Catherine Zeta-Jones is treated for bipolar II disorder. What is it?

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A representative of Catherine Zeta-Jones, confirmed Wednesday that the actress recently underwent inpatient bipolar II disorder in a mental health center in Connecticut.

Boosters spoke about the disorder with Dr. Miklowitz, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Medical School and author of "The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide:. What you and your family need to know"

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depression, is usually permanent and recurring, Miklowitz said. Some people have their first episode in childhood, others later in life, mostly during the teenage years. Some people experience episodes every few years, while others come and go constantly episodes.


Bipolar I is characterized by severe mania, Miklowitz said, during which people or "feel on top of the world" or irritable and angry. Sometimes they feel that they have superpowers or greater insight, his thoughts race and loaded with energy. In general, people with bipolar disorder ranging from the manic state and an "other side" of extreme depression that they slow down, feel sad and lose interest in activities normally enjoyed (including sex). They may suffer from fatigue and insomnia, and may become suicidal.

People with bipolar II depression swing to a more mild and brief manic state called hypomania. They are not affected to the extent that people with bipolar disorder I can be. "People notice a change, but not extreme," Miklowitz said.

Standard treatments for bipolar II disorder include medications and psychotherapy. In general, a patient with bipolar II disorder may be hospitalized for ambulatory interventions did not work and the time away from the stresses necessary to adjust medication or treatment plans. "One thing we know we did not know 20 years ago is being affected by stress," Miklowitz said.

Zeta-Jones's husband, actor Michael Douglas, was diagnosed with throat cancer last year. The Los Angeles Times that a friend of Zeta-Jones to People magazine, "There is no doubt that one year has been exhausting. ... Catherine has had to deal with the illness of Michael and that was hard."

Miklowitz said that improving medication options and specific techniques of psychotherapy have improved the prognosis of many people with bipolar disorder. Instead of focusing on the general support today's therapists teach patients and their families to recognize and understand the triggers of mood swings and how to make changes to prevent serious episodes. Such efforts could include more sleep or medication adjustment.

Bipolar disorder and creativity have been linked, he added, noting that first-chair violin is more likely to have been treated for the disease than others - and Tchaikovsky, Van Gogh and Hemingway is said to have been bipolar.
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