What is the difference betuneen Bipolar and Seizures?

[CookieN]

And the similarities. Sorry I meant -between-

Edited October 13, 2013 by CookieN

[skye]

Hm? As far as I know there's nothing concrete linking the two conditions. 

 

Seizures are random discharges of the brain caused by irregular opening and closing of sodium/potassium or calcium channels. It is a scientifically quantified condition commonly recorded with EEG scans. Epilepsy is when the individual suffers recurrent episodes. Seizures producing convulsions can be partially controlled with the injection of ativan or other similar drugs. Seizures may not always present with convulsions.  

 

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness distinguished by alternating periods of mania and periods of depression. I don't want to say too much on the subject as I don't suffer from it myself. Using MRI scans, certain brain characteristics have been linked to bipolar. 

[crtclms]

There is a higher co-morbidity with seizures and mental illness than the general public. Seizures can sometimes seem like a strong emotion, it isn't always manifested as a stereotypical seizure, with flopping around. My husband, who has very bad epilepsy, has strong feelings of nostalgia after seizures, they aren't even attached to a particular memory. He sometimes becomes tearful, because the feeling is so strong.

 

There is a theory of how Epilepsy works, called "Kindling," which has been adopted for diagnostic purposes for bipolar illness, but they aren't the same illness. There is a small amount of controversy as to whether the Kindling model fits Bipolar illness, but to me, it seems to fit the progression of my illness. So you may have heard the term applied to both epilepsy and bipolar illness.

 

Migraine and epilepsy are so close neurologically, that the kindling model is sometimes applied to migraine as well.

[CookieN]

Thank you for your responses. To me Bipolar is associated to some kind of mini seizures. I even feel when I have them because I get deja vus and then my mood changes. I was tested for epilepsy which was ruled out. But I feel you can still have seizures and not be epileptic

[Bam]

There is something called pseudo-seizures (or non-epileptic seizures), which has similar seizure symptoms but does not have an actual electrical activity in the brain. Those types of seizures can be common with anxiety & depressive disorders. However many people with epileptic seizures, have pseudo-seizures as well.