last for at
least a week
but they can last two weeks or longer so
the sooner we speak up
and reach out the better while i don't
have bipolar disorder you all know that
i do struggle with symptoms of anxiety
and pain in my back and shoulders from
lord knows what
working out stress getting older maybe
all those things
but equilibria's daily drops which
offers 300 milligrams of full spectrum
cbd
have helped me fall asleep more quickly
without having as many of those worry
thoughts that used to keep me up at
night
and i also love their relief cream and
it has helped with the pain
in my neck and shoulders and the
numbness that those tense muscles were
causing in my right hand you guys
remember when my thumb was going them
that was no fun and so i've been putting
it on multiple times a day
and it has really been life-changing and
i appreciate the equilibria was founded
by two women who have their own
struggles with
chronic pain and mental health issues
because that means that they understand
just how
important finding relief is and if you
want to pick up your own daily drops
relief cream or any one of their other
products you can click the link at the
top of the description
and use code kati morton for 15 off your
first order
those of us with untreated bipolar
disorder have a brain
that has less gray matter than people
who
don't have bipolar disorder and gray
matter is important because it helps us
process information thoughts and
feelings
it also helps process and direct
information from one part of the body to
the next
since it's made up of neuronal cells
it's responsible for receiving sensory
input from the world around us
and then telling our muscles what they
need to do in response
the gray matter in our brain builds up
from birth
and is fully developed when we are in
our twenties and overall it makes up
about forty percent of our brain
the sixty percent left is made of what
is called white matter
having less gray matter can cause us to
be more impulsive
it can make it more difficult for us to
process our feelings
and struggle with coordination and
movement and it can even affect our
memory
which may explain why those of us with
bipolar disorder can
when we're in a manic or hypomanic state
be really impulsive
not remember portions of the episode and
make careless choices that we
may later regret a 2017 study from the
university of southern california
also found that when treated with
lithium which if you didn't know is a
treatment for bipolar disorder although
i know it's not everyone's favorite but
when treated
the gray matter was not found to be as
thin as those who did not receive any
treatment therefore
getting our bipolar disorder properly
cared for could protect our brain a bit
bipolar disorder is also found to be
connected to variations in the levels of
dopamine
norepinephrine and serotonin in our
brain
now dopamine is responsible for us
feeling pleasure or reward in our life
norepinephrine is in charge of our sleep
wake cycle
hunger fullness cues sex drive
impulsivity
learning and memory so just a lot of
stuff
and serotonin is otherwise known as the
natural mood stabilizer since it helps
regulate our mood
it is believed that bipolar disorder
causes these three brain chemicals
to fluctuate which could account for all
of the symptoms
such as decreased need for sleep feeling
active and excited one week and
depressed the next
just to name a couple of things which
moves us into ways that we can better
manage our mixed episodes
now first up is therapy and more
specifically cbt
or cognitive behavioral therapy now i've
worked with many people who have bipolar
disorder
and being a detective about our symptoms
is key to us preventing
any mixed episodes from happening or for
lasting very long
it can be helpful to recognize when we
start to have more
racing thoughts or not needing as much
sleep or maybe feeling extra irritable
or unmotivated
knowing that as early as possible gives
us time to use our tools
and even call our psychiatrist to see if
a medication increase or change may be
helpful
it can also help to create a healthy
daily routine meaning that we eat
regularly
drink enough water and get enough sleep
i know that sort of thing sounds obvious
but it's so
often ignored when we have bipolar
disorder
having a routine can help us manage our
symptoms better
and more quickly notice when we are
feeling off
it can also help to notice our self-talk
and work to make it more loving and
compassionate
not only will this help keep us
motivated and recognize when our
depression is creeping back
in but can also help us better problem
solve
when we think more clearly we're able to
see possible solutions more easily
and that will not only help us in our
relationships but also overcome
any side effects of our mental illness
like dealing with large credit card
bills
our ability to more easily problem solve
can help us keep our stress levels low
and prevent a possible relapse while
therapy can help us better manage the
symptoms
medication is an important aspect of our
treatment as well
most research shows having a mood
stabilizer or
atypical antipsychotic on board will
help lessen our symptoms of bipolar
disorder
i've had patients who are on one or
multiple medications to alleviate their
symptoms
so know that another person's experience
is just that
it's theirs and your situation could be
vastly different
and obviously i am not a doctor so
please reach out to a psychiatrist or
other physician to be properly diagnosed
and treated
and make sure you ask them any questions
you have about medication
like possible side effects you need to
look out for how long it can take before
you feel the effects of it
and any other concerns that you may have
as a side note
i just think it's important to mention
that it is common for those of us with
bipolar disorder to reach out for help
when we feel depressed
and then be misdiagnosed as having major
depressive disorder
which can lead to us then being placed
on an ssri or an snri
otherwise known as an antidepressant and
because those medications are activating
to our system
we can be pushed artificially into a
manic or hypomanic episode
so if you have experienced any symptoms
of mania or hypomania like
maybe not needing as much sleep for a
week or more
or feeling like you have so many good
ideas you can't even put them
into place fast enough or maybe you feel
really irritable at everyone around you
for
no identifiable reason if you feel any
of those
please let your prescribing doctor know
so that we can avoid
any potential manic or hypomanic episode
due to a medication
that's all i have for you today i hope
you found that helpful
i'm always happy to dive into other
mental illnesses and their symptoms and
how we diagnose and treat
so if you have any other ideas or
anything at all to add please leave it
in the comments down below
and thanks again to equilibrio for
sponsoring this video and don't forget
to check
out their products and use my discount
code katimorton to get 15
off your first order have a wonderful
week and i will see you next time
bye
[Music]
uh