Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to discuss bipolar disorders in adolescents. This paper will include a discussion on what bipolar disorders are. There will be a presentation of the causes and symptoms of bipolar disorders. There will be a discussion of the medical as well as the therapeutic interventions and this paper will also include the importance of treatment.

WHAT ARE BIPOLAR DISORDERS?

Bipolar disorder is a disease that affects one in every five Americans. Bipolar disorders often called Manic Depression, involve the appearance of two extreme emotional states. Adolescents that suffer from bipolar disorders alternate between manic and depressive episodes. Bipolar disorders are not just mental illnesses; bipolar disorders are medical diseases involving the brain. According to Waltz (2000), the exact causes of bipolar disorders are not yet known, even though bipolar disorders are treatable. Evidence indicates that the genes for bipolar disorders can be inherited, however not everyone who carries the genes develop the disorder. Many adolescents experience the occasional mood swing. In these cases, even though an occasional mood swing is an unexplained one, adolescents with bipolar disorders experience different kinds of mood swings. Adolescents that suffer bipolar disorders lower and keep dropping until life doesn’t feel worth living (Burns, 1999). On the other hand, the mood swings can swing so high that they start to behave out of the “norm”, seem to lose touch with reality, and they can’t function correctly. Waltz (2000), indicates that when these symptoms occur during the important years of adolescents, they can be devastating and disrupting to normal development.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF BIPOLAR DISORDERS?

It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of adolescents suffering from it, definite explanations are still waiting to be found for the causes and cure. As explained earlier, the causes of bipolar disorders are not known but it is believed that it is caused by differences in the brain, genetic differences, neurotransmitters, and circadian rhythms (Acocella, Alloy, Bootzin, 1993).

Genetic Differences

The genes that a person inherits seem to have a strong influence on whether the person will develop bipolar disorder (Baronde...

... middle of paper ...

...y disorders. The families of bipolar teens pay greatly if this disorder isn’t recognized and treated. Suicide is a common outcome, school failures, and expensive hospitalizations.

SUMMARY

In summary, the purpose of this paper was to discuss bipolar disorders in adolescents. The discussion included the causes and symptoms of the disorder. Medical as well as the therapeutic interventions and the importance of treatment were also discussed. In it is this writer’s opinion that bipolar disorders are serious medical problems. In the result of this writer’s research, medical and therapeutic interventions are key in treating adolescents with bipolar disorder.

Works Cited

Barondes, S. (1998). Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Bernstein, D., & Nash, P. (2002). Essentials of Psychology. (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Waltz, M. (2000). Bipolar Disorders: A Guide to Helping Children & Adolescents. California: O’Reilly & Associates.

Burns, D. (1999). The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Penguin Group.

Acocella, J., Alloy, L., Bootzin, R. (1993). Abnormal Psychology: