Living with a Disabilty (Free Online Magazine)

Everyone has their ups and downs, our “on” and “off” days. But for a person who suffers from Bipolar Disorder, these ups and downs and ons and offs are very severe.

It affects your job performance, school studies, relationships and completely disrupts your daily life.

Bipolar disorder can  come in many levels and some cases are more severe than others. Formerly called manic depression, this mental health issue is classified as a mood disorder within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Severe symptoms of Bipolar Disorder can also include phases of depression. At times, these phases are more frequent and can last longer than the manic episodes. Sadness and misery are normal reactions to depression. Loss of pleasure in any fun activity is also another reaction.

Loss of energy, excessive sleeping or lying in bed during these episode phases are the norm. Some people also experience an extreme decrease in libido.

Here are the major components of bipolar disorders:

・ Manic episodes – Extreme elation can often be associated as a manic phase of people suffering from Bipolar Disorder. They are often quite talkative and very productive. Sleep does not come easy for them and the person can also be extremely reckless and impulsive at times. Spending vast quantities of money and making spontaneous and outrageous decisions is very common. They can also be extremely creative and have a huge imagination.

・ Depression episodes – Phases of depression are also experienced by people with Bipolar Disorder. Phases of depression are more frequent and can last longer than manic episodes. While suffering from depression, the patient suffers extreme misery and sadness. At times they feel uncared for or worthless.  Feelings of pleasure are lost in most activities for many depressed people.

Depressed people also rarely leave the house, and don’t socialize much with friends or neighbors.  They usually experience excessive crying throughout their week. Weight loss is sometimes exhibited as well due to a lack of appetite and energy.  During these depression phases, people spend a great deal of time either sleeping or just lying in bed.

Suicidal thoughts are clearly another extreme symptom for a sufferer of a Bipolar Disorder. Being suicidal is obviously a deep despair, or total sense of hopelessness that require professional help and treatment.  Often feelings of indifference and self-loathing are also part of this disease.

Mania, almost the opposite of depression, is the other principal symptom of someone with Bipolar Disorder.  Mania can cause extreme creativity and productivity, but also have other reckless behaviors.  Some famous people have suffered from Bipolar Disorder. Edgar Allan Poe and Ludwig van Beethoven, were both thought to produce much of their work during Manic episodes.

A condition must be both severe and long-lasting in order to qualify you for disability under Social Security guidelines, so it is natural to wonder if there is any hope of recovering enough to return to work. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits due to anxiety, you have been found incapable of meeting the basic mental demands required by a job, and it is expected that you will be unable to work for at least one year.

Can treatment for anxiety during this time help you recover enough to go back to work? Happily, in many cases the answer is yes. There are a variety of treatments for anxiety, and which one is right for you will depend on the cause of your anxiety.  If you win disability benefits Social Security can review your case at a later time to see if you are well enough to work, but those reviews are infrequent.

In some cases, anxiety is a symptom of another physical illness. There are many physical ailments that can cause anxiety, from heart conditions to hyperthyroidism. A physical cause of anxiety is one of the easiest to remedy, and in many cases you can expect a full recovery by treating the underlying condition. However, if you have qualified for SSDI because of anxiety, it’s likely that your doctor has already ruled out an underlying physical cause.

If the cause of your anxiety is psychological, you may not be able to pinpoint an underlying cause. In that case, you will need to work with your doctor to manage your symptoms. One particularly effective method is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT will teach you skills that research has shown to be effective ways of managing anxiety. You will learn to use these skills whenever and wherever you need them, so you can cope with anxiety symptoms anytime they surface. Treating anxiety disorders with CBT has a success rate of around 80%. Not only is CBT effective, it also requires less treatment time than many other methods, averaging just 16 visits with a therapist.

Medications are another option for controlling anxiety, and are best used in combination with psychotherapy such as CBT. Drugs that reduce symptoms of anxiety include benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax), SSRIs (antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft), and beta-blockers. Benzodiazepines are rarely prescribed for longer than 6 weeks due to the possibility of addiction, but they can be extremely effective in combination with psychotherapy.

Anxiety can be very debilitating, but is one of the most successfully treated of all mental health issues. With appropriate and consistent treatment from a professional, it is possible to reach a point where your anxiety is no longer disabling. Although you may never be cured of your anxiety, learning ways to manage the symptoms and causes can certainly make you well enough to go back to work.