Four Primary Types of Bipolar Disorder

Psychiatrist Wayne Macfadden MD handles the psychiatric evaluation and treatment of Native Americans at Spirit Lake Health Center. Possessing upwards of three decades of psychiatric experience, Wayne Macfadden MD has been involved in numerous clinical studies of mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder.

Marked by periods of highs and lows in mood, bipolar disorder affects around 4.4 million adults in the United States. The disorder is usually divided into several types:

Bipolar I

People diagnosed with bipolar I have manic episodes for at least seven days in a row. If these manic episodes are extreme, patients may require hospitalization. After the period of mania, people with bipolar I experience major depression for at least two weeks or a mix of manic and depressive and moods.

Bipolar II

Patients with this diagnosis do not experience full-blown manic episodes. They often have a pattern of mild depressive and hypomanic episodes. Since these episodes are mild, they often go unrecognized, resulting in a misdiagnosis of depression and not bipolar disorder.

Cyclothymia

Also known as cyclothymic disorder, this type of bipolar disorder is characterized by periods that do not meet the criteria for fully depressive or manic episodes. In children, cyclothymia may last for a year, while it can last two years or longer in adults.

Not otherwise specified (NOS)

In recurring episodes of hypomania without depressive episodes, rapid swings between mania and depression, or any other mix of symptoms that do not adhere to a specific pattern, the bipolar disorder is usually described as NOS. Medical conditions, drug use, or alcohol use may play a part in the appearance of these bipolar-like symptoms.

Common Myths about buprenorphine (Suboxone®)

Suffering from mental problems
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Board-certified psychiatrist Wayne Macfadden MD (https://www.internationalpsychiatricservices.com/) provides psychiatric evaluation and treatment to Native Americans as the first full-time Psychiatrist on Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. Wayne Macfadden MD established the reservation’s buprenorphine (Suboxone®) treatment clinic, the first such treatment program on an Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

Buprenorphine (Suboxone®)-assisted treatment helps people manage their withdrawal symptoms and overcome addiction to opioids. Unfortunately, much misinformation exists about this treatment. Here are several myths about buprenorphine (Suboxone®):

- You can overdose on it.

In almost all fatal overdoses which involved buprenorphine, the overdose was caused by mixing buprenorphine with other drugs. Compared to other opiates, serious medial complications resulting from overdose are uncommon. The medication is a partial opiate receptor agonist and activates certain parts of the brain with less intensity than other opioids. Further, buprenorphine can activate only a few opioid receptors in the brain, making overdose less likely.

- You aren’t recovering if you’re taking buprenorphine (Suboxone®).

The idea has persisted that taking buprenorphine (Suboxone®) means a person is not recovering from an addiction, that they are simply substituting one drug for another. However, addiction is often regarded as a medical condition that necessitates the use of medication for treatment, as outcomes are otherwise generally worse. Moreover, the use of buprenorphine (Suboxone®) often reduces the harm from opioid drugs, by resulting in less illicit drug use, and fewer negative consequences that such behaviors may lead to (time away from work or family to obtain drug, to recover from intoxication or withdrawal, and less illegal activities engaged in to obtain the drug).

- buprenorphine (Suboxone®) should be used briefly.

While different practitioners have different opinions on the length of time their patients should use buprenorphine (Suboxone®), no evidence supports claims on the exact length of time the drug should be used. Generally, a patients may be treated with buprenorphine (Suboxone®) for as long as their doctor safely prescribes it, with many patients successfully treated for several years.

How Bipolar Disorders Differ

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For more than three decades, Wayne Macfadden MD (https://www.internationalpsychiatricservices.com/) has been practicing as a Psychiatrist in clinical, research, and academic settings. The Psychiatrist at the Spirit Lake Indian Nation Tribal Health Center and co-founder of International Psychiatric Services, Wayne Macfadden MD has been involved in dozens of clinical research studies about psychiatric conditions such as Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar Disorder is characterized by abnormal lows and highs in a person’s mood. "High", or manic episodes create strong feelings of excitement or intense energy. "Low", or depressive episodes include feelings of hopelessness or sadness.

While there are several types of Bipolar Disorder, Type 1 and 2 are the most common and are distinguished by differences in the severity of manic episodes, and by the required presence of a full Depressive Episode in Type 2. .

People with Bipolar Disorder Type I experience full manic episodes at least once in their lives. During these episodes, a person may experience restlessness, poor sleep, exceptional energy, and feelings of euphoria. These symptoms are often so strong that they are noticeable by friends or family members and may require hospitalization. Manic episodes often interfere with a person’s life and can cause problems in school, work, and relationships.

Bipolar Disorder Type II is characterized by the required presence of a Depressive Episodes at least once in the person's life. And when a person with Bipolar Disorder Type II has a manic episode, it is less severe and does not affect the person’s daily responsibilities and functioning as much as Bipolar Disorder Type I. However, depressive symptoms, which may include changes in eating habits and thoughts of suicide, last at least two weeks and often negatively impact the person’s life and functioning.