Bipolar Disorder: Impact on Interests & Mind - Worried about Courses?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the potential impact of treatment for bipolar disorder on personal interests and cognitive functions, particularly in relation to academic performance in biology and other subjects. Participants share personal experiences and concerns regarding the effects of medication on their creativity and mental state.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Personal experiences

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern that treatment for bipolar disorder may lead to a loss of interests or cognitive edge, particularly in academic settings.
  • Others share positive experiences, suggesting that treatment can enhance concentration and improve academic performance, citing personal success after beginning medication.
  • A participant reflects on the fear of losing unique aspects of their personality, such as creativity and the ability to make conceptual leaps, due to medication.
  • There are mentions of experiences with hallucinations or delusions, raising questions about the relationship between these symptoms and treatment outcomes.
  • Some participants recommend seeking professional diagnosis and treatment, emphasizing the importance of not self-diagnosing.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential emotional numbness associated with medication and its impact on personal identity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; while some assert that treatment will not diminish interests or cognitive abilities, others remain uncertain and express fears about losing parts of themselves through medication.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying experiences with bipolar disorder, including rapid cycling and the presence of hallucinations, which may influence their perspectives on treatment. There is also a noted difference in healthcare access and waiting times between countries.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals experiencing bipolar disorder, those considering treatment options, and anyone interested in the intersection of mental health and academic performance may find this discussion relevant.

madcat8000
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Do people lose their interests when treated for bipolar disorder? Are there any other changes in the mind itself? I am worried ill lose my edge in biology courses if i begin treatment.
 
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I only personally know one person with bipolar disorder. He was doing ok for awhile, owned a successful construction company, but then he went off the deep end. He surfaced 2 years later, on meds, and invited me to an art gallery showing his work. He's now a locally famous artist with 2 galleries, making loads of money and happy and feeling great for the first time since he can remember. The meds gave him back his life, plus some.
 
Yeah i don't think mine was noticeable till i had the double whammy of job loss and relationship break up. I may not be bipolar but i do recognize the mania and delusion part of it pretty well. Problem is i LOVE that part of me that gets crazy and thinks about cell biology and philosophy. Dammit...
 
madcat8000 said:
Yeah i don't think mine was noticeable till i had the double whammy of job loss and relationship break up. I may not be bipolar but i do recognize the mania and delusion part of it pretty well. Problem is i LOVE that part of me that gets crazy and thinks about cell biology and philosophy. Dammit...


Get yourself diagnosed by a specialist MD, get a second opinion, and ask for their help and treatment . Don't diagnose yourself.
 
have to agree with DanP. Also, no, treatment won't make you lose your interests or your edge. Recommend you look at textbook Manic-Depressive Illness by Goodwin and Jamison
 
Im not diagnoseing myself but since i don't make much money and live in the US i have to wait to get seen and was just wondering what i might expect. And honestly from what I've read about it, its seems blatent though not sever. Just kinda hard when your favorite body part seems to be acting a bit dodgy.
 
Hey madcat,
I'm being treated for bipolar for about a year now, and I haven't had any loss of interests or anything like that really. In actuality I find I can concentrate a lot more now, evident in the fact that when I was untreated a few years ago ,I was failing uni and dropped out, now I've just received my results for this semester and got straight 7's (high distinctions) in physics. You honestly won't lose your edge, everything gets a whole lot better.
Hope this helps...
 
No experience of bipolar disorder as such, but agree with DanP and PhysDrew. If you are diagnosed and treated, you may find things are different, but much better, and will feel you have lost nothing and gained some.
 
I am in the process of being diagnosed myself, everyone I have seen so far has said the same, Bi Polar, but unfortunately with rapid cycling.One of the things they believe may be a symptom is the 'ghosts' I see. I am not adamant they are ghosts or anything, I just know that wherever I live they are, I hear and I see them. These have4 always been there since my teens, I'm struggling with the fact that if I start the meds they want and these 'ghosts' disappear then I will know that part of my life wasn't actually real, despite me physically seeing and hearing them, and to lose the high points too, they are fun, yes my friends think I'm loopy, but its me, the lower side is a whole different side, a&e seems to be familiar with me. I've just left hospital yesterday and have appointments every 2 day till I see the psychiatrist again on Thursday and I get quite anxious around these times. But will these medications just numb me, and take away what makes me? Any help, advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
 
  • #10
Well my first discovery about it was that i had delusions about the people around me. Trying to save up the 250 dollars to see someone but I am learning to pull apart the delusions. Just try to remember that its an expression of your emotions that have gotten too strong. I am still scared ill lose the part of me that let's me make great conceptual leaps that occasionaly startel people. I mean come on who wouldn't like to occasionaly get laid because they took over a lecture in class and did a better job of explaining it that even the text's author could do or the sheer amazement and respect i can get when the professor i just met in the elevator didnt have to dumb down his work to talk about it with me. Crossing my fingers though.
 
  • #11
I shall keep my fingers crossed too, my meds should be started by the end of the week, so a little more fortunate in the not having to wait so long. That is the joy of the UK, the good old NHS.
 
  • #12
You wouldn't lose your interests in all aspects of your life, you won't feel so up and down, and you probably will experience a portion of the interests you had with the disease
 

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