Dementia & Bipolar: What's the connection?

I’ve never been silent to the fact that I’m also bipolar. Even today in late 2015 there is still much stigma against being mentally ill but, I refuse to buy into societies discrimination's. So I wear my diagnosis  of bipolar proudly. 

Much of the stigma stems from lack of understanding symptoms. There are three major forms of Bipolar; Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2 and Cyclothymia.  According to World Health Organization, Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world. Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans or about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Bipolar Disorder has faces various episodes of symptoms like Mood Episode, Manic Episode, Depressive Episode and/ or Mixed Episode.

• Bipolar I Disorder (mania or a mixed episode) – The classic manic-depressive form of the illness, characterized by at least one manic episode or mixed episode. Bipolar I Disorder also involves at least one episode of depression.
• Bipolar II Disorder (hypomania and depression) – In Bipolar II disorder, the person doesn’t experience full-blown manic episodes. Instead, the illness involves episodes of hypomania and severe depression.
• Cyclothymia (hypomania and mild depression) – Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder. It consists of cyclical mood swings. However, the symptoms are less severe than full-blown mania or depression

Symptoms of bipolar disorder are described below.

Symptoms of mania or a manic episode	Symptoms of depression or a depressive episode	Symptoms of hypomania or hypomanic episode
A long period of feeling "high," or an overly happy or outgoing mood Extremely irritable mood, agitation, feeling "jumpy" or "wired Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, having racing thoughts Being easily distracted Increasing goal-directed activities, such as taking on new projects Being restless Sleeping little Having an unrealistic belief in one's abilities Behaving impulsively and taking part in a lot of pleasurable, high-risk behaviors, such as spending sprees, impulsive sex, and impulsive business investments.	A long period of feeling worried or empty Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex. Feeling tired or "slowed down" Having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions Being restless or irritable Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide.	Feel euphoric, energetic, and productive To others looks like they are unusually happy.  Hypomania is a less severe form of mania They are able to carry on with their day-to-day lives and they never lose touch with reality But may lead to bad decisions that harm relationships, careers, and reputations Often escalates to full-blown mania or is followed by a major depressive episode

 What does this have to do with Parinson’s let alone with dementia you all may be asking? Well, when it comes to bipolar according to your loved one’s, you, the person with bipolar, can never just have a bad day. You can never just be upset about something. If you get mad because your daughter left food sitting out all night and you feel it’s your duty as a father to say something and be aggravated then its other people’s duty to give you the, “everyone makes mistakes honey,” speech. You’re not entitled to have a bad day because you have the possibility of making it into more than a bad day.

You can’t even enjoy being in a really good moods without being suspected of being up to something. You must have ulterior motives with a plan.

So it goes on with dementia. The accusations of playing the game of being senile while in fact you have less than your full capacities. Why would anyone subject themselves to those stigmas and criticisms is beyond me. I’ve lived a full life of being criticized as being fake at being bipolar. How dare I even think to pretend to have dementia. “He’s too smart. He know’s better. He’s just trying to get attentions.” I’ve written bills and measurements for my state representative to be heard before our senate. I’ve drafted two different proclamations for three years that my stat governor has signed. Yet I’ve landed myself in the psychiatric ward of a hospital ten times. I’ve heard some doozies of speculations of theories regarding my behavior behind my bipolar. And I can promise you that it has baffled no one more than it has baffled myself.

And the same on goes for dementia. You know the old saying, “We treat people how we want them to treat us?” Many people with dementia get treated like children. So they act like children to that person and typically only to that person. It’s degrading not only to the person with dementia but also to the caregiver. It tells us you don’t have the capacity to relate to another human being on your level or above. So you have to step over them in order to make yourself feel superior.

But that person with dementia may act out and if so it’s not the dementia and it’s not defiance. They are simply demanding respect.

Another problem I have that I’ve been told, “Oh your forgetting again.” Our information we hold in our brains is just as important to a conversation as anyone’s else’s. To be told that what you bring to a conversation isn’t important to the point that it doesn’t even need to be brought up is flat out mean and disrespectful. If you include a person with dementia in your group whether it’s the table or any other group, engage with them completely. Otherwise you make them feel second class and unworthy to be there.

Dementia care has a lot in common with bipolar care. The two diseases have a lot in common in themselves. Both hit home to end with the quote people may forget what you do for them, but they will never forget how you make them feel.