Mike Sonko on May 22, disclosed that he and his daughter had been diagnosed with Bipolar before.
He was speaking on Wednesday when he went to visit journalists Kimani Mbugua and Eunice Omollo at Mathare Hospital.
"I also had this condition before and it is like a hereditary factor in our family. My daughter also had it but we took the medication. We usually visit my doctor for the checkups," Sonko said.
Sonko, who was accompanied by comedian Oga Obbina and Kimani Mbugua's family to check on their recovery progress, said he visited the facility for a follow-up.
Here is what you should know about this medical condition.
- It is a disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
- The National Insitute of Mental Health says Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. These shifts can make it difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks.
- The exact cause of bipolar disorder isn’t known, but a combination of genetics, environment-altered brain structure, and chemistry may play a role.
- Hopkinsmedical.org adds that a bi-polar person can be identified by intense mood changes ." switch back and forth from mania or hypomania (an emotional state of being energetic and gleeful or sometimes aggressive or delusional) to having episodes of depression."
- It can happen at any age, however, it manifests between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40.
Triggers for the condition include
- Childhood trauma.
- Stressful life events.
- Brain chemistry.
- Family links.
- Medication, drugs, and alcohol.
Symptoms of mania
- Happiness, hopefulness, and excitement
- Sudden changes from being joyful to being irritable, angry, and hostile
- Restlessness
- Rapid speech and poor concentration
- Increased energy and less need for sleep
- Unusually high sex drive
- Making grand and unrealistic plans
- Showing poor judgment
- More likely to use drugs and alcohol
- Becoming more impulsive
- Less need for sleep
- Less of an appetite
- A larger sense of self-confidence and well-being
- Being easily distracted
- Feeling invincible
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