Name: Bipolar disorder: How to manage the mental condition
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T14:06:56.897Z
Duration: 6 min 16 s
Description: Erratic sleep, risky behaviors, and mood swings—are these signs of bipolar disorder? This complex mental health condition affects millions worldwide. In this episode, Emelia Agblevo shares her journey through manic highs.

Erratic sleep, risky behaviors, and mood swings—are these signs of bipolar disorder? This complex mental health condition affects millions worldwide. In this episode, Emelia Agblevo shares her journey through manic highs.

The article discusses bipolar disorder through the lens of a personal story, highlighting the challenges of diagnosis, the impact on relationships, and the importance of proper management. The individual shares experiences of manic and depressive episodes, the stigma associated with mental health, and the journey toward effective treatment.

Expert commentary underscores the need for psychiatric diagnosis, medication, therapy, and lifestyle adjustments. The segment concludes with practical advice for managing the condition, emphasizing the value of support systems and consistent self-care practices.

Bipolar disorder: How to manage the mental condition

Have you ever felt like you're in an emotional roller coaster? On one hand, extremely happy, maybe even too happy. And on the other hand, extremely sad to the point where you can't do basic tasks. And these two extreme states are mutually exclusive of yourself. Maybe you're familiar with the states or maybe you know someone who's experiencing the states, which is one of the reasons why we need to talk about bipolar disorder. Like looking back, what I am sad about is the relationships that I've lost. My big brother, I said some really hurtful things to him. How long have you been living with bipolar disorder? So I was 23 when I was diagnosed. It's difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder. Sometimes people think it's schizophrenia, but I was very lucky because we were seeing the same doctor. What happened was I did not make it first class. So I was part of my own student association. I was a very active member of the Ritter Act Club. And I was also working at the investment bank. So I was part of the investment bank. So I was a very active member of the Ritter Act Club. And I was also working at the investor radio station. So my sleep became very erratic and I did not even realize. Those were the days when Twitter would lock it out. Like I can stay a night and I'll shoot like maybe a hundred tweets in maybe five minutes. I was peeing in bed, like I was bedwetting for a very long time. So those around me noticed that there was something a bit off. I was given medication, but then I just took it for I think two weeks. I just go all out. I shop, whatever money is in my account, savings. I spent all of it. Apart from that, I have all of these grandiose ideas. There are so many projects that I want to do. And then I'm multitasking. I'm doing like a hundred things at a time. So you see me, I am cooking, I'm washing. I am writing. When I'm even talking, I talk so fast. And sometimes you just realize that the thought process, like one doesn't end and then I'm seeing something else. What are some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder? While a lot of these symptoms are usually shared across numerous conditions, you need to look out for things like extreme changes in behavior, either in the hypomanic side or in the depressive side. Things like hopelessness about the future, changes in appetite, reduced energy, sudden bursts of energy. Sometimes even risky sexual behaviors might be a sign that's pointing towards that. But you need to understand that it is important that you get diagnosed by a psychiatrist. So usually, before the symptoms come up, do you like have any premonition? You know, can you feel it's coming? For me, I don't have any traumatic experience struggling with it. It's just a lack of sleep. The more tired you are, the more energy you feel. How has this affected you? You know, your personal life, relationships, career? When I am manic, I say things without filters. Like looking back, I am sad about the relationships I have lost. My big brother, I said some really hurtful things to him and it's taken us quite a bit of time. For over six months, I would reach out to him and he would not even pay me any attention. He would just communicate to my husband that if I am fine, he's okay. When you're saying those things, are you aware that you're saying them? For me, I remember everything. With clarity. Are there any other ways that this has affected you? When I had my daughter, I went manic. So my daughter had to be taken away. I had to stop breastfeeding because they were not sure if the medication was going to seep into the breast milk or not. There was once when I jumped out of my dad, when he was driving the car, I lost a lot of confidence because I wasn't sure who saw me and who did not. So did you face any form of stigma? Just being in the vicinity of that hospital was something that I did not want to associate with because of the stigma that's attached to it. I think in 2020, I wrote a post on my Facebook. I am bipolar and I thank God for amazing friends. There was a lot of empathy. There was a lot of understanding. One person that really struck me was a friend I was in the same MPhil course with and we would not laugh at her, but we were like, oh, you are too dull. You are too quiet. And then she reached out to me and she told me that she also had bipolar disorder but she was on the depressive side. Bipolar two. The major difference between bipolar one and two is usually the presence of mania. Extreme changes in behavior, usually associated with psychosis, which means the person who is experiencing this has lost touch with reality. With bipolar two, you don't have mania. What you have instead is hypomania or neurosis instead. The person doesn't really lose touch with reality. Sometimes in bipolar one, they might require hospitalization while many cases of bipolar two do not. So let's jump straight into our DW Africa Facebook community to answer some questions. So we have a question from Jojo Morris and the question is, how can bipolar disorder be solved? The first thing you need is a psychiatrist to work this journey with you. It might require medication, therapy, counseling, some lifestyle changes, and even a strong support system can actually help a person on their journey. So let's talk management. That's because from the first time you were diagnosed to this time, some time has passed and I'm sure you've gotten some things better. So I just started taking my medication properly. So right now I'm on multistabilizers, and I'm on an antipsychotic, ketiapine. I do a lot of outdoor activities with my friends. I also do psychotherapy. Because of my medication, I sleep eight hours. For stress, I am learning to delegate. Thank you so much, Amelia, for sharing your story with us. I'm sure you on the other end of the screen has learned one or two things. If you have, share it with someone who you think might benefit from it. And until the next time, this remains Healthy Me, no cap.

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on a revised Ukraine peace plan but left without a deal. Russia insists on territorial gains, army cuts, and blocking NATO membership, while Zelenskyy calls for long-term deterrence against future aggression.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

U.S. envoys Kushner, Witkoff leave Kremlin without Ukraine deal

Republican comfortably beats Democratic challenger after polls showed candidates in a close race in US state.

Tennessee

Trump’s pick Van Epps wins special election in deep-red Tennessee

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to expand his crackdown on drug trafficking during a cabinet meeting, suggesting he’d order land strikes on Venezuela and attacks on any country transporting illegal drugs into the U.S.

Washington

Trump threatens to expand strikes beyond Venezuela

Ahead of a meeting to discuss the U.S. proposal for peace in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed European counter-proposals as 'unacceptable' and said his country was ready for war if Europe wants one.

Putin says Russia is 'ready' if Europe wants war

OpenAI has declared a "code red" as Google threatens to unseat the AI industry's early leader, according to the Wall Street Journal. Technology journalist Jacob Ward joins CBS News to discuss.

California

OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google threatens its AI lead

Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday (December 2) for talks on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.

Putin meets Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner for Ukraine peace talks

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the deadly boat strikes in the region near Venezuela and Colombia have "only just begun." This comes as Republicans and Democrats in Congress question the legality of the military action.

Hegseth defends boat strikes near Venezuela during Cabinet meeting

President Vladimir Putin has hailed what his commanders told him was the full Russian capture of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine as an important victory after a prolonged campaign, saying it would help Moscow fulfil its wider war aims.

Pokrovsk

Russia claims control of Pokrovsk

Major rescue and recovery efforts are underway across Southeast Asia after a series of severe storms battered the region displacing millions and killing more than 1,100 people.

Nuwara Eliya

Severe storms batter Southeast Asia, displacing millions

Honduras’ presidential race is too close to call, with Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla nearly tied at just under 40% each as technical glitches delay official results.

Tegucigalpa

Asfura, Nasralla in tight battle for Honduras presidency

Airbus must inspect hundreds of its A320 jets for potential quality flaws in the plane's body as a total of 628 aircraft contain panels that may be too thick or too thin due to a manufacturing issue at a supplier.

Blagnac

Airbus to inspect hundreds of A320s for defective panels

U.S. President Trump warns against actions that could ‘interfere with Syria’s evolution’ amid new Israeli incursions and strikes.

Damascus

Syria demands Israel withdraw amid escalating cross-border incursions

The White House confirmed it authorized a second airstrike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in September, but denied it ordered everyone on board be killed, which would be considered a war crime.

U.S. authorization of second strike of Venezuelan ship questioned

Monday is World AIDS Day. It has been recognized globally since 1988, but this year, the U.S. government is not commemorating it for the first time.

U.S. not recognizing World AIDS Day this year

Operation "Swamp Sweep," a monthslong immigration crackdown centered in New Orleans, is set to begin Monday. CBS News national reporter Kati Weis has the details.

New Orleans

Immigration enforcement operation set to begin in New Orleans

Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was in a New York City courtroom on Monday for a pre-trial hearing focused on what evidence the jury will see. CBS News' Anna Schecter has the details.

New York

Luigi Mangione's lawyers seek to toss evidence in state murder case

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday that Andrew Wolfe, the second National Guardsman shot in Washington, D.C., last week, has woken up from an induced coma.

National Guardsman injured in shooting has woken up from coma

Lawmakers are questioning the massive mobilization in the Caribbean as President Trump announced airlines and pilots should consider "the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety." It comes amid new controversy over the strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats that has some lawmakers raising questions over whether the Pentagon committed a war crime.

Caracas

Pentagon 'may have' committed war crime amid questions over drug boats

Steve Witkoff, one of President Trump's key envoys helping negotiate a peace proposal between Russia and Ukraine, is set to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Kremlin says. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Trump envoy set to meet with Putin in Moscow, Russia confirms

Russian missiles and drones continue to hit Ukrainian cities even as U.S. negotiators try to broker a deal between the two countries. Some Ukrainians have expressed anger over President Trump's original peace plan put forward last month, saying it does not guarantee their safety.

Kyiv

Ukrainians express anger over Trump peace proposal as strikes continue

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December, is set to appear in court for hearings on evidence for his upcoming trial. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman reports.

Luigi Mangione headed to court on what evidence should be allowed

Thousands rallied outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv, urging him to reject a pardon request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces fraud charges. Demonstrators held signs demanding accountability and warned that approval could undermine justice in Israel.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Protests in Tel Aviv after Netanyahu seeks pardon in fraud cases

The Ukrainian delegation met with U.S. officials in Miami on Sunday ahead of scheduled talks between the U.S. and Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin, later this week.

Miami

Rubio calls U.S.-Ukraine talks productive but says more work ahead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in his long-running corruption cases to the Israeli president. Herzog says he will "sincerely consider the request."

Netanyahu asks president to grant him pardon from corruption charges

Two men and two women from the Paris region have been taken into custody in connection with the theft at the Louvre last month, prosecutors said.

Paris

Four more suspects arrested over Louvre jewelery heist

Entire areas of Sri Lanka's capital were flooded on Sunday after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island, with authorities reporting nearly 200 dead and dozens more missing.

Colombo

Sri Lanka reels from Cyclone Ditwah as death toll nears 200

Top Trump administration officials are meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Florida this weekend, pushing to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Florida

Rubio and Witkoff to meet with Ukraine's negotiators in Florida

President Trump intensified his pressure campaign on Venezuela on Saturday. He posted that the airspace around the country is "closed in its entirety." It comes amid growing pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step down.

Trump declares Venezuela's airspace closed

Negotiators for Ukraine are headed to Florida for further peace talks with Trump administration officials. The visit comes amid new deadly air assaults across Ukraine.

Deadly Russian air assaults hit Ukraine amid peace talks

Approximately 24 million people across the U.S. are under winter storm alerts. Dave Malkoff and Andrew Kozak have the details on this holiday weekend's forecast and the impact.

Breakdown