“Like hundreds of thousands of French, I am bipolar (…) yes, I am a mental patient. It is believed, it is violent to say and maybe listening, but I do not want to hide it, nor hide.” These are the words confident this Wednesday, March 26 by the journalist Nicolas Delay in the microphone of France Inter.
A broken taboo? By putting words about their own ailments, the morning co -presenter said that the projector on disorders that would affect up to 2.5% of the French population according to health insurance. A psychiatric disease, however, is still little known to some.
• Bipolar disorders: What is it?
If we speak in the daily language of the “bipolar disorder”, these are actually plural phenomena, with expressions that vary from one person to another. In general, it is a “chronic psychiatric disease characterized by recurring humor disorders”, which had previously the name of manic -dependent psychosis, according to Ameli.
The person experiences successions of episodes called “maniacs”, with an exalted mood and “psychomotor agitation.” And, in another phase, depressed episodes and a loss of energy: great sadness, loss of motivation, withdrawal of oneself and the appearance of suicidal ideas.
“Most failed patients live from eight to ten manic cycles of depression during their lives, but others will live several cycles in the same year,” said the website of the Ministry of Health. Cycles affected by the background treatments offered to the sick.
There are two types, one with more intense manic phases than the second, where the rebirth of energy could go unnoticed or with less severe manifestations.
• Age, sex … Who are the people who develop these disorders?
With more than 2% of the French population affected by these disorders, the number of affected people is counted in hundreds of thousands. A figure that could even be “undervalued” according to the high authority for health, especially in less severe forms.
There is really no “robot portrait” of the affected person. They can be men as women, and come from all socioeconomic circles. In general, the symptoms are manifested for the first time in adolescence or entry to adulthood.
One of the causes that can explain the appearance of the disease is the genetic route, as the Inserm explains. “We have helped to demonstrate that bipolar patients carry genetic variants (…) that make them more prone to environmental risk factors, such as infections, severe trauma, pollution, bad lifestyle,” explains Marion Leboyer, professor of psychiatry at the Henri-Mondor Chu (AP-HP).
Therefore, there is a genetic vulnerability that makes a person more likely to develop this disorder, but they are not hereditary. Factors such as violence in childhood or consumption of narcotics, especially cannabis, in adolescence, can increase the probability of developing a bipolar disorder.
• Can we treat or cure bipolarity?
Can we live with a bipolar disorder? “One of my colleagues said we do not eliminate the waves, we learn to surf,” schematizes with the BFMTV.com professor Bruno Estain, Psychiatrist in ABHP and coordinator of experts experts of bipolar disorders of the fundamental foundation.
Patients can be offered a treatment, so that “mood regulators” medications, both through “educational” medicines, help patients to take their treatment, avoid stress, build a stable sleep rate, etc. A two -legged approach.
“Pharmacological treatment is not the only important thing in attention, it must be combined with other non -pharmacological approaches,” insists Bruno Estain.
Some people are tempted to stop their treatments after the disappearance of symptoms, which inevitably causes a relapse. This chronic disease does not disappear, but dominates.
Source: BFM TV
