The US woman Onijah Andrew Robinson, who traveled to Karachi to marry her Pakistani lover, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
According to the Head of the Psychiatry Department at Jinnah Hospital, Prof Dr Chunni Lal, the woman’s psychiatric condition, along with other health concerns, was identified through a series of medical tests.
Dr. Chunni Lal stated that the woman has exhibited unusual behaviors, such as refusing to eat hospital meals and insisting on ordering fast food or her preferred dishes.
The doctor has confirmed that Onijah Andrew, 33 is suffering from bipolar disorder besides other health issues.
She was transferred to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi due to concerns about her mental health on February 1.
Onijah’s son, Jeremiah Andrew Robinson, revealed earlier this week that his mother is mentally unstable and has cognitive impairments.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorders are mental health conditions characterized by periodic, intense emotional states affecting a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. These periods, lasting from days to weeks, are called mood episodes.
Mood episodes are categorized as manic/hypomanic episodes when the predominant mood is intensely happy or irritable, or depressive episodes, when there is an intensely sad mood or the ability to experience joy or pleasure disappears. People with bipolar disorder generally have periods of neutral mood as well. When treated, people with bipolar disorder can lead full and productive lives.
While people without bipolar disorder may also experience mood fluctuations, mood changes that are part of commonly lived experience typically last hours rather than days and are not accompanied by extreme changes in behavior or changes in functioning, such as difficulties with daily routines and social interactions. Bipolar disorder can disrupt a person’s relationships with loved ones and cause difficulty in working or going to school.
Bipolar disorder is a category that includes three main diagnoses: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder.
Bipolar disorder commonly runs in families: 80 to 90 percent of individuals with bipolar disorder have a relative with bipolar disorder or depression. Environmental factors such as stress, sleep disruption, and drugs and alcohol may trigger mood episodes in vulnerable people. Though the specific causes of bipolar disorder are unclear, there are both biological factors, including a family history of mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance misuse, and environmental factors that increase the risk for bipolar disorder. The average age of onset is in the mid-20s.
