Catherine Zeta-Jones in clinic with bipolar disorder
Catherine Zeta-Jones (41) was hospitalized for five days at the Silver Hill Hospital, Connecticut, last week and treated for bipolar disorder II. With bipolar disorder II the individual experiences depression and one or more episodes of hypomania. But no severe mania, which occurs in bipolar disorder I.
Hypomania is less severe than mania, but similar. The patient has an elevated mood, raised activity, sleeps less, has feelings of grandiosity, and racing thoughts. However, symptoms are not severe enough to cause considerable distress or disabling enough to impair one’s work, social life or family life like manic episodes do.
Put simply, those with bipolar disorder I have extreme mood swings, while those with bipolar disorder II have mood swings, but less severe ones.
A spokesman for the Welsh Hollywood actress said that after dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine Zeta-Jones decided to check into the hospital for a short stay to treat her disorder. The spokesman added: “She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films.”.
Dealing with the illness of her husband, Michael Douglas, over the last year has been extremely stressful. In 2010 Michael Douglas told a TV audience that he had been diagnosed with stage four throat cancer. In January 2011 he announced that the tumor had gone and that he believed he was beating the disease.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Catherine Zeta Jones has disclosed that she is receiving treatment for bipolar II disorder.
Mental health professionals have identified four main subtypes of bipolar disorder that together are referred to as bipolar spectrum disorders – bipolar I, bipolar II, bipolar not otherwise specified, and cyclothymia.
Although symptoms vary significantly from person to person factors that differentiate the types of bipolar include the duration and intensity of the mood swings.
Depression is the primary characteristic of bipolar II. While those with bipolar II do have ‘up’ periods, these episodes are less marked. Instead of full-blown mania, people with bipolar II experience hypomania, a milder form of mania. Studies show that women are slightly more likely to have bipolar II.
Though a person with bipolar II may deny that anything is wrong, loved ones will probably notice that he or she seems agitated, is flying off the handle more often, or seems unusually upbeat.
Bipolar II is sometimes mistaken for depression because the hypomanic periods are harder to detect. Over time, without treatment, hypomania – the ‘up’ period – can progress into mania or turn into a depressed state.
Catherine Zeta-Jones recently underwent inpatient treatment for bipolar II disorder at a Connecticut mental health facility.
Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is generally lifelong and recurrent. People with bipolar II swing from severe depression to a milder and briefer manic state called hypomania.
Most people with bipolar II disorder also suffer from episodes of depression. About 2,5 per cent of the US population suffers from some form of bipolar disorder ie. Almost six million people.
Scientific yoga effects parts of the brain that deal with depression, anxiety and emotion which go along with bipolar disorder. The practice of scientific yoga can also help Catherine Zeta-Jones to get in touch with her mind, helping her better control her emotions.
The scientific yoga is known to alter levels of chemicals in our brain (such as serotonin, affecting mood).
Scientific yoga can also create changes in the brain that help Catherine Zeta-Jones reduce distress and fight bipolar disorder.