Bipolar disorder (BD) may be a type of neurodivergence. The exact cause of BD is unclear, but it might involve differences in brain functioning and structure. If so, a person with bipolar could identify as neurodivergent.
Neurodivergence is not the same as disability or mental illness, but it can be associated with them. Accepting human neurodiversity is important so all people can live their best lives.
People who think, learn, and behave are known as neurotypical,2 whereas those who think, learn, and behave in non-standard ways are neurodivergent.
Bipolar disorder is a disease that affects the nervous system. It causes depression and excitement episodes, and cases of insomnia are usual as well. During these episodes, called mania, changes occur in the patients' brain and body. The disease is genetic and affects 2% of the population.
You absolutely are neurodivergent if you have been diagnosed with a developmental or learning disorder, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or Tourette's syndrome. You may decide to consider yourself neurodivergent if you have no diagnosis but think, behave, or interact in ways that are outside the norm.
Bipolar disorder (BD) may be a type of neurodivergence. The exact cause of BD is unclear, but it might involve differences in brain functioning and structure. If so, a person with bipolar could identify as neurodivergent.
The Americans with Disabilities Act always considers bipolar disorder a disability.
Bipolar disorder is a category that includes three different diagnoses: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar disorder commonly runs in families: 80 to 90 percent of individuals with bipolar disorder have a relative with bipolar disorder or depression.
Neurodivergence includes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette Syndrome, as well as some long-term mental health conditions, such as depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Bipolar disorder affects multiple structures in the brain, as well as the organ's function. Experts believe that bipolar disorder is associated with the smaller size of certain regions of the brain and with changes in the brain's chemicals. It can also cause changes in thinking and hallucinations.
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.
“With this definition, anxiety can be considered a form of neurodivergence, although it may not be as commonly recognized as ADHD, autism, or trauma,” she says. Many people utilize self-identification to categorize themselves as being neurodivergent, explains Claney.
Some other conditions such as schizophrenia, OCD, anti-social personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, dissociative disorder, and bipolar disorder can be classed as a form of neurodivergence too.
Neurodiversity describes the variation in the human experience of the world, in school, at work, and through social relationships. Driven by both genetic and environmental factors, an estimated 15-20 percent of the world's population exhibits some form of neurodivergence.
Absolutely. In fact, bipolar disorder is considered to be one of the few mental health conditions that is highly likely to cause a significant and long-term psychosocial disability.
In a survey conducted by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, almost nine out of every 10 people with bipolar disorder said the illness had affected their job performance. More than half said they thought they had to change jobs or careers more often than others.
Many of the symptoms of a manic bipolar episode and ADHD may be similar, such as distractibility, restlessness, or impulsivity. So ADHD may go undiagnosed in a person with bipolar disorder, if a doctor mistakes ADHD symptoms for a manic episode.
Some mental health experts have described bipolar disorder as a spectrum disorder. This is because it can involve moods at both ends of the spectrum with individuals experiencing both very high and very low moods. The very high moods are known as mania, and the very low moods are classified as depression.
Symptoms of ADHD can have some overlap with symptoms of bipolar disorder. With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
“You can choose to identify yourself as neurodivergent, but you should not unilaterally assign other people the label of neurodivergent. Not all individuals with a medical diagnosis like autism or ADHD self-identify as neurodivergent. There is also no standard for a 'neurotypical brain.
Someone who is neurodivergent behaves, thinks and learns differently compared to those who are neurotypical. This term can be used to describe an individual whose brain functions differently to what we consider “normal”.
Neurodivergent people often experience sounds, including music, differently. While this can pose a certain advantage in the creative sense, it can also result in feeling inundated and overwhelmed.