Case Study In this paper, I will present a case study in which I will describe the struggles of living with an adolescent diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I will discuss the case, the family relationships, the causes and diagnosis, and the treatment options currently available to those with bipolar disorder in general. The purpose of my paper is to make the reader aware of what goes on in the life of an adolescent with bipolar disorder type II. VR is a vibrant, beautiful, fun loving 17 year old. She is witty, creative and has a deep passion for dance. Over the last couple of years however, there are many times when she becomes so sad that it is difficult for her to function. She will go to sleep immediately after school and still have a hard time getting up in the morning. My parents have received numerous phone calls from her teachers advising us that she will fall asleep in class and this is after having slept 12 hours the prior night. During these times of sadness, VR refuses to talk with her friends. In fact, she refuses to talk to anyone or do any of the activities she so thoroughly enjoys. VR also has times when she is extremely full of energy and nothing stops her. Although this doesn’t happen as often, this excess energy is much more extreme than normal adolescent behavior. When she experiences these bouts of excess energy, VR talks non-stop. She talks so fast that people have a hard time comprehending what she is saying. It is during these episodes that she will go nights without any sleep and still function normally. In addition to days of complete sadness or excessive energy she also has to deal with erratic menstrual cycles. During these times, she gets extremely bad headaches, throws up, and bleeds qui... ... middle of paper ... ...ents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1, 439-449. Lewinsohn, P.M., Seeley, J.R., & Klein, D.N. (2003). Bipolar disorders during adolescence. Acta Psychiatry Scan, 108(418), 47-50. Miklowitz, D.J. (2007). The role of the family in the course and treatment of bipolar disorder. Psychological Science, 16(4), 192-194. Morris, C.D., Miklowitz, D.J., & Waxmonsky, J.A. (2007). Family-focused treatment for bipolar disorder in adults and youth. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(5), 433-445. Sullivan, A.E., & Miklowitz, D.J. (2010). Family functioning among adolescents with bipolar disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(1), 60-67. Wilkinson, G.B., Taylor, P., & Holt, J.R. (2002). Bipolar disorder in adolescence: Diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 24(4), 348-357.
I have chosen to do a paper on Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar is a disorder in when a person’s mood inappropriately alternates between feelings of mania and depression. A bipolar mania is a mental illness classified by psychiatry as a mood disorder. Also individuals with bipolar disorder experience episodes of an elevated or agitated mood known as mania or hypomania, depending on the severity alternating with episodes of depression.
More than 57 million people in the United States suffer from some type of mental disorder. Mental illnesses can turn a person’s world upside down. These medical conditions can disrupt every aspect of a person and their family’s lives. Mental disorders do not discriminate; age, sex, or color does not matter when it comes to mental illness. Many people live with different types of mental health problems. These problems can be anxieties, drug or alcohol addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder, and personality and mood disorders. People can suffer from one or more of these conditions. There are treatment options available but unfortunately treatable mental illness is being left untreated. Many people feel ashamed or just don’t realize the help available to them. In the past several decades there have been substantial changes in the care for those with mental disorders but even with all the technology, science and a better understanding of what mental illness is, improvement of the lives of those with a mental illness still falls short. One disorder seems to be making its way to the front of the line of all the different disorders out there. Bipolar disorder. Statistics are saying by 2020 bipolar disorder will be the number two health ailment, right behind heart decease (Reilly 224). We can teach society about this disorder and educate people on the see-saw of emotions tied to bipolar and the treatment that is available to them to help ease some of the weight on bipolar patients and their loved ones. There is hope!
Geddes, J. R., & Miklowitz, D. J. (2013). Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. The Lancet, 381(9878), 1672-1682. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60857-0
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder characterized by periods of mania, depression, or a mixed manic-depressive state. The condition can seriously affect a person’s reasoning, understanding, awareness, and behavior. Acco...
No one should ever just let their self-die if they have the option of living. He also mentioned that if she is a teenage girl probably going through puberty and may already be stressed out from that and the medication she is already taking.
Mental health issues are pervasive in todays society. Individuals diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, have a diminished wellbeing due to the stressors associated with their illness. Whether these psychosocial aggravations are an internalized manifestation of poor self esteem, societal renunciation, or subjective distress, it is evident that mental illness is a stigma on the individual dealing with the disorder, as well as a strain on societal resources. While reliance on psychotropic medications and psychosocial interventions have traditionally been a common treatment plan, many argue that the overuse and inappropriate prescription of drugs in the treatment of mental heath is creating a larger problem than
Bipolar disorder is more common than thought. It is being more diagnoised in younger ages than adults. There are a few causes and triggers of biplolar disorder. There are numerous signs and symptoms of mania and depression. Bipolar disorder in children and adults differ in a few ways. Three differents types of treatments are avilable. There is also a few places to go for help. Bipolar disorder can be can lead to serious issues if left untreated thats why its important to be educated about bipolar to help loved ones.
Bipolar Disorder can be classified by the occurrence of manic episodes followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes. A manic episode is a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, extensive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present most of the day, nearly every day. During the specific period of mood disturbance and increased energy or activity, many symptoms are present. Some examples of these symptoms can include: -Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, and are more talkative than usual (“Bipolar and Related Disorders, “n.d.). There is a 10- 15% risk of completed suicide associated with Bipolar Disorder (“Bipolar Depression”, 2)
This paper introduces a 35-year-old female who is exhibiting signs of sadness, lack of interest in daily activities and suicidal tendencies. She has no interest in hobbies, which have been very important to her in the past. Her lack of ambition and her suicidal tendencies are causing great concern for her family members. She is also exhibiting signs of hypersomnia, which will put her in dangerous situations if left untreated. The family has great concern about her leaving the hospital at this time, fearing that she may be a danger to herself. A treatment plan and ethical considerations will be discussed.
The documentary “The Medicated Child” gave me a lot of insight into the lives of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When we hear and learn about bipolar disorder, we do not normally think of children. However, there are many children diagnosed with bipolar disorder ranging from all ages. As we saw in the documentary, bipolar disorder can be very hard on both the child and the family, so finding a cure that is effective and safe is important. The video also highlighted how little research there has been on the effectiveness of antidepressants on children.
According to Jann (2014), bipolar disorder can be treated and people with this illness may perform full and productive in their lives. However the treatment of bipolar disorder is most effective when medication is combined with psychotherapy, and ECT as a last source Jann (2014). Pharmacologic treatments for this disorder include Lithium, as a first source which is a mood stabilizer; other mood stabilizers such as lamotrigine and valproate are effective as well (Jann, 2014). According to Jann (2014), the use of antidepressants and anticonvulsants for treating bipolar disorder are controversial due to the increased risk of the patient switching to mania. The prognosis of this illness will be severe and long term, or may be mild with infrequent episodes Jann (2014). The highest risk factor for developing bipolar disorder is hereditary. The statistic is that high-income families have a higher rate 1.4% than low-income families with only 0.7% (DSM-...
Crowe, M. (2011). Feeling out of control: A qualitative analysis of the impact of bipolar
... would suggest is sleeping medication because she has not slept for five days, so her sleep needs to be taken care of first. Family-focused therapy will be necessary to solve the environmental influences that shaped her while she was a child, particularly the rules imposed on her by her parents. It will improve her relationship and communication with her parents. However, it would be a better option to start with interpersonal and social rhythm first. That way, she would establish a schedule that could improve her sleep, cognition, and social relationships. Since this is not the first time this kind of behavior has occurred in her life, she needs to sort it out before starting family-focused therapy. She needs to have clear cognition and proper reasoning before solving the environmental issues her parents had created with their over-demanding and overprotective rules.
Bipolar disorder is the condition in which one’s mood switches from periods of extreme highs known as manias to periods of extreme lows known as depression. The name bipolar comes from the root words bi (meaning two) and polar (meaning opposite) (Peacock, 2000). Though often bipolar disorder is developed in a person’s late teens to early adulthood; bipolar disorder’s early symptoms can sometimes be found in young children or may develop later on in life (National Institutes of, 2008). Bipolar disorder has been found to affect both men and women equally. Currently the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not yet known, however it has been found to occur most often in the relatives of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder (National Center for, 2010).
A steep rise in the past ten years is shown in the diagnoses and medicating childhood disorders and more specifically bipolar disorder. An initial dose is given to a child to stabilize a psychological disorder. I turn this one drug cause the need for more drugs due to side effects. New medications are then used in order to reduce new side effects. The problem is the use of numerous medications in childhood diagnosed bipolar disorder. Many issues arise due to a lack of research on childhood medication use by the FDA, difficulty in proper diagnoses of bipolar disorder, and over medicating children. The video, “The Medicated Child”, explains the many issues faced in proper diagnoses of childhood mental illness and proper treatment to include medications.