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Q: Bipolar Spectrum
I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOLD I HAVE A MOOD DISORDER.....HE SAID I DO NOT
HAVE MANIC- DEPRESSION BUT BIPOLAR SPECTRUM DISORDER....WHAT IS
THAT? TO ME AND MY RESHEARCH THERE IS NO SUCH LABEL.....HE TOLD ME TO GOTO
WWW.PSYCOM.NET TO FIND OUT BUT STILL THERES BIPOLAR 1 AND 11 BUT NOT THIS
LABEL?CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE..I AM VERY SCARED AND NERVOUS....I JUST THOUGHT I
HAD BAD BAD ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS WITH SOME OCD NOW THIS.....I HAVE NEVER
BEEN TOLD THIS BEFORE..SHOULD I GET ANOTHER OPION........AND WHAT IS IT? also
do you know of any good dr.in the south florida area......broward or palm
beach or miami...thanks so much..god bless.....
michelle
Dear Michelle --
You're right, the terms we use for these conditions are pretty
confusing. Trying again (and there's more history on this on my website
if you start the section on bipolar II from the beginning, patient's full
story version): the whole bipolar thing used to be called manic-depressive
disorder. Now we recognize that there are lots of variations. Some
of those variations are common enough to have gotten there own names, but all
of them fit under the same umbrella. The umbrella is sometime referred
to has "bipolar spectrum conditions". The named ones
are:
- Bipolar
I: the full picture of mania and
depression, what used to be called manic-depressive
- Bipolar II:
the "mania" is less dramatic ("hypomania"), no losing
contact with reality -- but otherwise same
- Cyclothymia: hypomania and less severe
depressive cycles
So, the "spectrum" part is meant to
indicate that there are a lot of versions of this condition, some of which
overlap with anxiety conditions like OCD. Now the test of all this
diagnosis stuff is getting better with the treatment the diagnosis leads to --
so pretty soon you'll be able to focus on the treatment effectiveness as your
gauge, instead of having to worry about the diagnosis. I think you could
try the treatment being offered under the "bipolar spectrum" concept
first and see how that goes before you look at a second opinion (that's my
opinion). Dr. Phelps
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