Living with bipolar disorder Bipolar Disor­der during the Corona Pande­mic

Bipolar affec­tive disor­der is a mental illness which predo­mi­nantly affects your mood and emoti­ons. Nadja Stehlin, deputy chair­per­son and repre­sen­ta­tive of affec­ted people for the Deutsche Gesell­schaft für Bipolare Störun­gen (DGBS), explains that: „Bipolar refers to the two poles, depres­sion and mania, between which the affec­ted person […] alter­na­tes, while experi­en­cing various symptoms“.

These symptoms are also diffe­rent for each person: someti­mes „the mania is less extreme, manifest­ing as what is called ‚hypoma­nia‘ “, or one might experi­ence „less severe depres­sive episo­des“.

It is estima­ted that between 1.5 and 3 % of the German popula­tion are affec­ted by this illness. It can be caused, among other things, by genetic predis­po­si­tion and/or neuro­bio­lo­gi­cal factors combi­ned with psycho­so­cial experi­en­ces of stress.

Isola­tion from Social Contacts

In any case, the pande­mic and the restric­tions associa­ted with it can have negative effects on people with bipolar disor­der. In parti­cu­lar, the isola­tion caused by the need to reduce social contacts is very diffi­cult, accor­ding to Stehlin.

Even before the corona pande­mic, people with bipolar affec­tive disor­der were affec­ted by isola­tion, for example, „through the someti­mes severe nature of their illness“, they might already only have very „few social contacts“.

Additio­nally, „strong preju­di­ces […] concer­ning people with bipolar affec­tive disor­der“ can lead to affec­ted people „isola­ting themsel­ves socially and being unable to deal with their problems openly“. As a result, additio­nal restric­tions like social distancing can signi­fi­cantly worsen this situa­tion.

On the other hand, it is also possi­ble that more time spent at home with relati­ves can „lead to more conflict“.

Stehlin fears that these diffi­cul­ties could have drama­tic conse­quen­ces, parti­cu­larly if thera­pists are diffi­cult to contact. What is especi­ally proble­ma­tic, is the situa­tion of affec­ted people who experi­ence negative feelings and thoughts, but are unable to speak directly to anybody else about them.

No Excep­ti­ons to Lockdown Rules for People with Depres­sion

Accor­ding to the current juris­dic­tion of the Higher Adminis­tra­tive Court of North Rhine-Westpha­lia, depres­sion does not qualify as a reason not to follow social distancing measu­res currently in place during the pande­mic.

Further Infor­ma­tion on Bipolar Disor­der

With the right support, inclu­ding for example therapy or medica­tion, people suffe­ring from bipolar affec­tive disor­der can still lead a full life.

For more infor­ma­tion on bipolar disor­der please visit the follo­wing websites:

• Deutsche Gesell­schaft für Bipolare Störun­gen (German)
• Inter­na­tio­nal Bipolar Founda­tion (English, US)
• Mind (English, UK)

„In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invin­ci­ble summer.“
Albert Camus

This subject (bipolar disor­der as well as depres­sion) was also picked up by other media, and affec­ted people spoke about their experi­en­ces with the illness (during the pande­mic):

• Business­in­si­der: Anna is manic-depres­sive: Her case shows what people with mental illnesses are conten­ding with during times of corona.
• MOZ: Man from Branden­burg with bipolar disor­der recounts his shaky recovery
• Südku­rier: Eupho­ric today, depres­sed tomor­row: How to manage bipolar disor­der
• NDR: More depres­sion due to corona
• ZDF: Corona crisis worsens cases of depres­sion

Tips and advice on how to manage depres­sion during the pande­mic can be found on the website of the German Founda­tion for Depres­sion Relief (Stiftung Deutsche Depres­si­ons­hilfe):

• Advice for people with depres­sion during the corona crisis

Source: DGBS, NHS