Bipolar Disorder is like Diabetes

No they aren't linked to each other. And no, on a medical level diabetes has nothing to do with bipolar disorder or vice versa.

But so many people don't understand what Bipolar Disorder is about that sometimes it's better give an example that is more common. So here's one. Bipolar Disorder is like Diabetes in how you deal with it.

1.

Diabetes is a physical condition. You body no longer knows how to provide the appropriate amount of insulin any longer. It is not a mental condition that you can wish away.

Bipolar Disorder is a physical condition. You body no longer knows how to provide the appropriate amount of some chemical any longer. It is not a mental condition that you can wish away.

2.

<verify> In Diabetes, if your body does not produce insulin to manage your blood sugar level properly, you can show symptoms of dizziness, mental confusion, and act crazy. These are symptoms caused by Diabetes but they are not the actual problem. Managing the insulin to get the blood sugar level in a safe range causes the symptoms to go away.

In Bipolar Disorder, if your body does not produce the chemicals that manage your moods properly, you can show symptoms of depression, mental confusion, and act crazy. These are symptoms caused by the Bipolar Disorder but they are not the actual problem. Managing the chemicals to get the mood level in a safe range causes the symptoms to go away.

Addendum: The biological mechanism for managing your blood sugar level is well understood, so the drugs mostly work as you think they should. However , the biological mechanism for managing your moods is not well understood, so the drugs mostly don't work as you think they should. As the science guys understand it more, we'll get better drugs.

3.

Diabetes is not cured, it is managed.

Bipolar Disorder is not cured, it is managed.

4.

Finally, but this is a very important warning - You have to manage the things you do, you can't just fix them in stone. One way of looking at this is to consider how diabetics cope. Their goal is to have a blood sugar level in a safe range and to take insulin to keep it there. But, it's a bit more complicated than that. Diabetics have have be aware that the activities that they have done or plan to do which will affect their blood sugar level. So if they exercised vigorously in the evening, that affects the amount of insulin they may need to take. If tomorrow they plan to go to a wedding and enjoy dessert, that will affect how they manage their insulin tomorrow. It's not a "one fixed activity is the solution", but an awareness of oneself and one's activities and adjusting the fixes to match.

The same idea holds with depression. Regardless of what we do, the internal chemistry that causes the depression episodes will continue. What we need to do is to be aware of this and to be aware of how we are feeling, and adjust the things that help keep us from depressed so that we avoid actually becoming depressed

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