Saturday, April 30, 2011

Zeta, as in-- Catherine Zeta-Jones

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Today's Saturday Shout-Out goes to Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Welsh-born actor is a private woman and going public about her struggle with Bipolar II Disorder must be difficult.

Bipolar II, sometimes referred to as manic-depression, is a psychiatric condition that induces severe, fluctuating moods. However with Bipolar II, the emotional swing doesn't rocket to the high point of full-blown mania, so the elevated moods are considered to be hypomania. These episodes range from euphoria to irritability and can lead to erratic or bizarre behavior. Often the symptoms of Bipolar II can be managed with psychotropic medications.

Other actors affected by Bipolar II Disorder included Russell Brand, Rosemary Clooney, Richard Dreyfuss, Patty Duke, and Carrie Fisher. Writers believed to have Bipolar II Disorder are Patricia Cornwall, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London,  and Sidney Sheldon.

About 2.5% of the US population suffer with Bipolar II.


The primary symptoms of bipolar disorder are dramatic and unpredictable mood swings.

Mania symptoms may include excessive happiness, excitement, irritability, restlessness, increased energy, less need for sleep, racing thoughts, high sex drive, and a tendency to make grand and unattainable plans.

Depression symptoms may include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, increased need for sleep, difficulty making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide.  ~ WebMD
If you experience these symptoms, please speak to your doctor.

National Mental Health Assn. Provides free information on specific disorders, referral directory to mental health providers, national directory of local mental health associations 1-800-969-6642 (M-F, 9-5 EST)

National Institute of Mental Health Information Line: Provides information and literature on mental illness by disorder-for professionals and general public. 1-800-647-2642

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5 comments:

Wynter said...

Good post. It must be incredibly hard to be a public figure and to go out on a limb and reveal your personal struggles. More power to Catherine - she's an amazing woman.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Kristal, we did it! Congratulations! I have an award for you!!

Cally Jackson said...

I second Wynter's comment. Very courageous of Catherine. I admire that as it helps to remove the stigma around mental illness.

Raquel Byrnes said...

Oh my gosh, can you believe we made it through this crazy challenge? Did you know that Elizabeth Mueller made a badge for it?

Looking forward to visiting you on my blog tour!

Blessings,
Raquel

Arlee Bird said...

Your closing post ends on a very relevant note. Congratulations on making it through the Challenge.



Hope you'll join us for The A to Z Challenge Reflections Post on Monday May 2nd. An “A to Z Blog Challenge Winner’s Button” will also be available starting May 1st on the Tossing It Out site.

Lee

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