The Amygdala
In reading about bipolarity in the book Owning Bipolar, I was able to see the biological connection between this disorder and trauma.
In the brain, there are two main functioning parts that play out in bipolarity. The first is the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which is a more newly developed part of the brain that acts as a moral guide. It has come into play as we have evolved, living closely in relation to others in the development of societies where we need a firm understanding of what is right and wrong (for our own safety). The second part of the brain that plays a role is the amygdala, and this is in charge of producing emotions and processing emotional memories. The amygdala alerts the PFC when there is a threat, real or imagined, and the PFC makes an executive decision on how to address that threat. It is asserted that in bipolar disorder, the two parts of the brain have a disconnect (intermittently), leading in bipolar behaviours that come our in bouts of mania or depression.
What I realized in reading this, as I am now taking a trauma-based approach in my dealings with bipolar disorder, is that yes of course addiction and trauma can easily look like bipolar, because the amygdala is taking memories and basically running wild with them. When trauma is unresolved or when addiction is active, the memories are actually "real" and are still happening. The amygdala takes memories and tells the PFC that they are occurring in that moment (due to triggers).
In recognizing this, I have decided to try substituting the word "bipolar" with "trauma" or "addiction", moving forward as I study bipolarity, and see if the dialogue actually changes or not. I am not a doctor, I am an English major (which arguably can be just as effective in a study such as this), and with the acknowledgement that while I have absolutely zero medical training, in understanding bipolar disorder to be in fact trauma, we can heal people through therapy instead of using drugs for a misdiagnosis.
It thrills me to think of millions of people being saved of psychological torment and the devastating worldly consequences of that, simply by getting to the root of the dis-ease, instead of just using a prescription and never actually giving coping mechanisms for triggers. Because medication does not really help in the grand scheme; it does not stop the mood changes, it does not cease the erratic behaviours, and it does not ease the mental obsessions that lead to poor choices (and thus beginning the cycle of mood swings once more). But understanding why we think and act the way we do, might actually empower us to approach our malady with insight and direction, instead of mindless consumption.
In the brain, there are two main functioning parts that play out in bipolarity. The first is the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which is a more newly developed part of the brain that acts as a moral guide. It has come into play as we have evolved, living closely in relation to others in the development of societies where we need a firm understanding of what is right and wrong (for our own safety). The second part of the brain that plays a role is the amygdala, and this is in charge of producing emotions and processing emotional memories. The amygdala alerts the PFC when there is a threat, real or imagined, and the PFC makes an executive decision on how to address that threat. It is asserted that in bipolar disorder, the two parts of the brain have a disconnect (intermittently), leading in bipolar behaviours that come our in bouts of mania or depression.
What I realized in reading this, as I am now taking a trauma-based approach in my dealings with bipolar disorder, is that yes of course addiction and trauma can easily look like bipolar, because the amygdala is taking memories and basically running wild with them. When trauma is unresolved or when addiction is active, the memories are actually "real" and are still happening. The amygdala takes memories and tells the PFC that they are occurring in that moment (due to triggers).
In recognizing this, I have decided to try substituting the word "bipolar" with "trauma" or "addiction", moving forward as I study bipolarity, and see if the dialogue actually changes or not. I am not a doctor, I am an English major (which arguably can be just as effective in a study such as this), and with the acknowledgement that while I have absolutely zero medical training, in understanding bipolar disorder to be in fact trauma, we can heal people through therapy instead of using drugs for a misdiagnosis.
It thrills me to think of millions of people being saved of psychological torment and the devastating worldly consequences of that, simply by getting to the root of the dis-ease, instead of just using a prescription and never actually giving coping mechanisms for triggers. Because medication does not really help in the grand scheme; it does not stop the mood changes, it does not cease the erratic behaviours, and it does not ease the mental obsessions that lead to poor choices (and thus beginning the cycle of mood swings once more). But understanding why we think and act the way we do, might actually empower us to approach our malady with insight and direction, instead of mindless consumption.
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