I’m a Teenage Girl with Bipolar II Diagnosis, Will I Ever Be Cured?

“I am a 17 year old girl and I am a second semester senior  in a small private school in  Chicago. A few months ago I was diagnosed as Bipolar II. How did this happen to me, and will I ever be cured?”

I don’t know from your question how much you have learned, since your diagnosis, about mood disorders in general and bipolar type II in particular

Mood disorders can range from depression, which is characterized by lethargy, a significant gain or loss of weight, lack of energy or initiative, erratic sleep patterns, sadness or hopelessness, as well as other symptoms. In more extreme cases there are also recurring thoughts of suicide. With bipolar disorder type II, persons exhibit short periods of “highs.” They may be “hypo-manic,” periods of higher energy level with seeming high levels of concentration and accomplishment. With hypomania there may be racing thoughts, rapid speech, distractibility, irritability and a minor sense of invulnerability. With “mania,” the level of activity takes on a life of its own. Anything is possible to accomplish. The sense of invulnerability and power is almost absolute. People may go on spending sprees, engage in extremely risky behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse, promiscuity and excessive gambling. Nobody can get through to someone who is in this state. People who are having a manic episode are deaf to any mention of a mental disorder. In essence they are in denial, and it is virtually impossible to get them to see a mental health professional for diagnosis. Oddly enough, the periods of depression are longer, punctuated by shorter periods of hypomania and mania.

With this information at hand, there is more information that relates specifically to adolescents and young adults. First of all, it is anticipated that the evaluation for your diagnosis included a great deal of information about your past and present. For instance, is there any history of alcoholism or drug abuse, physical or emotional abuse, or other mental illness in your family’s background? Is there any physical illness on your part that might be contributing to your symptoms? Have you had a physical to rule this out? What is going on in your life at the present time that might also be causing symptomatic behavior? For instance, I assume, since you are a second semester senior, that you are planning to either be in college or on a job next fall. To what extent is this stressful? Will you continue to live at home, or be living independently? Either situation can cause much stress. Change is particularly hard for persons with mood disorders. The anticipated changes of graduation can cause anxiety, as can any changes in living conditions. For most persons, these changes create a moderate level of stress. They exhibit resiliency and cope with the changes with minimal symptomatic behavior. For persons with potential mood disorders, these changes cause unnaturally high levels of stress, resulting in multiple symptomatic behaviors and the possible diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In some cases, interpersonal dynamics influence the relationships in the family. What role do you play in your family? If you are perceived as a very responsible person with a primary role (maybe even “caretaker?”) in your family, it is harder to individuate. You may be perceived as a primary member of the family with irreplaceable duties, and when you leave, the family may “fall apart.” In some cases, the responsible child may well be the “emotional glue” providing stability for the family. In other cases, an adolescent is vehement about leaving the family and might feel guilty about this seeming “abandonment.” This, too, can create an unnatural level of stress in one prone to a mood disorder.

So, there are many things to consider and assess in the process of diagnosis of a mood disorder. Medication is usually a part of recovery with mood disorders. In a young person, with proper treatment, there is much hope for freedom from symptomatic behavior and the opportunity for a life of fulfillment.

Dr. Manuel S. Silverman, PhD