I would hope that once you reach the goal of being a psychiatrist you will continue learning. I like to think it's just another step in the journey, not the destination.
I am 65 and Quetiapine was/is the medication that gave me stability. Bi-polar 1, started with depression at twelve.....first mania at 15. I trained as a Mental Health Nurse and I was saying that I may be bi-polar, as I didn't find anything wrong with manic patients usually! I got diagnosed when I was 35. I had 5 children with three different fathers.....as a result of being mentally unwell. I am adopted too....and when, with the advent of Internet, discovered that my blood Father seemed to be very much like me.....he had 7 children with 5 women, and was all over the globe with a very brash life style. I am so thankful for Quetiapine, as nothing else worked for me. Some brilliant Doctors along the way too. Thank you so much for your contributions here.
The last time I was manic was in October last year when I became toxic on lithium and had to come off it. I had a eurphoric mania and did art non stop for two weeks solid. I wrote 11 zines (mini DIY magazines) and connected with people all over the internet to swap and trade and sell them and I could not sleep for the life of me because if I slept I'd miss out on all my ideas. I'm still paying subscriptions to all the adobe art programs I joined and probably will have to pay them unitl October. It seemed like a good idea at the time anyway. In any case, my seroquel-xr was increased, I can't take mood stabilisers as I've tried them all, and so it took some time but my mania (I was hospitalised) contained itself eventually. Now I have a box full of zines and am still apologising for my behaviour, if only it wasn't so public. I'm glad I didn't get psychotic. I'm well now and are the most well I've been in ages. Don't know why I'm writing this but it just seemed like, here at 4am in Australia, yes I'm doing art and I slept well, but life just feels good now and it's so quiet and calm outside because everyone is sleeping. Nice! Best of luck for your exam. I think you'll make a wonderful psychiatrist when you get there. I'm lucky to have the best psychiatrist in the world. You'll get there, you got this!!!
Someone I love is bipolar and I’m learning so much from you so thank you. As an aside, one thing I have consistently heard from autistic people is that they are commonly misdiagnosed as bipolar or BPD. It would be an interesting thing to learn more about.
I'm glad you gave answered the question about mixed episodes. i hope one day you can make a video just on mixed episode. i basically only had mixed episodes and depressive episodes, only had mania once, and its why for the longest time i didnt believe my bipolar diagnose, nobody talked about mixed episodes and i could not find information on it online. mixed episodes truly are hell on earth. the worst mental pain ever. thanks for your videos
Great video! I hate that media glorifies mania, but it’s also hard to explain it to people I feel. I just say that mania means crazy in Greek. It’s not fun
With bipolar it’s hard to know the difference between maniac and the “normal in between” depression. Definitely when depression is the main part of you bipolar. Every good mood is seen as a possible manic episode. Definitely when you get Hypothermia.
Thank you very much for sharing what you have been learning! I am 71 and have suffered from these mental illnesses most of my life, but thankfully, I have been better the past several years. Of course, I don't expect much at this time of life! 😄 I pray you always find these endeavors rewarding and successful.
Hi , you handled that well , I wish you were my psychiatrist . I just found your channel , you are going to be the best ! Been in the bipolar , I'm not even sure what I should call it after 35 yrs. of dealing , I am now schizoaffective . I have had two kind psychiatrists over almost 40 years . Wishing you the best !
I just found your channel and can’t stop watching :) feels like I’ve just found the best tv show series ever! Anyway I thought I would comment about what I’ve finally realized at age 42. At this point in my life, and I’m sure many of you all will agree, I have burnt, bulldozed, and broken more friendships, relationships, and family ties that there is no longer much to worry about cleaning up! That shipwreck ran aground years ago LOL - While I do have a handful of people in my life who haven’t completely disowned me, they all either tolerate me out of their own guilt or they don’t completely understand what the disorder is like, and probably feel it is not fair to fully judge or write me off. I’m currently on the upswing to a manic episode so my apologies in advance LOL. Not sure where I’m going with this mid-manic rant, but I never thought I would end up with as little friendships and alone after torching 10+ long term relationships, at only 42. We all know 42 in Bipolar years feels like 84…. People look at me funny when I tell them I’m totally good with a lifespan of 55 :) I never give up, I just keep pushing forward and each day is a new page in our journey. My humor and sarcastic nature keeps everyone around me laughing so I at least know I’m still contributing something haha. Keep up the great work you are doing, people like us need people like you!
Very insightful video! I’m at risk for a bipolar disorder and it’s one of the things in my life I’ve been coming to terms with. Two of my siblings were diagnosed with bipolar and I’ve struggled with depression for years despite my young age. Your videos have helped me understand these disorders more and actually were one of the catalysts for my decision to pursue going to medical school. Keep up the good work and good luck on your exams!!
❤ my mom has biopolar disorder with psychotic episodes and so does 2 out of 5 of my siblings. I do not have it somehow. I see a psychiatrist every month since teen years just because I got so worried I’d not notice becoming bipolar. It didn’t happen and I’m 34 now. I still see a psychiatrist each month. Highly recommend just to be self aware and at peace that you’re being proactive about your mental health!
Hey Dr Syl! Thanks for talking about this - I always appreciate when "my" disorder is delved into as information is power with managing bipolar. I was diagnosed privately last year at 27, after 15yrs of being misdiagnosed and managed under public metal health care in NZ. My psychiatrist started me on lithium this week as a "last resort" medication - It immediately helped with my depressive episode which was surprising to me, but pharmacologically makes sense given how it interacts with sodium gated channels. Hopefully it will be a good maintenance tool for hypo/manic/mixed episodes too.
I've been manic for about 6 months now, but since I'm on quetiapine I am sleeping. I wonder if the quetiapine is sustaining the mania, because without it I would not be sleeping and would have maybe burned myself out by now. It has reduced the mania into hypomania so it is making it less out of control. I don't really want to tell my psych as he will double my meds so not sure what to do. I get it about amphetamines too, when I was younger and everyone was taking mdma and speed etc, if I took it I always had a bad time, I would get way too high, too fast, then crash into a really low mood or else have horrible racing thoughts, over talkativeness and tension, so they enhanced the bad traits I already had. I knew there was something different about my brain because I could not have a good time on these drugs like everyone else seemed to.
Dr. Syl, Thank you so much for your content; you're very relatable and I'm glad I stumbled upon your channel!! I have a general question about sleep. You've mentioned how critical sleep is, and also that a hallucination or psychosis doesn't necessarily mean anything furthur. I have read about the Navy Seals having to do physically demanding things on little to no sleep for days on end. I've read multiple stories of people not sleeping (especially during medical school!) for days. These people seem to survive, if not uncomfortably, until they can go to sleep. I know you can't address any personal questions on here but I'm hoping it may be of interest to others. There was a time in my life where I moved and was unable to get a refill on my sleep medicine. I had been taking it every night for 10 years (zolpidem). I couldn't sleep for 4.5 days. Around night 2, day 3, I started seeing shadows in my field of vision, as if someone had just walked by. I started smelling cigarette smoke even though no one in my family smokes and we aren't anywhere near someone that does. I started hearing bits of music that no one was playing. Reading stories about people who choose to stay up for 5 days makes me feel "weak", bc why was this all happening to me, and so uncontrollably. It wasn't just that I was tired and needed a cup of coffee, I was losing touch with my body. My anxiety became utterly intolerable. I knew logically that what I was thinking wasn't correct, but it didn't matter. I also wonder if there's a connection between extreme sensitivity to a lack of sleep and schizophrenia/schizoaffective/psychosis disorders? Any insight on these issues would be wonderful. Thank you so much!
i understand that drug induced mania or psychosis from something like an amphetamine may not technically be either of those diagnoses because you cant see them when they are not on drugs. what about prescribed drugs? I was on fluoxetine to treat depression, first time on any kind of anti depressant. for the first 6 months of it i was much more depressed than before but was trying to trust the process. eventually i ended up switching to 'mania'. elevated mood constantly over a few months, over spending, cheating and convinced my partner for an open relationship, using sex, other drugs and alcohol after it all came on. during this time i was really depressed as well, suicidal and stuff but i also felt undeniable 'mania', impulsivity and on top of the world in a way. maybe it was more hypomania because i could still work, but i failed uni, self harmed at work, never took lunch breaks stayed back 4 or more hours after my shift finished etc after all this at some point i took myself off the meds, eventually it all calmed down. i still struggle with drinking, have days where i can feel sort of close to this, on top of the world, out of reality, usually i feel like im dissociating in a derealization/depersonalisation way. but it doesnt culminate into a whole episode, usually just a bit more energy for a few days and then either normal level or a bit more depressed than usual.wouldnt call it mania or hypomania but its like tipping that way a liiiittle and best way i can describe it. im now on sertraline and experience all of this a lot less. sometimes its boring in a way and i more switch between 'normal' and more depressed. its hard to find the energy for most things and sometimes i miss having those days with more energy. anyway i guess i want to know, if that was a manic/hypomanic episode, does that count as drug induced? or more factors need to be taken in?
Mania for me is awful, my last episode started with an elevated mood I became so hyper focused on moving where I always wanted to live so within 24 hours I was driving there, with no plan, no money and I moved there, eventually becoming so psychotic walking down the street that the police became involved, thankfully they knew I wasn’t on drugs and I suffered the consequences when I finally came down in the psychiatric unit and had to try and build a life in the place I had just uprooted myself to without knowing a single person
What are your thoughts on the metabolic psychiatry approach? I'm asking because ketogenic diet applications are becoming increasingly popular for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. What is your opinion?
The last little bit of the video hits home for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism (was told it would have been Asperger’s if that were still a diagnosis), as an adult… oh and PTSD. And I do have a history of childhood trauma. I’ve been very curious about whether it is just trauma or not… because although my symptoms go back as far as I can remember, so does the trauma. Chicken or egg?
You say that most of the time people with Bipolar are depressed, is that what you observe the most? Because I am diagnosed with Bipolar 1, have had a few severe depressive episodes, but I'd say before I started using Lithium the number of hypomanias was much higher. What's also curious in my case: I was Bipolar 2 when I was diagnosed, I have been on Lithium now for 2,5 years, no depression or hypomania since, but in the last few months I had two manic episodes (both lasting about two weeks), "upgrading" my diagnosis to Bipolar 1. Have you observed something like this before? At the time, it might have been due to my dosage being too low, but it was strange to just experience my first real mania like that. Keep up the great work and good luck on your exam!
It’s very difficult living with a bipolar person who only has a prescription for depression. The ripple effect goes through everyone she associates with.
Hi Dr. Syl--i wonder if you might consider doing a video comparing and contrasting symptoms in hypomania, anxiety, and ADHD? I have a history of anxiety disorders, chronic depression, OCD, and early PTSD. However, i have not responded responded well to high-dose SSRIs for 30 years either on the OCD, anxiety, or depression fronts. Mood stablizers have not helped either. Some people experience jitteriness or akathisia on the anti-depressants. I've been told i could have ADHD in there. One other doctor thought i could be cyclothymic and have mixed depression. These all overlap, but they have clinical implications. Does one remove the SSRIs? Does one try a stimulant? There's such overlap between these different conditions. I've also tried ketamine and TMS as well, and those have not helped much. Welcome your thoughts on these different conditions. thanks.
Would like to know your thoughts about genome testing to determine which medication is best for an individual person. Have you any thoughts or info on this topic? Thank you!!
Thanks Dr Syl, interesting as always. I'm diagnosed BP2, but was diagnosed during a 2 week inpatient involuntary stay 14 yrs ago. So I guess I should be BP1 ? Anyway, whatever the label I am what I am. I have a niece by marriage, that suddenly started having epileptic seizures. She had multiples per week. Now she has been diagnosed as bipolar. It makes me wonder did the epilepsy cause damage to create the bipolar or did the bipolar cause the epilepsy. I take Sodium valproate as my anti episodic, and it cured my migraines as well.
I would love to hear you talk on some anonymous peoples versions of whaat hypomania is to them, coming from clinically diagnosed bipolar 2, that is..not self diagnosed
Could u please talk about D I D , I’m 54 was diagnozesd with severe cptsd and d I d 5 urs ago , maybe more , I cannot keep track of time and space , many disorders stem from both diagnoses , please Thank u. Jo/ Joanne
I would like to know if there is any psichiatric medication, treatment or recent research related to dementia in younger people (54), and how should the approach be for a person who is fast losing its cognitive skills and cannot cooperate with following up on secondary effects of psychiatric meds.
Most people do not normally express this range of emotion on any one interaction. Are there actually this many "emotions" that can be felt rather than expressed facially, tonally, ect?
Hi Dr. Syl! I work as a provider for a child who has DMDD and experiences something that I believe may be similar to mania. Do you have any recommendations as to what supports I could recommend be offered in these moments?
They could well have ADHD, if interventions for ADHD help then it's highly likely and also it helps so win win. I do this for children who appear to have ADHD or autism and it usually helps, then then get diagnosed through school a few years later but it's often very obvious from early on
Lack of sleep can dramatically alter your mind in extreme and adverse ways. You may not have a condition but if you choose to over stimulate your mind as apposed to winding down and allowing sleep, even someone who has never had any mental condition in the past, could end up with a temporary mental condition. If you’re lucky enough you could be tagged and plagued with a diagnosis for the rest of your life. It is very difficult to regain trust once you loose it. This could happen to anyone! Just 48 hours of lost sleep, or a week of only a bit of sleep here or there and you are probably doing damage. Of course it depends on the person who are you? You really wanna test it? Get sleep people!
It really got me where he said about needing to feel safe and trust to sleep, I've had insomnia since childhood but had ocd before it started so don't think the sleep problem came first. I reacted to my anxiety about going to sleep by staying up doing ocd stuff all night, checking everything in the room was in the right place. I guess it's a chicken or egg question.
I've never had mania, but the way you described hypomania seems like something I may need to consider. I've been under an absolute tremendous amount of stress lately and was the first time I considered calling my PCP and telling him something wasn't right with me mentally. Today I am feeling a lot more settled, so I am thankful.
Is it typical fit people who experience mania to want to avoid accountability for their actions while manic? Blame others for instance? “I spent all my money because you didn’t lock it up”. Or would this be more of a personality thing? During mania we don’t hear from our adult daughter. It’s only when she realizes that she’s in trouble that she contacts us and it’s usually vi long winded text rants about how we are responsible for her predicament or her boyfriend or whoever was last around her. I’m not sure how to handle it. She can be quite vicious and I don’t feel like being around her but she’s also sick so I don’t wish to abandon her either. Do I just ride it out until her mania subsides and not take it personally? Anyone experience this with a loved one?
I can’t get a psychiatrist any where as they cost so much .is there any psychiatrist in Sydney Australia that are free Eg clinics .Hope your exams go okay
Autistic people would be the genetic component to schizophrenia, people born blind have an almost if not 0% chance of developing schizophrenia but people who go blind are much more likely then sighted people to develop it, this suggests perception of the world around you is a stress factor towards schizophrenia, autistic people at rest take in as much as 40% extra stimuli from the environment this would put any brain under added stress now combine the fact that autistic people find the world overwhelming already and boom super stressor towards schizophrenia, I truly believe there are only a handful of neurotypes that exist and all mental illness stems from what neurotypes you are, how much trauma you have faced (this can include substance use but substances play a much lower role as a stressor unless use is abnormally chronic) and how connected to a supportive and effective community you are (effective meaning regardless of 1 or 200 community members how good that community is at fulfilling social needs)
Thank you for your videos my comments are usually critiques buts thats because I think you content is interesting. One thing I will say is I thought after the Rosenhan experiment (admittedly review years later on evidence) published in Science would have made psychiatry realise and self reflection like empathy and projection etc that there is no such thing as objective. In neuroscience we use "we" or "the author" and I don't expect my discipline to have that insight but was surprised psych doesn't. I have Bipolar 1 and mixed states with paranoid psychosis. The psychosis is unpleasant. But mixed state close to suicide once until my behvaiour made someone look in my lab and I was discovered. It is the worst experience I would rather 3rd degree burns I've done the classic manic stuff it just makes all the decisions worse why not do meth maybe you'll feel better or whatever. Ironically of course for 10 years I was treated by some doctors and me and a few others I came to know were all diagnosed with treatment resistent depression before bipolar. Antidepressants ironically make me depressed. The other frustrating thing is despite textbook knowledge of neuroscience it hasn't helped my recovery I have had to rely and have made progress with my psychiatrist a bipolar researcher a prof of psych. I showed him and this is just for your interest the upsidedown from stronger things when not full on psychosis I can get mood contingent otherworldly I showed him the arcade scene on youtube. He must have practiced for 30 or 40 years I asked him if someone has had this he has told me in the past perceptual disturbances are common in bipolar. He said not exactly maybe in words but they didn't have a video so he couldn't conceptualize it. Your mantra complex problems have complex solutions. Mine from my ASD is no two people are alike. I don't have much more to add than what you've experienced already. I will say when I needed help mixed and hypomanic psych put it down to personality now thats off the cards I couldn't communicate ASD stress. Now I get sectioned a lot so I stay away from hospitals because occasionally you get paternalistic psychs. They know I know how to kill myself effectively they have my history and I guess its a red flag however my current strategy is I can get out so long as I give them my psych card he is respected AO etc and he will tell them I see him weekly and thats my norm and I'll be fine. I had three years of hypomania and mania - my mantra for public hospitals is "traumatised or your money back". I will say the first time if I wasn't scheduled I wouldn't be alive now but very much depends on the doctor you get and how much they care about understanding your case.
Also I think all psychiatrists and junior drs in the training programme should go to a random hospital and get scheduled for a weeks I think people would be more empathic or at the more knowledge. Also even though I studied neuroscience we do kidneys liver heart etc and I there are more medical errors in psych wards so I feel like they should all have a GP like a private hospital.
I would just like to share with you a very interesting presentation about bipolar, showing studies results and interpretation to assess diagnose. The video is called "bipolar depression: translating receptor pharmacology to advance management" channel HMP Education. Very interesting recently studies of the brain, highly recommend.
You only get one voice - I hope this fact helps someone with bipolar maintain balance forever - shout and scream and let it on out as a valued member of society
A young man i see "stuck" standing for the entire day, his facial expression looks wild. He smiles, but you can see he is not in a good place. Maybe he doesnt realize hes been standing there for 6 +/- 7 hrs. :(
This is a great video, thank you :) To your comment at the end about the love hearts, be aware that you leaving a heart will reduce the anonymity of the comments. A creator heart will raise the comment to near the top of the comment section. It doesn't give the commenter a notification that you liked their comment. You've left hearts on some of my comments and I only saw them when I went to re-watch the video, or when I got a notification about a reply to my comment. The hearts function to help you curate your comments section, it makes comments you like more visible to other viewers. They are not a very effective way to thank the commenter. If you want to do that, replying would be more effective :)
I would hope that once you reach the goal of being a psychiatrist you will continue learning. I like to think it's just another step in the journey, not the destination.
I am 65 and Quetiapine was/is the medication that gave me stability. Bi-polar 1, started with depression at twelve.....first mania at 15. I trained as a Mental Health Nurse and I was saying that I may be bi-polar, as I didn't find anything wrong with manic patients usually! I got diagnosed when I was 35. I had 5 children with three different fathers.....as a result of being mentally unwell. I am adopted too....and when, with the advent of Internet, discovered that my blood Father seemed to be very much like me.....he had 7 children with 5 women, and was all over the globe with a very brash life style. I am so thankful for Quetiapine, as nothing else worked for me. Some brilliant Doctors along the way too.
Thank you so much for your contributions here.
The last time I was manic was in October last year when I became toxic on lithium and had to come off it. I had a eurphoric mania and did art non stop for two weeks solid. I wrote 11 zines (mini DIY magazines) and connected with people all over the internet to swap and trade and sell them and I could not sleep for the life of me because if I slept I'd miss out on all my ideas. I'm still paying subscriptions to all the adobe art programs I joined and probably will have to pay them unitl October. It seemed like a good idea at the time anyway. In any case, my seroquel-xr was increased, I can't take mood stabilisers as I've tried them all, and so it took some time but my mania (I was hospitalised) contained itself eventually. Now I have a box full of zines and am still apologising for my behaviour, if only it wasn't so public. I'm glad I didn't get psychotic. I'm well now and are the most well I've been in ages. Don't know why I'm writing this but it just seemed like, here at 4am in Australia, yes I'm doing art and I slept well, but life just feels good now and it's so quiet and calm outside because everyone is sleeping. Nice! Best of luck for your exam. I think you'll make a wonderful psychiatrist when you get there. I'm lucky to have the best psychiatrist in the world. You'll get there, you got this!!!
I just caught myself considering trying that idea🤦 I make a lot of art too
Someone I love is bipolar and I’m learning so much from you so thank you.
As an aside, one thing I have consistently heard from autistic people is that they are commonly misdiagnosed as bipolar or BPD. It would be an interesting thing to learn more about.
I'm glad you gave answered the question about mixed episodes. i hope one day you can make a video just on mixed episode. i basically only had mixed episodes and depressive episodes, only had mania once, and its why for the longest time i didnt believe my bipolar diagnose, nobody talked about mixed episodes and i could not find information on it online. mixed episodes truly are hell on earth. the worst mental pain ever. thanks for your videos
Great video! I hate that media glorifies mania, but it’s also hard to explain it to people I feel. I just say that mania means crazy in Greek. It’s not fun
With bipolar it’s hard to know the difference between maniac and the “normal in between” depression.
Definitely when depression is the main part of you bipolar. Every good mood is seen as a possible manic episode. Definitely when you get Hypothermia.
Thank you very much for sharing what you have been learning!
I am 71 and have suffered from these mental illnesses most of my life, but thankfully, I have been better the past several years. Of course, I don't expect much at this time of life! 😄
I pray you always find these endeavors rewarding and successful.
Hi , you handled that well , I wish you were my psychiatrist . I just found your channel , you are going to be the best ! Been in the bipolar , I'm not even sure what I should call it after 35 yrs. of dealing , I am now schizoaffective . I have had two kind psychiatrists over almost 40 years . Wishing you the best !
yes, exactly. when i was in mixed episodes i had all the energy and the will to hurt myself.
I just found your channel and can’t stop watching :) feels like I’ve just found the best tv show series ever! Anyway I thought I would comment about what I’ve finally realized at age 42. At this point in my life, and I’m sure many of you all will agree, I have burnt, bulldozed, and broken more friendships, relationships, and family ties that there is no longer much to worry about cleaning up! That shipwreck ran aground years ago LOL - While I do have a handful of people in my life who haven’t completely disowned me, they all either tolerate me out of their own guilt or they don’t completely understand what the disorder is like, and probably feel it is not fair to fully judge or write me off. I’m currently on the upswing to a manic episode so my apologies in advance LOL. Not sure where I’m going with this mid-manic rant, but I never thought I would end up with as little friendships and alone after torching 10+ long term relationships, at only 42. We all know 42 in Bipolar years feels like 84…. People look at me funny when I tell them I’m totally good with a lifespan of 55 :) I never give up, I just keep pushing forward and each day is a new page in our journey. My humor and sarcastic nature keeps everyone around me laughing so I at least know I’m still contributing something haha.
Keep up the great work you are doing, people like us need people like you!
I so agree...
Very insightful video! I’m at risk for a bipolar disorder and it’s one of the things in my life I’ve been coming to terms with. Two of my siblings were diagnosed with bipolar and I’ve struggled with depression for years despite my young age. Your videos have helped me understand these disorders more and actually were one of the catalysts for my decision to pursue going to medical school. Keep up the good work and good luck on your exams!!
❤ my mom has biopolar disorder with psychotic episodes and so does 2 out of 5 of my siblings. I do not have it somehow. I see a psychiatrist every month since teen years just because I got so worried I’d not notice becoming bipolar. It didn’t happen and I’m 34 now. I still see a psychiatrist each month. Highly recommend just to be self aware and at peace that you’re being proactive about your mental health!
Hey Dr Syl! Thanks for talking about this - I always appreciate when "my" disorder is delved into as information is power with managing bipolar.
I was diagnosed privately last year at 27, after 15yrs of being misdiagnosed and managed under public metal health care in NZ. My psychiatrist started me on lithium this week as a "last resort" medication - It immediately helped with my depressive episode which was surprising to me, but pharmacologically makes sense given how it interacts with sodium gated channels. Hopefully it will be a good maintenance tool for hypo/manic/mixed episodes too.
I've been manic for about 6 months now, but since I'm on quetiapine I am sleeping. I wonder if the quetiapine is sustaining the mania, because without it I would not be sleeping and would have maybe burned myself out by now. It has reduced the mania into hypomania so it is making it less out of control. I don't really want to tell my psych as he will double my meds so not sure what to do. I get it about amphetamines too, when I was younger and everyone was taking mdma and speed etc, if I took it I always had a bad time, I would get way too high, too fast, then crash into a really low mood or else have horrible racing thoughts, over talkativeness and tension, so they enhanced the bad traits I already had. I knew there was something different about my brain because I could not have a good time on these drugs like everyone else seemed to.
Great video. Thanks Dr Syl.
I have been in remission with this since 2007. Why don't Dr's ever talk about remission? Maybe you can tell me. Great video.
Dr. Syl,
Thank you so much for your content; you're very relatable and I'm glad I stumbled upon your channel!!
I have a general question about sleep. You've mentioned how critical sleep is, and also that a hallucination or psychosis doesn't necessarily mean anything furthur.
I have read about the Navy Seals having to do physically demanding things on little to no sleep for days on end. I've read multiple stories of people not sleeping (especially during medical school!) for days. These people seem to survive, if not uncomfortably, until they can go to sleep.
I know you can't address any personal questions on here but I'm hoping it may be of interest to others. There was a time in my life where I moved and was unable to get a refill on my sleep medicine. I had been taking it every night for 10 years (zolpidem). I couldn't sleep for 4.5 days. Around night 2, day 3, I started seeing shadows in my field of vision, as if someone had just walked by. I started smelling cigarette smoke even though no one in my family smokes and we aren't anywhere near someone that does. I started hearing bits of music that no one was playing.
Reading stories about people who choose to stay up for 5 days makes me feel "weak", bc why was this all happening to me, and so uncontrollably. It wasn't just that I was tired and needed a cup of coffee, I was losing touch with my body. My anxiety became utterly intolerable. I knew logically that what I was thinking wasn't correct, but it didn't matter.
I also wonder if there's a connection between extreme sensitivity to a lack of sleep and schizophrenia/schizoaffective/psychosis disorders? Any insight on these issues would be wonderful. Thank you so much!
i understand that drug induced mania or psychosis from something like an amphetamine may not technically be either of those diagnoses because you cant see them when they are not on drugs.
what about prescribed drugs? I was on fluoxetine to treat depression, first time on any kind of anti depressant. for the first 6 months of it i was much more depressed than before but was trying to trust the process. eventually i ended up switching to 'mania'. elevated mood constantly over a few months, over spending, cheating and convinced my partner for an open relationship, using sex, other drugs and alcohol after it all came on. during this time i was really depressed as well, suicidal and stuff but i also felt undeniable 'mania', impulsivity and on top of the world in a way. maybe it was more hypomania because i could still work, but i failed uni, self harmed at work, never took lunch breaks stayed back 4 or more hours after my shift finished etc
after all this at some point i took myself off the meds, eventually it all calmed down. i still struggle with drinking, have days where i can feel sort of close to this, on top of the world, out of reality, usually i feel like im dissociating in a derealization/depersonalisation way. but it doesnt culminate into a whole episode, usually just a bit more energy for a few days and then either normal level or a bit more depressed than usual.wouldnt call it mania or hypomania but its like tipping that way a liiiittle and best way i can describe it.
im now on sertraline and experience all of this a lot less. sometimes its boring in a way and i more switch between 'normal' and more depressed. its hard to find the energy for most things and sometimes i miss having those days with more energy.
anyway i guess i want to know, if that was a manic/hypomanic episode, does that count as drug induced? or more factors need to be taken in?
Would you consider going a video on Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome?
Mania for me is awful, my last episode started with an elevated mood I became so hyper focused on moving where I always wanted to live so within 24 hours I was driving there, with no plan, no money and I moved there, eventually becoming so psychotic walking down the street that the police became involved, thankfully they knew I wasn’t on drugs and I suffered the consequences when I finally came down in the psychiatric unit and had to try and build a life in the place I had just uprooted myself to without knowing a single person
What are your thoughts on the metabolic psychiatry approach? I'm asking because ketogenic diet applications are becoming increasingly popular for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. What is your opinion?
The last little bit of the video hits home for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism (was told it would have been Asperger’s if that were still a diagnosis), as an adult… oh and PTSD. And I do have a history of childhood trauma. I’ve been very curious about whether it is just trauma or not… because although my symptoms go back as far as I can remember, so does the trauma. Chicken or egg?
You say that most of the time people with Bipolar are depressed, is that what you observe the most? Because I am diagnosed with Bipolar 1, have had a few severe depressive episodes, but I'd say before I started using Lithium the number of hypomanias was much higher.
What's also curious in my case: I was Bipolar 2 when I was diagnosed, I have been on Lithium now for 2,5 years, no depression or hypomania since, but in the last few months I had two manic episodes (both lasting about two weeks), "upgrading" my diagnosis to Bipolar 1. Have you observed something like this before? At the time, it might have been due to my dosage being too low, but it was strange to just experience my first real mania like that.
Keep up the great work and good luck on your exam!
Thx ❤
It’s very difficult living with a bipolar person who only has a prescription for depression. The ripple effect goes through everyone she associates with.
off topic, how long have you been playing the drums? that's so cool.
I get very irritated and rage a lot when manic. I’m better off staying away from people and online shopping when I’m manic.
My estranged family member has this diagnosis. I dont contact because im afraid of triggering them.
In horses, appaloosas have a white sclera, an anomaly in the horse world.
Will you be exploring Metabolic Psychiatry?
What’s the difference between a good mood / good week vs hypomania?
Have you heard of the COMT gene and its impact on mental health?
Hi Dr. Syl--i wonder if you might consider doing a video comparing and contrasting symptoms in hypomania, anxiety, and ADHD? I have a history of anxiety disorders, chronic depression, OCD, and early PTSD. However, i have not responded responded well to high-dose SSRIs for 30 years either on the OCD, anxiety, or depression fronts. Mood stablizers have not helped either. Some people experience jitteriness or akathisia on the anti-depressants. I've been told i could have ADHD in there. One other doctor thought i could be cyclothymic and have mixed depression. These all overlap, but they have clinical implications. Does one remove the SSRIs? Does one try a stimulant? There's such overlap between these different conditions. I've also tried ketamine and TMS as well, and those have not helped much. Welcome your thoughts on these different conditions. thanks.
Not the trusted Authoritative guise I would think of holding the Antipsychotic of the Day. Instead Starched Lab Coat required Sir! Thanks!
I will certainly stay tuned. Anyway could you discuss Treatment Resistant Bipolar 1 v Light Speed Mixed episode forever? Thanks!
Would like to know your thoughts about genome testing to determine which medication is best for an individual person. Have you any thoughts or info on this topic? Thank you!!
Thanks Dr Syl, interesting as always. I'm diagnosed BP2, but was diagnosed during a 2 week inpatient involuntary stay 14 yrs ago. So I guess I should be BP1 ? Anyway, whatever the label I am what I am. I have a niece by marriage, that suddenly started having epileptic seizures. She had multiples per week. Now she has been diagnosed as bipolar. It makes me wonder did the epilepsy cause damage to create the bipolar or did the bipolar cause the epilepsy. I take Sodium valproate as my anti episodic, and it cured my migraines as well.
I would love to hear you talk on some anonymous peoples versions of whaat hypomania is to them, coming from clinically diagnosed bipolar 2, that is..not self diagnosed
Could u please talk about D I D ,
I’m 54 was diagnozesd with severe cptsd and d I d 5 urs ago , maybe more , I cannot keep track of time and space , many disorders stem from both diagnoses , please
Thank u. Jo/ Joanne
I would like to know if there is any psichiatric medication, treatment or recent research related to dementia in younger people (54), and how should the approach be for a person who is fast losing its cognitive skills and cannot cooperate with following up on secondary effects of psychiatric meds.
Most people do not normally express this range of emotion on any one interaction. Are there actually this many "emotions" that can be felt rather than expressed facially, tonally, ect?
Assuming I'm supposed to feel what a person's face is saying.
Hi Dr. Syl! I work as a provider for a child who has DMDD and experiences something that I believe may be similar to mania. Do you have any recommendations as to what supports I could recommend be offered in these moments?
Have you looked into ADHD?
@@watchthisheadspace I don't diagnose in my role, but I am open to recommendations of strategies that help manage ADHD as well!
They could well have ADHD, if interventions for ADHD help then it's highly likely and also it helps so win win. I do this for children who appear to have ADHD or autism and it usually helps, then then get diagnosed through school a few years later but it's often very obvious from early on
Lack of sleep can dramatically alter your mind in extreme and adverse ways. You may not have a condition but if you choose to over stimulate your mind as apposed to winding down and allowing sleep, even someone who has never had any mental condition in the past, could end up with a temporary mental condition. If you’re lucky enough you could be tagged and plagued with a diagnosis for the rest of your life. It is very difficult to regain trust once you loose it. This could happen to anyone! Just 48 hours of lost sleep, or a week of only a bit of sleep here or there and you are probably doing damage. Of course it depends on the person who are you? You really wanna test it? Get sleep people!
It really got me where he said about needing to feel safe and trust to sleep, I've had insomnia since childhood but had ocd before it started so don't think the sleep problem came first. I reacted to my anxiety about going to sleep by staying up doing ocd stuff all night, checking everything in the room was in the right place. I guess it's a chicken or egg question.
I've never had mania, but the way you described hypomania seems like something I may need to consider. I've been under an absolute tremendous amount of stress lately and was the first time I considered calling my PCP and telling him something wasn't right with me mentally. Today I am feeling a lot more settled, so I am thankful.
Is it typical fit people who experience mania to want to avoid accountability for their actions while manic? Blame others for instance? “I spent all my money because you didn’t lock it up”. Or would this be more of a personality thing? During mania we don’t hear from our adult daughter. It’s only when she realizes that she’s in trouble that she contacts us and it’s usually vi long winded text rants about how we are responsible for her predicament or her boyfriend or whoever was last around her. I’m not sure how to handle it. She can be quite vicious and I don’t feel like being around her but she’s also sick so I don’t wish to abandon her either. Do I just ride it out until her mania subsides and not take it personally? Anyone experience this with a loved one?
Again found this information interesting could recognise symptoms in a handful of people
I can’t get a psychiatrist any where as they cost so much .is there any psychiatrist in Sydney Australia that are free Eg clinics .Hope your exams go okay
I need help.....sir
Autistic people would be the genetic component to schizophrenia, people born blind have an almost if not 0% chance of developing schizophrenia but people who go blind are much more likely then sighted people to develop it, this suggests perception of the world around you is a stress factor towards schizophrenia, autistic people at rest take in as much as 40% extra stimuli from the environment this would put any brain under added stress now combine the fact that autistic people find the world overwhelming already and boom super stressor towards schizophrenia, I truly believe there are only a handful of neurotypes that exist and all mental illness stems from what neurotypes you are, how much trauma you have faced (this can include substance use but substances play a much lower role as a stressor unless use is abnormally chronic) and how connected to a supportive and effective community you are (effective meaning regardless of 1 or 200 community members how good that community is at fulfilling social needs)
Thank you for your videos my comments are usually critiques buts thats because I think you content is interesting. One thing I will say is I thought after the Rosenhan experiment (admittedly review years later on evidence) published in Science would have made psychiatry realise and self reflection like empathy and projection etc that there is no such thing as objective. In neuroscience we use "we" or "the author" and I don't expect my discipline to have that insight but was surprised psych doesn't.
I have Bipolar 1 and mixed states with paranoid psychosis. The psychosis is unpleasant. But mixed state close to suicide once until my behvaiour made someone look in my lab and I was discovered. It is the worst experience I would rather 3rd degree burns I've done the classic manic stuff it just makes all the decisions worse why not do meth maybe you'll feel better or whatever. Ironically of course for 10 years I was treated by some doctors and me and a few others I came to know were all diagnosed with treatment resistent depression before bipolar. Antidepressants ironically make me depressed. The other frustrating thing is despite textbook knowledge of neuroscience it hasn't helped my recovery I have had to rely and have made progress with my psychiatrist a bipolar researcher a prof of psych.
I showed him and this is just for your interest the upsidedown from stronger things when not full on psychosis I can get mood contingent otherworldly I showed him the arcade scene on youtube. He must have practiced for 30 or 40 years I asked him if someone has had this he has told me in the past perceptual disturbances are common in bipolar. He said not exactly maybe in words but they didn't have a video so he couldn't conceptualize it. Your mantra complex problems have complex solutions. Mine from my ASD is no two people are alike.
I don't have much more to add than what you've experienced already. I will say when I needed help mixed and hypomanic psych put it down to personality now thats off the cards I couldn't communicate ASD stress. Now I get sectioned a lot so I stay away from hospitals because occasionally you get paternalistic psychs. They know I know how to kill myself effectively they have my history and I guess its a red flag however my current strategy is I can get out so long as I give them my psych card he is respected AO etc and he will tell them I see him weekly and thats my norm and I'll be fine. I had three years of hypomania and mania - my mantra for public hospitals is "traumatised or your money back". I will say the first time if I wasn't scheduled I wouldn't be alive now but very much depends on the doctor you get and how much they care about understanding your case.
Also I think all psychiatrists and junior drs in the training programme should go to a random hospital and get scheduled for a weeks I think people would be more empathic or at the more knowledge. Also even though I studied neuroscience we do kidneys liver heart etc and I there are more medical errors in psych wards so I feel like they should all have a GP like a private hospital.
Two videos in 1 day, we're so spoiled!
What do you do when hormones cause psychosis?
The hormone Prolactin when in high levels can cause psoriasis.
I would just like to share with you a very interesting presentation about bipolar, showing studies results and interpretation to assess diagnose. The video is called "bipolar depression: translating receptor pharmacology to advance management" channel HMP Education. Very interesting recently studies of the brain, highly recommend.
You only get one voice - I hope this fact helps someone with bipolar maintain balance forever - shout and scream and let it on out as a valued member of society
A young man i see "stuck" standing for the entire day, his facial expression looks wild. He smiles, but you can see he is not in a good place. Maybe he doesnt realize hes been standing there for 6 +/- 7 hrs. :(
This is a great video, thank you :)
To your comment at the end about the love hearts, be aware that you leaving a heart will reduce the anonymity of the comments. A creator heart will raise the comment to near the top of the comment section. It doesn't give the commenter a notification that you liked their comment. You've left hearts on some of my comments and I only saw them when I went to re-watch the video, or when I got a notification about a reply to my comment. The hearts function to help you curate your comments section, it makes comments you like more visible to other viewers. They are not a very effective way to thank the commenter. If you want to do that, replying would be more effective :)