1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental disorder. My Bipolar Disorder Story [PD Part 1]

1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental disorder. About Bipolar Disorder and Schizoid Personality Disorder

1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder
Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.

1 in 4 adults suffer from a mental disorder. About Bipolar Disorder and Schizoid Personality Disorder

In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

About Bipolar Disorder (BD or the older name is Manic-Depressive)

DSM Axis I clinical disorders. “Clinical” means relating to the observation and treatment of actual patients rather than theoretical or laboratory studies.
Read more… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. The median age of onset for bipolar disorders is 25 years.

Bipolar is a mental illness characterized by periods of elevated mood and periods of depression. The elevated mood is significant and is known as mania or hypomania depending on the severity. During mania an individual feels or acts abnormally happy, energetic, or irritable. It was previously known as “Manic-Depressive”, a mood disorder due to both to genetic and environment factors. 25% in their own family or very close relatives may likely to have BD.

Other characteristics of BD are moodiness, impulsive over-spending, OCD, grandiosity, and high sex drive.

Famous people with Bipolar Disorder
Many creative people have or had Bipolar such as Beethoven, Eason Chan, Darwin, Dickens, Mel Gibson, Ernest Hemingway, Jesse Jackson, Joan of Arc, Marilyn Monroe, Michelangelo, Florence Nightingale, Edgar Allan Poe, Frank Sinatra, Sidney Sheldon, Ted Turner, Vincent van Gough, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Historians now believe that why Britain never surrendered during The Blitz bombing by the Nazis in the second World War was because the then PM Winston Churchill was bipolar and was obsessive enough not to give up when France just surrendered to the Nazis.

Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” song is about Russell Brand, her then BF who is Bipolar. Below are some lines of the lyrics:
You change your mind
Like a girl changes clothes.
You’re up then you’re down.
Someone call the doctor
Got a case of a love bi-polar
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I highly recommend this book written by Bipolar Disorder patient and a professor in psychology:
Take charge of Bipolar Disorder. 
A 4-step plan for you and your loved ones to manage the illness and create lasting stability.

Read reviews… http://www.amazon.com/Take-Charge-Bipolar-Disorder-Stability/dp/0446697613

I like the “Bipolar talking” chapter 5.
Bipolar talking is when depression is talking, paranoia is talking, anxiety is talking…
Look out for the “leading comment“: they repeat a particular sentence every time they get sick.
And the “leading action“: a physical reaction like crying, sighing, shortness of breath, slumped body language…

And “treat Bipolar Disorder FIRST” – before work, relationships, life decisions, creativity, and life in general. 

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ADHD

Famous people with Dyslexia

Famous people who stutters

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About Schizoid Personality Disorder (SPD)

Read article:

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I give talks on Bipolar Disorder (BD) whenever I have the spare time.

If you are psychiatrist or psychologist, a professor or student and would like know more about my cross-cultural research work incorporating personal growth in coaching CEOs & Celebrities with personality disorders or bipolar disorder, PM me.

I’m not a psychiatrist or psychologist but because of my nature of work as a coach I come across graduates from all types of personality disorders (PD). If I detect or suspect some specific characteristics of PD or BD, I’ll hint to that person to get professional help, counselling, or psycho-therapy.

I’m proof that a Bipolar can lead a “normal”, but somewhat exciting life. A Bipolar can take charge of his/her life, be highly functional, successful, productive, and creative.

Published: 15 July, 2014, 1:29pm
Updated: 14 April 2017.