False “Memories” Triggering Panic for Boyfriend With Bipolar Disorder
Reader’s Question
My boyfriend has been describing to me a series of “episodes” he’s been having, that have been becoming more frequent lately.
My boyfriend already has Bipolar Disorder and has a history of drug abuse. The episodes he describes to me start out with a sudden and unexpected wave of anxiety and fear, without warning. It doesn’t last for very long. We’ll just be lying in bed and suddenly he looks very frightened and starts shaking and crying for a minute or two, and then he’s fine. The weirdest part of the whole thing is that he describes having “memories” during these episodes that he knows are not real. Sometimes the anxiety is triggered by these unexplained memories, but usually he says they simply occur during the attack. He describes them as being very vivid, and even though he knows they aren’t real, they feel very real, like actual memories, not just dreams. And when they happen, they just seem like vague dreams that he can’t really remember or grasp. He can remember certain things later, but they are not as real and vivid as they were during the attacks.
My boyfriend is very frightened all the time because he never knows when these episodes are going to happen. We’re both just looking for some kind of answer.
Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply
Anxiety and Panic are distressing enough, even when they are not complicated by conditions like Bipolar Disorder and/or the residual symptoms of a history of drug abuse. And naturally, only competent and comprehensive professional evaluation and care can help you adequately deal with these issues.
One thing to remember, however, is that anxiety states — even those that are acute and occur without an identifiable trigger — cannot be maintained for long unless one engages in some kind of anxiety-fueling thought process. So, as counter-intuitive as it seems, cognitive-behavioral therapists who advise folks on how to handle panic generally urge their clients to guard against attaching thoughts of danger to the distressing episodes when they do occur.
It’s important that you work with a professional or team of professionals who can provide comprehensive care. Some effects of significant drug abuse can persist for a time and can complicate other conditions considerably. So, it might be some time before your boyfriend experiences significant relief from his symptoms.
