Indian Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh was once the heartthrob of the nation where every kid would learn his rap's by heart and flex it. Songs such as Brown Rang and Blue Eyes were a hit. He had a thriving career in 2012 until he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and got addicted to substance abuse. In a recent interview with The Lallantop, he revealed his struggles with Bipolar disorder and mentioned how he wouldn't wish this for anyone, not even enemies.
He mentioned how this mental health condition is worse than anxiety and stress. He compared anxiety and stress to cough and cold of an illness.
What is Bipolar disorder and what are the symptoms?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. These mood swings can include emotional highs, also known as hypomania or mania and lows, also known as depression. These mood shifts can affect a person's energy levels, activity, behavior, and ability to think clearly.
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Bipolar people struggle with understanding their shifts initially. Some days, they might look extrely excited and full of energy about their life and happenings and other days, they would self-loathe and snap at people for no reason, giving out aggression, that later leads to them isolating themselves.
Stages of Bipolar disorder
The stages involve mania that might last for 7 days and depressive episodes that can last for two weeks.
Bipolar II disorder is a stage that can be recognised by a pattern of depressive episodes and manic episodes. Cyclothymic Disorder is a stage that can be recognised by episodes of both hypomanic and depressive symptoms that can last over two years. Symptoms in this stage are less severe than those of extreme mania or depression.
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Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
A bipolar individual can be unpredictable. They can experience waves of energy. In their hypomanic episodes, they feel energetic, restless and more active then usual. If they start feeling happy, they'll feel so for a long time. They can get easily irritated and experience sudden shift in thoughts. There are also high chances of them behaving impulsively.
On the other hand, they can also have episodes where they feel sad, hopeless and meaningless in life. Thy run on extremely low energy and loose interest in everyday life activities. They sleep too much and eat too little, absolutely neglecting their health. They hit a low where they might have suicidal thoughts.
How can drug abuse make Bipolar worse?
Certain drugs can trigger or amplify mood swings in people with bipolar disorder. Substance abuse can lead to frequent and unpredictable mood swings, making it harder to manage bipolar disorder.
Drugs can have negavtiove impact on medications for bipolar disorder, making them less effective or causing dangerous side effects. For example, alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of mood stabilizers or antidepressants.
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Drugs often inspire impulsive and risky behaviors, such as reckless spending, unsafe sexual practices, or substance-induced self-harm. This can be particularly dangerous during manic episodes.
Bipolar disorder and alcohol together can heighten feelings of hopelessness and despair, leading to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.
It is necessary to understand the symptoms of Bipolar so that you either self-diagnose and seek treatment or help someone recognise their symptoms. It is possible to live with this mental disorder with proper medical advice.
