March 30 is celebrated International Awareness Day against Bipolar Disorder.
On this occasion, the Biomed MTC clinic relays years of experience in the care of people diagnosed with this disease by the testimony of its medical team.
"It turned out that a third of the patients consulted were not bipolar, but suffered from another treated disorder allowed the stabilization of bipolarity symptoms" - according to the Lingling Shi therapist, founder of the Biomed MTC clinic.
Formerly calledmanic-depression,Bipolar disorder is a mental health that causesExtreme mood swingsWith emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and stockings (depression). The prevalence of this disorder in the general population is 1%, which encourages patients to consult the Biomed MTC clinic to remedy it.
It is important to emphasize thatBipolar disorder is a treatable disease with several therapeutic approachesTo reduce symptoms and improve the lives of people with affected, including: psychotherapy, drugs (including lithium), lifestyle changes and complementary therapies (including traditional Chinese medicine).
What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?
Diagnosed patients who were going to Biomed MTC suffered from usual symptoms ofMania phasesbipolar disorder such as:
- excessively high and expansive euphoric mood
- increase in energy, activity and agitation
- extreme irritability
- Talk very quickly, jump from one idea to another
- incapacity to concentrate, to distract oneself easily
- extreme impatience
- grandiosity
- little sleep required
- Rumination, obsessions and automatic gestures
- compulsivity
- risky behavior
- Excessive purchases and expenditure
- Sexual appetite increased
- Loss of common sense and reality
- mysticism and visions
In depression phaseThe symptoms usually observed are:
- apathy
- tired
- Need to sleep for a long time
- discouragement
- sadness
- tears
- pessimism
- dark ideas
When not stabilized, bipolar disorder may be serious stateFor the affected person as well as for their loved ones. The patient can become dysfunctional, lose his job, his autonomy and become dependent, ruin, isolate himself and separate from his couple, his family and his friends, damage the relationship with his loved ones, his colleagues and his customers, bind with strangers, adopt a dangerous behavior for herself and his entourage, require medical care to see a hospital internment. The transition from one phase from the disease to another is not predictable and difficult to understand, with durations that seem random.
In psychiatry, there are several tools for diagnosing the most commonly used bipolarity being structured clinical maintenance (SCID), which is a standardized evaluation of several mental disorders including bipolar disorder. The SCID includes a series of questions about symptoms, medical and family history, medication, aspects of daily life. The responses are evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine if the criteria are sufficient for bipolar disorder to be diagnosed.
There are other tools such as the scale of evaluation of manic and depressive symptoms (YMRS and MADRS), the bipolar gravity index, and the behavior disorder questionnaire (Mood disorder questionnaire).These tools can help diagnose and determine the degree of severity of the disease. In practice, there is no normalized test tool. People are often diagnosed depressed until they make manic access to meet the criteria of manic-depressive.
What did the ancient Chinese think of imbalances and bipolar disorders?
The approach of bipolar disorder by traditional Chinese medicine
The bipolar disorder closely follows the description of the old Chinese disease called Dian Kuang 癫狂. The etymology of these Chinese characters speaks volumes about the pathological manifestations of the disease.
The character 癫 is composed of the radical ne 疒, disease and the dian component 颠 which means 'the summit, the peak'.
Dian 癫Means 'withdrawal disease' and is characterized by taciturnity, soliloque (talk to oneself) and weakness of mind.It is the depressed state,indifference, withdrawal, insensitivity, calm.
The Kuang character 狂means and represents a rabid dog that barks.It's mania: agitation, cries, offensive speeches, aggressive behavior, crushing objects, unusual physical strength.
Chapter 22 of Ling Shu 靈樞 (name of the Bible of Acupuncture of traditional Chinese medicine which means “pivot of spirit” in French) says: 'When Dian appears for the first time, there is a lack of joy, heavy and painful red eyes, looking up. When Kuang appears for the first time, there is little sleep, no hunger, glorification of oneself as if we were the most learned person, shouting after people, no rest day and night '.
Chapter 20 of Nanjing says: "The excess of Yin Cause Dian, the excess of Yang causes the Kuang. »»
Yin's excess implies an accumulation of phlegm that clogs the “Shen”, the Spirit. When the vessels are obstructed by mucus, blood can no longer circulate properly to feed the brain and this results in mental disorder, confusion, depression, platitude.
The excess of Yang takes place because there is too much stagnation of IQ- "vital energy"- (due to the phlegm) which in turn pushes fire upwards. The fire then attacks the heart which presents symptoms such as manic behavior and agitation.
The treatment of bipolarity with traditional Chinese medicine
The principle of treatment is to eliminate phlegm and open the orifices, drain fire and attack accumulations. The meridians and organs involved are often the pericardium, the liver, the heart and the stomach.
In addition to the choice of a prescription for acupuncture treatment and aphytotherapy,Since it is such a recalcitrant disorder, the patient needs to be constantly reminded of his own contribution to recover. For this, auriculotherapy points such as the Shenmen can be used and the patient can stimulate him by himself at home between visits to the clinic.
Photo credit: Lauren Terrigeol
Furthermore, Food and physical activity play a major rolein treatment. When we do not find the joy of life and our body lacks serotonin and dopamine, we tend to consume poor diet (junk food rich in salt and sugar) which in turn creates more phlegm and fire in the body.
When it comes to psycho-emotional conditions, it is imperative toEmphasize physical activity because the body is a vehicle by which we can access and treat the mind. Qi gong gymnasticsproven to be beneficial for mood regulation and can therefore be used as therapeutic exercise in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
With qualified medical care, the sufficient experience of the therapist and his colleagues, and thanks to a solid therapeutic alliance with the patient, the latter can be guided towardsA more balanced life both mentally and physically.
A discovery at Biomed MTC: a third of women diagnosed with bipolaries suffered from PMS
By treating women diagnosed with bipolar disorder and women with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) in parallel, the therapists of the Biomed MTC clinic have noticed joint symptoms. PMS are physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms including mood swings that can occur during the second phase of the menstrual cycle. In addition to premenstrual bleeding, PMS symptoms are:
- Irritability
- Stomach ache
- Digestive disorders
- Anger
- Impulsiveness
- Bulimia
- Frequent and regular crying (an entire day every two weeks for example)
The causes of the PMS are not well known: it is a combination of factors including a hormonal disruption at this particular moment in women, especially levels of estrogen and progesterone.
What causes the pains and annoying symptoms of premenstrual syndrome?
Some people are genetically predisposed to PMS. In other cases, these areBad habits that can activate the disease:Some 13 -year -old girls consume all year roundcontraceptive pills.When they stop, the rule is lacking, unlike the symptoms of the PMS which are present and annoying. Other women take the pill continuously to their thirties and when they stop you have to wait for months, sometimes more than a year for the rules to return. Many young girls take the pill without a partner or practice sex.
A solution to PMS and bipolar disorder
By treating the symptoms of the PMSwomen who have taken the pill for too long, with therapies of traditional Chinese medicine such asacupuncture, phytotherapy, Auriculotherapy,food and physical activity, therapists of the Biomed MTC clinicalso managed to stabilize the symptoms of bipolar diagnosed women.This observation doubts the diagnosis of bipolarity for these women, which could only be a PMS.
The Biomed MTC therapist is positioning himself as a defender of the patient's safety and integrity who benefits from his medical expertise and his attention.The therapist supports the patient to stabilize, he/she helps him to understand a very complex situation, allows him to identify resources and suggests that he are fighting the right battles.
It takes courage to overcome a bipolar disorder, first of all by accepting that something is wrong. A crisis pushes us to the bottom of a very difficult situation. In the Chinese etymology of the word crisis, there is the sense of opportunity, that of recovery, change and progress.It is possible to recover and get out of such a life experience.
Don't wait any longer to take care of yourself!
If like these patients you suffer from behavioral, bipolarity or PMS disorders, do not wait to contact our specialized therapists who will quickly welcome you.