Which is it? Bipolar Depression OR Bipolar Disorder?
When it comes to Mental Illness, apparently we're not all on the same page. Take Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., for example. CNN reports he is being treated for BIPOLAR DEPRESSION.
Not true! Contrary to what CNN and its medical advisor have reported... the evidence is lacking; there really is no such diagnosis as BIPOLAR DEPRESSION. Have you ever heard a mood disorder described as Bipolar Manic or Bipolar Manic Depression? So why Bipolar Depression? Why one end of the spectrum and not the other with a term (bi) that means two? In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV) the term bipolar depression is not used.
But let's give CNN some credit, it is beginning to explore the difference between the two terms and it does cite the Mayo Clinic as the source for it's use of the term bipolar depression. But there's even more to the story: one word (manic) was dropped out of the original statement that the Mayo Clinic issued.
The correct term or diagnosis for severe mood changes remains Bipolar Disorder. It was originally called Manic Depression years ago. After the DSM changed that label, the mood disorder then became classified as Bipolar Disorder and further differentiated into Bipolar I or Bipolar II, to indicate mild and more serious mood swings between highs and lows. It is thus incorrect to use the term: bipolar depression.
CNN is not the only media outlet using the incorrect label of bipolar depression. On the same day (August 13, 2012), newspapers' headlines across the country used both terms - bipolar disorder and bipolar depression (see above examples). But... language does matter, especially, since so many of us in the health care field, are working to educate the public about mental illness. As a certified teacher, via the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), for caregivers who have relatives with mental illnesses, it helps if we're all on the same page.
Further, I press the case because the term Bipolar refers to two poles or opposite ends of a continuum; it is thus not correct to say Bipolar Depression. Why not just say severe depression and drop the bipolar reference? Moreover, it should be noted that treatment takes time. It's not unusual for it to take months to find the right medicines to treat a Bipolar Disorder. We are, after all, talking about chemical changes in the brain.
So when Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. leaves the Mayo Clinic, it is important to remember that his treatment is not done. Instead of in-patient care, he moves to out-patient care where he will definitely need a strong support network of family and friends, as well as, medicine.
There is every reason to expect the congressman to be functional and able to do the job he was elected to do, in time, and... as long as he follows the specified treatment plan of medicine and therapy. But it does take time for stabilization. Many persons with a Bipolar Disorder diagnosis are highly functional and able to hold full-time jobs successfully.
Without medicine, however, the side effects of Bipolar Disorder can include: impaired judgment and/or impulsiveness, an inability to concentrate, fatigue or loss of energy, an impaired reality, and memory problems. And we should remember that we're not talking about regular depression here or feeling down a few days or weeks out of a month.
A clinically depressed or "deeply" or "severely" depressed person has behavior that differs dramatically from regular depression. It is thus imperative that the Cable News Network, it's medical advisor, web sites about mental illness, and others cease using the incorrect term of bipolar depression; doesn't exist. Since so many of us still get our news from television, I propose that at a minimum the media should explain the diagnostic terms used for mental health issues.
To do so is to help de-stigmatize mental illness. Interestingly, my preliminary research indicated how the incorrect term came to be used in the first place.
Although the Mayo Clinic's original statement said Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. was diagnosed with Bipolar II Depression, someone in the media, ended up dropping the reference to "II," and suddenly Jesse Jackson, Jr. had bipolar depression.
And that is why... we had conflicting headlines like these all on the same day.
Jesse Jackson Jr. Bipolar: Mayo Clinic Releases Statement Detailing Diagnosis
August 13, 2012. According to Huffington Post Chicago:
The Rochester, Minn.-based clinic specified his condition as Bipolar II, which is defined as periodic episodes of depression and hypomania, a less serious form of mania.
Rep. Jackson being treated for bipolar depression, clinic says
August 13, 2012. |By the CNN Wire Staff According to CNN, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is responding well to treatment for bipolar depression, the Mayo Clinic said Monday. The Rochester, Minn.-based clinic said Jackson is regaining his strength but offered no further information on his condition.
August 13, 2012 6:11 PM
Jesse Jackson Jr. says he has "bipolar II depression": What is bipolar II?
(CBS News) By Ryan Jaslow U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is being treated for bipolar II disorder at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the hospital said Monday in a statement.
"Following extensive evaluation, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is undergoing treatment for Bipolar II depression," the statement read. "Congressman Jackson is responding well to the treatment and regaining his strength."
Jesse Jackson Jr. undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder
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