I recently accompanied my wife to an appointment with her therapist, Lucy. It was Cecie’s first therapy appointment since being released from the hospital as the result of a serious manic episode.
We sat in the Lucy’s office, and she asked Cecie to bring her up to speed on what had happened and what the new doctor had prescribed. Cecie launched into monologue, cramming the details of everything that had occured over the past couple weeks into about 5 minutes and barely stopping for a breath.
Anyone who knows Cecie knows that she talks fast, but one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is pressured speech – non-stop, rapid talking that makes it difficult for anyone to interrupt. I could tell that Lucy thought Cecie was talking too fast. I also knew that Cecie’s meds were working and she was not manic or hypomanic.
When Cecie stopped talking, I turned to Lucy and said, “Cecie always talks this fast, and I think she’s wants to make sure she covers everything before the session ends.” Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. She said, “So this is Cecie. This is how she talks when she’s well. That’s good to know.”
The moral of the story is that “normal” is different for different people. A doctor or therapist might not be aware of what’s normal for a particular person. As a friend or family member of someone with bipolar disorder, you can often play a valuable role by accompanying your loved one to appointments (assuming the person wants you there), and providing an objective ”third-party perspective” to help clarify what’s going on.
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