Latest news with #bipolar
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BioXcel Therapeutics Receives Second Positive Recommendation from Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to Continue SERENITY At-Home Pivotal Phase 3 Safety Trial for Acute Treatment of Agitation Associated with Bipolar Disorders or Schizophrenia
DSMB recommended the continuation of trial as planned Topline data expected in Q3 2025 NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTAI), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience, today announced the second positive recommendation by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to continue, without modification, the SERENITY At-Home pivotal Phase 3 safety trial of BXCL501 for acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. The DSMB recommendation followed a review of unblinded safety data from 178 patients dosed as of the May 28, 2025 cutoff date. The trial is fully enrolled and collection of data over the 12-week period is continuing. 'We are pleased with this additional favorable recommendation from the DSMB regarding our first at-home trial of BXCL501 and look forward to the upcoming data readout,' said Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., CEO of BioXcel Therapeutics. 'Bipolar and schizophrenia-related agitation in the at-home setting is a large, unmet medical need, with no FDA-approved therapies. We are highly motivated to address this need for millions of patients, with trial data intended to support a potential sNDA submission to expand the IGALMI® label in the at-home setting.' The SERENITY At-Home Phase 3 trial is designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety of a 120 mcg dose of BXCL501 in 200 patients for acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia in the at-home setting. Trial enrollment was completed in May, 2025 Topline data expected in Q3 2025. Additional information on the SERENITY At-Home trial is included in a corporate presentation in the Investors section of the Company's website: About BXCL501Outside of its approved indication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as IGALMI® (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film, BXCL501 is an investigational proprietary, orally dissolving film formulation of dexmedetomidine, a selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist. BXCL501 is under investigation by BioXcel Therapeutics for the acute treatment of agitation associated with Alzheimer's dementia and for the acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar I or II disorder or schizophrenia in the at-home setting. The safety and efficacy of BXCL501 for these investigational uses have not been established. BXCL501 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA for the acute treatment of agitation associated with dementia and Fast Track designation for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and dementia. About the SERENITY At-Home Phase 3 TrialThe SERENITY At-Home Phase 3 trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety of a 120 mcg dose of BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia in the at-home setting. The trial is designed to evaluate 200 patients with a history of agitation episodes residing at home either alone or with caregivers/informants. Patients are self-administering 120 mcg of BXCL501 or placebo when agitation episodes occur over the 12-week trial period, with safety data (adverse events) collected during the trial. In addition, patients or caregivers/informants will complete a modified global impression of severity (mCGIs) and a clinical global impression of change (mCGI-C) two hours after dosing as exploratory endpoints to evaluate use in the outpatient setting. About IGALMI® (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film INDICATION IGALMI® (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film is a prescription medicine, administered under the supervision of a health care provider, that is placed under the tongue or behind the lower lip and is used for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder I or II in adults. The safety and effectiveness of IGALMI has not been studied beyond 24 hours from the first dose. It is not known if IGALMI is safe and effective in children. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION IGALMI can cause serious side effects, including: Decreased blood pressure, low blood pressure upon standing, and slower than normal heart rate, which may be more likely in patients with low blood volume, diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, and older patients. IGALMI is taken under the supervision of a healthcare provider who will monitor vital signs (like blood pressure and heart rate) and alertness after IGALMI is administered to help prevent falling or fainting. Patients should be adequately hydrated and sit or lie down after taking IGALMI and instructed to tell their healthcare provider if they feel dizzy, lightheaded, or faint. Heart rhythm changes (QT interval prolongation). IGALMI should not be given to patients with an abnormal heart rhythm, a history of an irregular heartbeat, slow heart rate, low potassium, low magnesium, or taking other drugs that could affect heart rhythm. Taking IGALMI with a history of abnormal heart rhythm can increase the risk of torsades de pointes and sudden death. Patients should be instructed to tell their healthcare provider immediately if they feel faint or have heart palpitations. Sleepiness/drowsiness. Patients should not perform activities requiring mental alertness, such as driving or operating hazardous machinery, for at least 8 hours after taking IGALMI. Withdrawal reactions, tolerance, and decreased response/efficacy. IGALMI was not studied for longer than 24 hours after the first dose. Physical dependence, withdrawal symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting, agitation), and decreased response to IGALMI may occur if IGALMI is used longer than 24 hours. The most common side effects of IGALMI in clinical studies were sleepiness or drowsiness, a prickling or tingling sensation or numbness of the mouth, dizziness, dry mouth, low blood pressure, and low blood pressure upon standing. These are not all the possible side effects of IGALMI. Patients should speak with their healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. Patients should tell their healthcare provider about their medical history, including if they suffer from any known heart problems, low potassium, low magnesium, low blood pressure, low heart rate, diabetes, high blood pressure, history of fainting, or liver impairment. They should also tell their healthcare provider if they are pregnant or breastfeeding or take any medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Patients should especially tell their healthcare provider if they take any drugs that lower blood pressure, change heart rate, or take anesthetics, sedatives, hypnotics, and opioids. Everyone is encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You can also contact BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. at 1-833-201-1088 or medinfo@ Please see full prescribing information at About BioXcel Therapeutics, Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTAI) is a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience. Its wholly owned subsidiary, OnkosXcel Therapeutics, is focused on the development of medicines in immuno-oncology. The Company's drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically validated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indications. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements related to: the Company's planned advancement of its SERENITY trial; potential market opportunity for BXCL501; completing enrollment and release of topline data from the ongoing SERENITY trial; submission of an sNDA; expanding the IGALMI® label in the at-home setting; the potential for the results from the Company's completed, ongoing and proposed clinical trials to support regulatory approvals for its product candidates. When used herein, words including 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'can,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'designed,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'forecast,' 'goal,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'might,' 'plan,' 'possible,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'target,' 'will,' 'would' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and various assumptions. The Company believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. The Company may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation: its limited operating history; its incurrence of significant losses; its need for substantial additional funding and ability to raise capital when needed; the impact of the reprioritization; its significant indebtedness, ability to comply with covenant obligations and potential payment obligations related to such indebtedness and other contractual obligations; the Company has identified conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern; its limited experience in drug discovery and drug development; risks related to the TRANQUILITY program; its dependence on the success and commercialization of IGALMI®, BXCL501, BXCL502, BXCL701 and BXCL702 and other product candidates; the number of episodes of agitation and the size of the Company's total addressable market may be overestimated, and approval that the Company may obtain may be based on a narrower definition of the patient population; its lack of experience in marketing and selling drug products; the risk that IGALMI or the Company's product candidates may not be accepted by physicians or the medical community in general; the Company still faces extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements and obligations for IGALMI; the failure of preliminary data from its clinical studies to predict final study results; failure of its early clinical studies or preclinical studies to predict future clinical studies; its ability to receive regulatory approval for its product candidates; its ability to enroll patients in its clinical trials; undesirable side effects caused by the Company's product candidates; its novel approach to the discovery and development of product candidates based on EvolverAI; the significant influence of and dependence on BioXcel LLC; its exposure to patent infringement lawsuits; its reliance on third parties; its ability to comply with the extensive regulations applicable to it; impacts from data breaches or cyber-attacks, if any; risks associated with the increased scrutiny relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters; risks associated with federal, state or foreign health care 'fraud and abuse' laws; and its ability to commercialize its product candidates, as well as the important factors discussed under the caption 'Risk Factors' in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at and the Investors section of the Company's website at These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While the Company may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, except as required by law, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Contact Information InvestorsRusso PartnersNic Johnson1.303.482.6405 MediaRusso PartnersDavid Schull1.858.717.2310 Source: BioXcel Therapeutics, is a registered trademark of BioXcel Therapeutics, in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bereaved Clacton mum praises Blumenthal for bipolar film
A bereaved mother who took part in Heston Blumenthal's documentary about bipolar disorder has praised the "super brave" celebrity chef for wanting to end the stigma on mental opened up about his illness and spoke to others about their experience for the BBC film, My Life with them was Natalie McClellan, whose 24-year-old daughter Rebecca had bipolar and died in Ipswich in November 2023."If Heston can say 'I have bipolar but look at what I'm achieving, you can live a fulfilling life', it might change perspectives on mental illness," said Ms McClellan. "He is super brave to do it; he has really put himself out there to help others."I try to do the same, but none of its easy."Since Rebecca's death, Ms McClellan has campaigned for improved mental health provision that could have helped her daughter, who she said felt "abandoned". She shared her story with Blumenthal over several hours at her home in Clacton-on Sea, emotional experience helped them both, she said, particularly as Rebecca and Blumenthal had much in even transpired that he had gone into hospital for his condition when Rebecca died."They had the same sorts of visual disturbances, he's got ADHD and she was awaiting a diagnosis," she said."I showed him videos of her, photos, and one video in particular where she says 'my bipolar is popping'."He said 'that's exactly how it is', I think he found that emotional." The chef also became upset when talking about the impact of his bipolar disorder on his family - an experience that rang true for Ms McClellan."Rebecca didn't always tell us [how she felt], she would mask because she was worried about the effect it would have on us," she said."You just want your loved ones to be well and know what's going on, obviously I would rather worry every day but still have her here."Heston was quite open, he feels he has hurt his family and she [Rebecca] would be the same." The trainee paramedic was left with no GP or psychiatrist when she moved to Ipswich for work, her mother previously told the August 2023, she drove to a mental health unit and begged for help and said she was willing to drive anywhere in Norfolk and Suffolk to see someone, but staff told her to leave and threatened to call police. 'Not complacent' In the film, Blumenthal is shown Rebecca's mobile footage of the incident, which he described as "absolutely shocking"."Since we lost Bex it's been really important for me to push for changes in mental health and the support people get," added Ms McClellan."I will keep going and keep going for people who are suffering in the way she suffered, but it's not easy, it's only been 18 months [since her death] and it's still very raw."The reason Heston was speaking out was he wants to end the stigma. "It's so important to me that I'm part of that message."I was honoured and proud to be part of that process, and I hope he feels proud, too."Rebecca was under the care of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), which was in special measures for several years until January this March it completed a review into the circumstances of her death. A date for an inquest has not been chief Caroline Donovan, who joined in autumn 2023, said it had made "considerable progress" in its work to learn from deaths of patients and thanked Ms McClellan and other families for their "invaluable challenge and support"."We are not complacent and know we have much more to do to transform our services so that everyone receives safer, kinder and better services from us when they need them," she My Life with Bipolar is available on BBC iplayerIf you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via BBC Action Line. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Heston: My Life with Bipolar review — a frank account of his breakdown
In 2004 I interviewed Heston Blumenthal at his Fat Duck restaurant on the back of one of his brilliant ideas that some less enlightened souls might have called bonkers. He wanted patrons to put on headphones and listen to their own slurps and crunches as they chowed down on the Berkshire establishment's fabled dishes of snail porridge, and egg and bacon ice cream. While it was more fun than it sounds, I had no idea that behind this hugely likeable, dazzlingly imaginative and energetic success story lurked an array of problems that in November 2023 had him sectioned. To those who knew him better, however, his ADHD and bipolar diagnoses were less of a shock. Heston: My Life with Bipolar (BBC2) may have been yet another of those emotional journey films, but it was an unusually powerful and important one. Honesty is a prerequisite but, Blumenthal being Blumenthal, he took emotional frankness to a more extreme — you could say snail porridge — level, even playing himself in a reconstruction of the moment when he was injected with a 'whacking great syringe' and carted off to a psychiatric unit. • Read more TV reviews, guides about what to watch and interviews His inner circle, including his wife, Melanie, and the former Fat Duck head chef Garrey Dawson, spoke compassionately about his breakdown. Dawson recalled the moment when Blumenthal imagined that he could speak telepathically to his slobbery bulldog, Harry. Blumenthal is now heavily medicated, something that has added pounds, slowed his speech to a drowsy murmur and left him with a lingering terror that his creativity might be compromised. Yet this was no self-pitying wallow, more a determinedly bracing quest for understanding. He also wanted to make amends, notably with his chef son, Jack, who spoke on camera for the first time about growing up with a dad who was almost entirely self-absorbed and offered no sense that he 'gave a shit'. Their reconciliation was beautiful. Another sequence had Blumenthal looking back on a TV interview in which he barely stopped speaking for half an hour, his mind firing off like a Catherine wheel on every conceivable subject except the one they were meant to discuss (robots in kitchens, since you ask). The artist Sarah Graham, who also has bipolar disorder and was one of many excellent and engaging talking heads, was able to laugh about making a friendship bracelet for Vladimir Putin during a mental health episode; Blumenthal, for his part, thought he could single-handedly solve the world's water crisis. These lighter moments were important in a film with many dark ones, most notably the heart-rending chat with the mother of a vibrant young woman with bipolar who took her own life. Like many campaigning programmes, this didn't have a clear set of goals beyond the obvious one that we need to give more support to those who have a condition that affects more people in this country than dementia. The great chef clearly feels lucky to have had the means and loving support to come through. 'The peaks of my manic highs have shrunk and the depths of the lows have risen, but I am still Heston,' he said. Long may that be the case. Vive le chef. Vive le snail porridge.★★★★☆
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
My Adult Daughter Made A Devastating Decision — And I Know Other Parents Can Relate
Dear Family Beef, [My] bipolar adult daughter who may also have narcissistic personality disorder has announced that she's cutting off all contact with her wonderful parents (as I would describe us) which means also cutting off contact with grandchildren. I have reached out and spoken to a therapist about this situation and have been told there's nothing that can be done. Do you agree? Cut Off & Crushed Dear Cut Off, First off, I do want to take a minute to acknowledge that the situation you're in must be incredibly difficult for you. To have someone you love decide they don't want to continue being in contact is hard enough without having to miss your grandkids, too. Thefact that you took the step of seeing a therapist suggests that you're relatively receptive to mental health care and maybe even want to work on this relationship on your end — that's not something that can be said for every family! But, that said, I'm going to give you a little bit of tough love, along with some moral support and advice from experts. A recurring theme we're going to find in these columns is that multiple things can be (and are) true at once. That means that while you can be a person who values the connection you have with your daughter and her children, and you're hurting, there can also be a world in which her choice makes sense (and most importantly, it makes sense toher). First, you need to understand that the choice to cut off contact with a loved one is rarely an easy one —and in cases where both parties want connection and reconciliation, it can also be a temporary one. Especially when someone is working with a therapist, the decision is usually made after trying out nearly every other option and approach to ask for a change in the relationship. Think about when you have a long argument with someone and need to walk away for a minute because you're repeating yourself and they aren't getting it, and it feels like there's nothing productive either of you can say. It can be a lot like that. 'It's often the result of deep reflection, countless conversations and many attempts to communicate with care and compassion,' Saba Harouni Lurie, owner and founder of Take Root Therapy, told HuffPost. 'The clients I've worked with who ultimately decide to go no contact typically do so only after trying to approach their family members from every possible angle. They've expressed their needs, set boundaries and opened themselves up in hopes of repair — only to feel repeatedly dismissed, hurt and disempowered. They're not looking to sever ties; in fact, most desperately want the relationship to be different. But after exhausting their efforts, they come to recognize that they cannot change how their family relates to them, and staying in the dynamic causes more harm than good.' Odds are, at least from your daughter's perspective, this could be another attempt to ask you for a change in how you meet each other in your relationship— and she is very likely devastated, too. There might have been a series of conflicts about the same recurring issues leading up to this decision. In some cases, there's emotional or physical abuse or trauma at the core of the decision — either from a family member or because they felt their family didn't protect and support them during that time. 'For these clients, continued contact can become a source of re-traumatization, especially when those responsible can't take accountability or even acknowledge the harm,' Harouni Lurie said. 'It becomes too painful and damaging to remain in [a] relationship with people who haven't been able to show them the care they need. Choosing to go no contact, in these situations, is not about punishment or revenge, but it's an act of self-preservation and protection.' We are working with minimal intel here with the brevity in your note, but what stood out to me (and the experts I spoke with) was the phrasing out of the gate: 'Bipolar adult daughter who may also have narcissistic personality disorder' as the way to refer to your adult child, and only 'wonderful parents' to describe yourselves. To an outside listener, these descriptors feel a little bit like you're dismissing her concerns (whatever they are) because of the diagnoses she may or may not have. And, in the least charitable light, this could hint that you aren't really in a place to take accountability for your part in the story or your own behavior, and that maybe you're not ready to be open and curious to address the heart of the conflict with your daughter. We, as adults, can all admit there are things we've done that we regret: words we've said that weren't as kind or loving as we'd want them to be, and decisions we would take back if given the chance. I can't imagine, no matter how 'wonderful' you consider yourself to be as a parent, that you don't also have those moments. And I can't see a world where her opinions about the way she was raised or the way you speak to her don't matter. 'I know that parents try their best and love their children, but the fact is that we all make mistakes,' said Shay Dubois, a trauma therapist and clinical social worker at Overcome Anxiety & Trauma with Shay. 'One important part is to own their part in the situation. To start from a place of love and want of connection. It is also important to talk with a professional to work through the frustration, anger and grief. It is a huge loss.' Especially for grandparents, processing and acknowledging this grief is crucial in being able to take on the next part of your journey — whatever it ultimately is. My hope is there are ways you can reassure your grandchildren of your love without violating their mother's boundaries. And, of course, you're still worthy of love, support and connection, even if you're in conflict with the people you love most. 'In the case of grandparents, the pain can be especially deep. When a family member goes no contact, particularly when it involves both a parent and a child, it can feel like multiple losses all at once,' Harouni Lurie said. 'These types of losses can be heartbreaking and disorienting. It is painful to feel shut out of your family, especially when you do not feel you had a say in what happened. I would encourage grandparents in this position to allow themselves to grieve and to offer themselves as much compassion as they can.' You are allowed to be hurt and frustrated and angry when you're in conflict, and you can absolutely have those feelings about this situation. It's OK to be baffled and confused, because you don't live in your daughter's head or have her lived experience and don't 'get' it. But saying those feelings are allowed to exist (to be felt and understood by you, the person feeling them) is not the same as saying those feelings should be prioritized over your daughter's feelings, or externalized at her in a toxic way that goes against whatever boundaries she's given you. 'It is OK if the feelings are messy. Therapy can be a helpful space to process these emotions, to receive support and to begin exploring the relationship from different perspectives,' Harouni Lurie said. 'Sometimes this leads to new insight, and sometimes it simply helps someone make peace with what is beyond their control.' Now, to go back to your question: Is there really nothing you can do? The answer is both yes and no. There is nothing you can do to debate, berate or negotiate her out of her decision or her feelings. You cannot make someone talk to you, see you or otherwise want to be close to you when they don't through sheer force of will. There's no convincing someone that they weren't actually hurt or that their hurts aren't that bad. 'It's true that you can't make someone be in relationship with you if they've chosen not to be,' Harouni Lurie said. 'Trying to force contact or dismiss their decision will likely reinforce the reasons they felt the need to step away in the first place. So in that sense, yes, there may be 'nothing you can do' to change their mind and engage again. But that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do at all.' There are things you, a person with agency and love for your family, can do. And your first step of getting in touch with a therapist to talk about this, as you mentioned in your note, is huge. Having a professional third party outside of you and your family as a trustworthy sounding board can do a lot to help prevent miscommunication and further strife. And for anyone who is therapy-skeptical: A therapist will never tell you what to do, but will help you learn some strategies for understanding your own feelings, communicating them and figuring out what steps might help you work toward the outcome you want. That may include advice on how to send a communication that could open the door to reconciling. Assuming that your daughter is working on her side of street to advocate for herself and figure out how a relationship with you could work, it could be an opportunity to meet her in the middle. Is there an opportunity here for you to grow in this silence, too? Is there work you can put in now to honor and regulate your emotions and practice empathy (it's a muscle, baby!) and kindness for both yourself and your daughter? How can you, if you are able to pick up this conversation with your daughter again, do it in a more effective, loving way? 'Respecting the other person's boundaries doesn't mean silencing your own experience. It's possible to honor their needs while also tending to your own pain and doing the work of self-reflection,' Harouni Lurie said. 'That might involve therapy, journaling, talking with trusted loved ones, or just allowing the necessary space. ... On a practical level, it can be helpful to lean on tools that support regulation. That might look like taking walks, spending time in nature, journaling, or talking with people who are safe and supportive. Writing letters that you do not intend to send can be a meaningful way to move through strong emotions and to put words to the pain.' There's a lot that you can do. If you are unwilling to make any changes in how you approach the dynamic with your child — to consider what conditions you both need to feel love and respected, and to acknowledge her feelings with love (even if they don't paint you in a particularly wonderful light), among other things — then you could remain at this impasse for some time. And there might, in fact, be nothing you can do. After I Cut Off Contact From My Mother, I Was Shocked By The Brutal Move My Sisters Made I Haven't Spoken To My Family In Years. People Think I'm A Monster — Here's The Truth. Here's What Therapists Would Tell People Considering Severing Ties With Family Over Politics
WebMD
13-06-2025
- Health
- WebMD
This Is What Psychosis Is Really Like
At the age of 48 – with no previous history of mental health symptoms – I was diagnosed with bipolar I with psychotic features. It was a life-altering moment. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that involves significant changes in mood, energy, and behavior. Bipolar I is characterized by manic episodes, which involve abnormally elevated mood, risky behaviors, and impulsive behavior. These "high" mood episodes often (but not always) alternate with depressive episodes, which are periods of low mood, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating. Bipolar disorder may also involve psychosis. This is most common during manic episodes but can happen during depressive episodes, too. More than half of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder also experience psychosis at some point. What is Psychosis? Psychosis occurs when a person loses touch with reality. Common symptoms include delusions (unusual beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), paranoia (believing others are out to get you), and disorganized thoughts or behaviors. For me, psychosis showed up powerfully and suddenly. Here's what it was like. Delusions: I Was Convinced I Was Comatose Delusions are fixed, false beliefs that are not based on reality. Even when there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the delusion remains. One of my delusions was that I was in a coma. I went to the emergency room looking for answers. While in the ER, doctors conducted several neurological tests, including the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and a CT scan. They wanted to rule out other brain issues for what I was experiencing, as psychiatric disorders usually appear earlier in life. The doctors told me that I was not in a coma, but I would not accept this answer. I refused to believe them. They went over all of the neurological tests that they had conducted. Despite the results of these tests, I continued to believe that I was in a coma. Because I was so disconnected from reality, the doctors admitted me to inpatient psych. Paranoia: I Thought They Were Spying on Me Along with delusions, I frequently had paranoia during mood episodes. I believed that I was the subject of a secret research study and that my doctors were in on it. I thought that they were spying on me at my home. So I would call my doctors, accusing them of installing hidden cameras in my house. Disorganized Thoughts and Behavior During psychotic episodes, my thoughts were very disorganized and didn't make any sense. I also had disorganized behavior, and I would make decisions based on delusions. For example, when I thought my doctors were spying on me, I bought numerous cameras to catch them in the act. The cameras sit – unopened – in my garage to this day! Anxiety Though anxiety isn't listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a symptom of psychosis, it was a part of my experience. Delusions, in particular, can be extremely disorientating and frightening. You're terrified and confused, especially when reality does not match up with your internal beliefs and thoughts. For me, this resulted in panic. People often portray psychosis as something that can't get better. That's not true. For me, the right treatment – medication and therapy – has made a huge difference.
