Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder

Wesley R · #1 05-02-2008, 05:15 PM

Any have ant experienece with this? My son's gf has been diagnosed with this.

Thanks for any observations based on experience.

theshadow2001 · #2 05-02-2008, 05:25 PM

I thought this was something to do with cycling bikes.

Good thing I noticed mid post. I've never met anyone with OCD so can't be of much use.

Ericman197 · #3 05-02-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I thought this was something to do with cycling bikes.

Good thing I noticed mid post. I've never met anyone with OCD so can't be of much use.

Actually that's what I was thinking too. It might be helpful if someone posts a description of the condition. I happen to know someone who is absolutely obsessed with running and biking to the point where I think she's hurting herself. I guess that isn't the point of the thread though

hbarcat · #4 05-02-2008, 06:13 PM

The term "rapid cycling" is usually used with Bipolar Disorders.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) are widely varied in how they're expressed and there are many support groups for those who have it.

There is also Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) which are not considered to be related to OCD.

I'd look here first for information:

National Institute for Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/index.shtml

spade2you · #5 05-02-2008, 07:03 PM

I was hoping this would be about biking fast, too.

I suffer from OCD, though. I know mine is more of a self-diagnosis, but I don't hafta spend money to learn that I have some OCD.

peterbright · #6 05-02-2008, 07:33 PM

The cycles of Mood Swings in Bipolar Disorder can vary widely. Initially, episodes of depression and mania tend to occur closer together and more frequently. In time the interval between the extremes of mania and depression may stabilize and become longer as a part of the normal progression of the disorder.
Rapid Cycling occurs in approximately 5-15 percent of the Bipolar community, and is defined as "having four or more distinct periods of depression, hypomania, mixed states, or mania in a time period of one year." Women are affected more commonly than men (75 per cent are women). Rapid Cycling is a relatively new diagnosis, having been identified by psychiatrists and researchers shortly after lithium became available for use in bipolar disorder. Since then, more terminology of Rapid Cycling has been added. In ultra rapid cycling episodes may last no more than 24 hours. In ultra ultra rapid cycling several switches of mood occur in a 24-hour period, and in continuous cycling an individual swings back and forth between mania or hypomania continuously with little or no period of identifiable normal mood between the swings.

The idea that rapid cycling bipolar disorder is a specific type of bipolar disorder has been all but dismissed. Currently it is thought that any bipolar can "switch" to a rapid cycling pattern, but that in nearly all cases (as shown in a recent study) most return to their normal bipolar pattern in time.

There have been several areas studied in an attempt to discover why rapid cycling affects some individuals with the disorder and what might be done to improve treatment for these individuals. Some of the things studied included that these individuals seemed to have a thyroid problem, were not helped as efficiently with lithium and had all taken antidepressant medication...and addition were primarily female.

The only one that has been positively proven is that women predominate. Clinicians still feel that antidepressants may play a role in the development of rapid cycling but they have no proof.

At this point in time there is no known cause for rapid cycling, nor is there a specific treatment. Hopefully soon one will be found soon.

Wesley R · #7 05-02-2008, 07:54 PM

Thanks, She did (maybe does now) have thyroid problems and was on antidepressents. My heart goes out to her. This doea affect evryone around her.
Again, thanks for the info.

Scarlet Fire · #8 05-02-2008, 08:10 PM

Make sure your son gives her his support. Things can be tough with Bipolar disorder, but that's no reason to bail out.

Barkless Dog · #9 05-03-2008, 05:13 AM

How old is your son?

f'nar f'nar · #10 05-03-2008, 06:43 AM

I just glanced at it like this... Rapid...cylcling...polar...

I thought it was about a circus polar bear. I was wrong, and this thread isn't nearly as amusing as my laziness led me to believe. Shame on me.

Croox · #11 05-03-2008, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterbright

In ultra ultra rapid cycling several switches of mood occur in a 24-hour period, and in continuous cycling an individual swings back and forth between mania or hypomania continuously with little or no period of identifiable normal mood between the swings.

I think this paragraph just describes every woman I've ever met
I dated a girl who was bi-polar. shed go from normal to depressed in an instant. I tried to help her out as much as i could but her not wanting to try to better things and her depression being a total buzzkill to me I had to bail out.

ric1312 · #12 05-03-2008, 09:14 AM

My sister is very badly bipolar and into schitzophrenia now because she goes through spells where she won't take her medication. She is so bad I can't even be around her anymore because she goes into these fits where she thinks everyone is out to get her and she even imagines things.

It sounds mean, but the best thing your son can do is to dump her nicely and move on. My sister has been married three times, no kids thank god, and ruined every marriage and then blamed it on the poor guy.

He can't fix her and his life will be full of nothing but problems by staying involved with her. I'm sure there will be some people who will say what a jerk I am for saying this, but o well. It's only a girlfriend get him to move on before she becomes a wife or mother of one of his kids.

I'm no doctor, but it is my understanding that this condition is not curable only able to be controlled by medication, which does not always work.