I'm old enough to remember the insanity of the brilliant engineer Howard Hughes, who (to myself) I often compare with Musk. So far Musk's mental decline and erratic behavior seems to be right on track. If this continues, a decade from now he'll be living in a darkened luxury hotel growing out his finger nails not seeing anyone because germs.
Is it really erratic if it's predictable? Seems like he has a regularly reoccurring manic episode every few months. Those are probably also when he's done his best work throughout his career, so you gotta take the good with the bad. But I hope he's introspective enough to recognize this pattern in himself, because otherwise he'll go crazy.
As someone with bipolar, I've learned that it's possible to have several problems at the same time: Bipolar, autism, schizophrenia, etc... He should probably turns his duties over to others and take a long sabbatical to figure out his personal life.
> several problems at the same time: Bipolar, autism, schizophrenia, etc...
Curious if you could expand on this. I think a BP/schizophrenia diagnosis would be very hard to make, as most of the schizophrenia symptoms could be attributed to BP1. If you don’t mind sharing, is this how you’ve been diagnosed?
Only reason I ask is because I know someone with BP1 and I’ve wondered if they could be schizophrenic, but my research caused me to conclude the BP1 diagnosis explained the symptoms.
I'm bipolar without the psychotic episodes. I get unrealistically enthusiastic about life when I'm up and suicidal when depressed. These periods have lasted years, making a correct diagnosis only possible after years of suffering. With mistakes along the way - don't take SSRI's if you think there's a possibility that you might be bipolar.
I can't remember where I got the bipolar/schizophrenia idea, but I read an account of someone who was diagnosed this way. If I can find it, I'll come back and post it here in a comment. It was interesting.
I don't know how else to answer your question, so I used ChatGPT AI to give me a general answer.
Can a person be bipolar and schizophrenic at the same time?
Yes, it is possible for a person to have both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This co-occurrence is known as "schizoaffective disorder." People with schizoaffective disorder experience symptoms of both bipolar disorder (such as mood swings and manic or depressive episodes) and schizophrenia (such as hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking).
It's important to note that schizoaffective disorder is a separate diagnosis from both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and it can be challenging to diagnose because the symptoms can overlap. Accurate diagnosis is important because it can impact the treatment plan and prognosis.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of mood swings, psychosis, or other signs of mental illness, it is important to seek help from a mental health professional. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes and quality of life.
> and it can be challenging to diagnose because the symptoms can overlap.
Yes, this part has me the most curious. Seems like BP1 and schizoaffective are very close, but reading more about schizoaffective, I am starting to think the diagnosis of BP1 could be off. This might be the key:
"Keep in mind that one of the primary criteria for a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is the presence of delusions or hallucinations for two weeks in the absence of a mood disorder (such as depression or mania)."
Thanks for the help! The worst part about this is convincing the patient about the hallucinations. The doctors don't know about them because they aren't reported as symptoms by the patient, since they are believed to be real.
I had a girlfriend who believed she was going to live forever thru veganism and Yoga so her main concern was how to replenish the sun with hydrogen. When I realized after awhile she wasn't joking, I started thinking about schizophrenia but there was no way to talk about it with her because she really believed what she was saying, so I had to break it off.
Bipolar mania on the other hand looks like, "hey the sun is going to burn out and we're all going to die anyway so I'm cashing out my retirement account to see what I can do with it in Las Vegas!"
No, you do not need to take the good with the bad. People ought to start drawing better lines and turning individuals away when they display such characteristics. Refer them to therapy, not the boardroom or the podium or any other seat of power. It's a horrible failure that we don't more readily do so. Elon Musk should be pushed out of public life.
