The Bipolar Empath
by Dr. Theresa M. Kelly
The
most common psychiatric diagnosis among those with extraordinary
empathic skills is Bipolar Disorder. Also known as manic depression,
manic-depressive disorder and bipolar affective disorder, this
diagnosis describes a category of mood disorders. In the case of many
empaths, there are presences of a multitude of episodes of abnormally
elevated mood throughout their lives. Moods bounce back and forth from
major depression to times of mania or experience both emotions
simultaneously. Episodes of one mood or another can last days, months,
even years at a time. In extreme cases, empaths can experience
psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Depressive
episodes are associated with distress and disruption leading to
elevated risk of suicide. Manic episodes are associated with
creativity, goal striving and positive achievements, though usually
acted out without forethought or logical thinking.
Empaths
tend to have mild to severe bipolar disorders throughout childhood and
adulthood. Periods of heightened emotional stress can accelerate the
disorder as well as increases in empathic sensitivity. Increased
empathic sensitivity can lead to stronger and more frequent episodes
just as periods of heightened emotional stress can increase empathic
sensitivity. While this disorder may always be an underlying part of
the empath, there are treatments that can help bring the disorder into
varying levels of control. Treatments include psychological based
behavior therapy and stress management and psychiatric based medicative
treatments. Empaths are encouraged to meditate on their empathic skill
as a means to focus their transmission and reception of emotions as to
spare themselves and others of unnecessary additional stress. Some
empaths may find control through meditation via attempting to narrow
the reception/transmission channel that they use to send and receive
emotional packages of information. Ignoring a condition such as bipolar
disorder will only lead to increased complications, sensitivity and
frequency of episodes.
Common signs and symptoms of mania include:
Feeling euphoric and optimistic or experience extreme irritability
Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers
Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic
Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up
Racing thoughts
Highly distractible, unable to concentrate
Impaired judgment and impulsiveness
Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences
Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)
Bipolar
disorder not only affects mood, but also energy level, judgment,
memory, concentration, appetite, sleep patterns, sex drive, and
self-esteem. Additionally, bipolar disorder has been linked to anxiety,
substance abuse, and health problems such as diabetes, heart disease,
migraines, and high blood pressure. Empaths with any degree of bipolar
disorder can improve with treatment and lead normal lives.

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