Diagnosing the Bipolar Disorders

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Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive disorder, is a disorder characterized by extreme mood changes. A person suffering from this disorder can go from being energetic and outgoing to feeling worthless and irritated anywhere between a few days to a couple of months, or even years. Diagnosis, treatment, and the dramatic changes cause a threat to the victim. People with bipolar disorder may try to kill themselves or engage in reckless behaviors depending on which stage they are in (Hassel et al 2009.). The stages a person with bipolar disorder goes through are called episodes. These episodes are classified into four groups: mania, depression, hypomania, and a mix between different moods. Mania is characterized by a period of increased energy and/or a feeling of euphoria. At this stage, people may feel out of control and delusional. Speech and thoughts may be distorted and sped up. People with bipolar are more distracted easily and may have difficulty in getting simple tasks done. When experiencing mania, others around the victim may feel frightened by the behavior the person is displaying. Hypomania is a more moderate version of mania and generally carries the same risks. It is apparent in all three types of bipolar disorder. The individual does not lose touch with reality, and has no hallucination or delusions. They experience poor judgment, which can lead to dangerous situations that may put the person’s life at risk. The depressive episode is where a person experiences severe persistent feelings of hopelessness and sadness. Individuals may experience low self-esteem and loss of interest in things they used to find enjoyable. Other symptoms of this stage include increased ideation of suicide, social anxiety, and loneliness. The... ... middle of paper ... ...egorize a person into a certain group of bipolar disorder. Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be different for every patient. Certain people may experience a higher level of mania and depression more than others, for example, patients with Bipolar I. In Bipolar II patients experience a milder form of mania called hypomania and depression, and people with cyclothima experience the same symptoms in a milder form. Bipolar Disorder not only affects your mood but also your appetite, concentration, memory, and energy level. Doctors use a questionnaire called “Mood Disorder Questionnaire, MQD”, which is a set of questions that help doctors determine if a patient is going through the basic symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. Diagnosing this disorder can be a challenge because there are no physiological tests that can identify whether a person is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

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