I have been stock trading for more than six years now. I started doing it in my last year in college out of sheer interest in the field, even though my collegiate background was too different from it. (I studied Theater back then.) A friend showed me how I could monitor the stock market and make money out of it without leaving the house, and that’s what I had been doing ever since. I merely did theatrical acting part-time, but my full-time job now involves stocks.
Despite the sense of fulfillment that I got whenever I traded stocks, many people still questioned my focus. Most of them believed a job that could be done at home was not a job at all – it was more of a hobby than anything. My own parents often told me, “You are not getting any younger, Doug. If you do not want to become an actor anymore, then we will be more than happy to send you back to school and get a law or business degree.”
While I often responded with a laugh or the waving of a hand, hearing the same thing – the same lack of trust in my ability to excel in my chosen profession – began to wear me down. I used to maintain a happy disposition even when the Great Depression caused the stock market to tank; I did not feel hopeless when it went on for months. I just waited patiently for things to improve. However, the more I listened to my non-supporters, the more I wondered if I was genuinely doing what’s right for me.
Spiraling Down
My self-confidence continued to crumble when two of my five investments went on a slow but steady decline. I had this 80-inch flatscreen TV in the office where I watched the stock market graph every day, and it saddened me to see that those two might not recover anytime soon. When the third one dropped all of a sudden before my eyes, I lost it. I started weeping and feeling helpless, like a little boy who could not find his parents at the mall.
That’s how my wife found me. She was rooted to her spot for a moment (probably because she never saw me cry before), but then she eventually ran towards me and asked what’s wrong. Though I tried to contain my sobbing, I couldn’t. I blurted out all my worries about the stock market and how I could not seem to think of a way to reduce my losses.
My wife looked at me in the eyes. “Baby, perhaps it’s time for you to see a psychologist. I know you have been spiraling down little by little, but this – the crying and the negative self-talk – is on another level. I would honestly appreciate it if you get mental help sooner than later.”
My tears stopped falling for a minute. I had not thought of that before – the possibility of having a mental disorder. When I agreed, my wife contacted her psychologist friend once, and we went to her house in the same afternoon. The psychologist did a few tests until it turned out that I most likely had a bipolar disorder, although I experienced depression (all-time lows) more than mania (all-time highs). It was mild, and I was apparently lucky to have it detected early, but I still had many questions about my new condition.
What is the number 1 cause of depression?
Experiencing life challenges for a long time is the primary cause of depression. Imagine, if you cannot find work, someone always bullies you, and your relationships are strained, you may be unable to help but feel like everything is going against you. Worse, you may believe that the situation will never change.
What is the most reliable symptom of depression?
A sense of worthlessness is the most reliable symptom of depression. It is evident in most – if not all – types of mood disorder. Because of this symptom, you may not want to talk to anyone or do anything, to the extent that opportunities pass you by, thus depressing you further.
What methods do you do to improve your mood better?
- Listen to music. The more upbeat it is, the better. It may be better if the songs have been sung by your favorite singers so that you can sing along and feel the lyrics.
- Walk in the neighborhood for at least 15 minutes every day. Getting exposed to sunlight is ideal for improving your mood.
- Look for a reason to laugh daily. The act of laughing tends to increase dopamine production in the brain and oxygen in the body.
- Clean your house. This activity can clear your mind, especially when you see that everything is in order.
- Offer a hug to someone. Experts say that a simple touch allows your brain to produce more oxytocin, a love hormone. In case you are alone, doing a self-massage will do the job.
- Count your blessings every day. Ask yourself, “What good things happened today?” Write them down or think about them to feel better.
- Confide about your issues with a loved one. Often, your mood will not improve if you keep on harboring negative feelings.
What is the most severe form of depression?
Atypical depression is most likely a severe form of mood disorder. It is a subtype of dysthymia that often appears for the first time during teenage years. People with atypical depression experience the following:
- Hypersomnia
- Weight gain
- Intense sensitivity to failure and rejection
- Feeling leaden
- Excessive fatigue
- Suicidal tendencies
What are the four types of depression?
- Clinical depression: This severe mood disorder causes individuals to feel helpless, hopeless, and unworthy of love and attention. It is typically not caused by grief or physical condition.
- Chronic depression: You experience depressive symptoms for no less than a year, but they are milder than what people with clinical depression deal with.
- Manic depression: Its new name is bipolar disorder. When people have manic depression, their mood swings tend to be extreme and may last for days every time.
- Seasonal depression: This mental disorder is usually experienced during the wintertime due to a lack of light exposure.
How do I know if I’m bipolar?
The following symptoms characterize bipolar disorder:
- Excessive sleepiness or sleeplessness
- Low or high moods
- Impulsive thoughts and behavior
- Sense of worthlessness and hopelessness
- Faster speech than usual
What are the four types of bipolar?
- Bipolar 1 disorder: You experience extreme mood swings for an extended period.
- Bipolar 2 disorder: The manic and depressive symptoms are somewhat mellow, although they are still noticeable.
- Cyclothymic disorder: You deal with depression and hypomania, but they do not last long.
- Mixed bipolar disorder: You experience varying symptoms simultaneously.
What triggers bipolar?
Several factors can trigger bipolar disorder, such as:
- Abusing alcohol, drugs, and other substances
- Being in the presence of a mother, father, brother, or sister with the same condition
- Dealing with excessive stress or traumatic event
What are the signs of bipolar in a woman?
When a woman has bipolar disorder, the following symptoms can be observed:
- She gets irritated quickly.
- She has more energy than usual for various activities.
- Her self-esteem increases.
- She does not sleep much.
- She talks a lot, to the extent that people may not understand all the words.
- It is challenging for her to concentrate on a single activity.
- She gives in to impulsive thoughts without worrying about repercussions.
Can girls be bipolar?
Yes, girls can be bipolar. In truth, women get diagnosed with bipolar disorder as frequently as men. They tend to experience this condition’s symptoms more often, considering women deal with hormonal changes every month.
Are tattoos a sign of mental illness?
Studies reveal that individuals who get tattoos tend to use ink to cover up their lack of self-esteem. They are also more likely to get diagnosed with a mental illness than others. In that sense, it may be safe to say that having tattoos indicates a person’s poor mental health.
How do doctors test you for bipolar?
In reality, there are no specific medical examinations for bipolar disorder. When you see a doctor for the first time, they will want to run brain scans and thyroid function tests first. The latter is important, considering a malfunctioning thyroid gland can cause a mood disorder like depression. Once hypothyroidism has been ruled out and the symptoms of depression – and mania – are still there, the doctor may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist for a mental health evaluation.
The thing is, you cannot expect to receive a diagnosis after your first evaluation. Besides talking to you regarding the symptoms and their duration, the mental health professional may want to discuss the matter with your loved ones to figure out what other signs have still not been mentioned. Only when they manage to rule out other mental conditions they can diagnose you with bipolar disorder.
Can bipolar people tell they are bipolar?
The answer is no. Many bipolar people do not realize that they have the disorder, especially if they have been previously diagnosed with ADHD or depression. As you know, depression is one of the primary symptoms of bipolar disorder. But if your sense of worthlessness gets replaced by manic symptoms sometimes, you should see a psychiatrist ensure whether you have bipolar disorder or not.
Is bipolar inherited from the mother or father?
It is quite rare for people to inherit the bipolar disorder from any parent. However, when it happens, it is typically from the mother. One study backed up this idea, citing that between mothers and fathers that they have tested, the latter failed to pass down bipolar traits to their kids.
Is Bipolar 1 or 2 worse?
Bipolar 1 disorder is worse than bipolar 2 disorder. When you experience the former, you tend to have severe manic symptoms. You feel invincible; it’s as if nothing can hurt you. But with bipolar 2, the manic symptoms may be diminished, albeit slightly.
Final Thoughts
My wife and I had a long conversation that night on what I should do to get better. I was more depressed than manic, so we both thought that’s nice – it meant that I would not have daredevil moments in the future. As for the depression, we chose counseling and therapy – and lots of exercises – over antidepressants.
A couple of months later, my chosen treatments seemed to be working as different ideas on avoiding significant losses in the stock market flooded my mind again.
