Bipolar Brings a Friend
Isn’t that just what we need?
Introduction
Just when we think it is a mighty challenge to struggle daily with a bipolar diagnosis of any kind, we may be also noticing other symptoms that seem to be from another mental illness. Bipolar can cause a dysregulation of emotions, or simply put, causing us to overthink, project, catastrophize, assume, overact, etc. Then the usual happens, we feel shame, embarrassment, and low self-worth.
I didn’t realize that the “anger on blast” I was experiencing was not just a symptom of Bipolar, it was actually diagnosed much later as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Who knew? That’s great, I thought, I now have many other symptoms to try to identify and manage by using a specific intervention.
The Guest who Came for Dinner and Stayed
Well, as it turns out in a story written by Denise Mann called, “When Bipolar Comes With a Plus One (or More)”, in a freelance writer for Everyday Health, January 15, 2024, there are many other mental health conditions that might be on a ride with your Bipolar diagnosis.
As she points out, co-existing or co-morbidities are likely to mask Bipolar symptoms and actually may be present on their own. For example, OCD, ADHD, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, Anxiety…
