Understanding Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the most tragic mood disorders today, because it virtually taunts with the affected person's mind. Bipolar disorder also known as manic depressive disorder is a mental condition in which the person alternates between feelings of mania and depression. These feeling are extreme opposites, and thus create tremendous mental and physical stress on the person affected. This unfortunate disorder affects one to two percent of the adult population. Before bipolar disorder can b e fully understood, the two main mood stages must first be identified. During an endless bout with bipolar disorder, a person experiences many stages of mania and depressiion. Different symptoms of mania included an increase in energy or activity, rapid speech, excessive excitement, extreme irritability and distractibility, a decrease in the amount of sleep needed, uncommonly poor judgment, or increased sex drive, denial, overspending, and high risk behavior. All of these symptoms may not be prevalent in a bipolar disorder patient, however, the more severe the case, the more likely all symptoms may occur. A depressed episode includes the opposite characteristics, including a persistent sad or empty feeling, decreased energy, loss of interest in activities normally enjoyed, difficulty concentrating, change in appetite or body weight, and thoughts of suicide. There are also two less severe stages in bipolar disorder a patient may go through, which are mixed episodes and hypomanic episodes. A mixed episode contains characteristics of both manic and depressive stages occurring at the same time. Mixed episodes are the most difficult to treat, because different types of medicines are necessary for mania. A hypomanic episode is characterized by less severe, less constraining symptoms of mania. Doctors often overlook hypomanic episodes. When a person experiences a combination of four episodes within a year the person is considere to be going through rapid cycling. Often times, patients need combinations of drugs, which take a while to deciper, so it often takes about a month to find the correct prescription for somone.
Bipolar Disorder (Formerly known as Manic Depression) is a mental illness linked to alterations in moods such as mood swings, mania, and depression. There is more than one type, Bipolar I and Bipolar II, and the subcategories are divided by the severity of the symptoms seen, such as cyclothymic disorder, seasonal mood changes, rapid cycling disorder and psychosis. Age of onset usually occurs between 15-30 years old with an average onset of 25 years old but it can affect all ages. (Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts General Hospital , 2013) Bipolar disorder affects more than two million people in the United States every year. (Gardner, 2011)
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that is often misdiagnosed, left untreated and misunderstood by the patient, family and friends. Its treatment varies among the different types of the disorder. The forms of Bipolar are characterized by symptoms of the patient and the symptoms are treated according to the patient’s needs. However, many symptoms are often misdiagnosed and untreated. This mistreatment or lack of treatment can lead to devastating results. However, proper treatment and support allows the patient to lead a fuller, more productive life.
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...
Bipolar disorder affects approximately one percent of the population in the United States. Bipolar disorder involves feelings of mania and depression. Which is where individuals with manic episodes experience a period of depression. The depression episodes are characterized by a persistent sadness, almost inability to move, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, in concentration, and driving. The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) have demonstrated, bipolar disorder can create substantial developmental delays, marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, and financial disasters. In addition, bipolar states and psychotic states are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, but a closer look at speech patterns can help distinguish between the two (Lish, 1994).
...rly 20s when symptoms of bipolar disorder first appear. Bipolar I disorder is one or more manic episodes or mixed episodes (symptoms of both a mania and a depression occurring nearly every day for at least one week) and one or more major depressive episodes. Some symptoms would include, feeling hopeless, sad, or empty, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, thoughts of death or suicide. Treatment for bipolar mania may include lithium, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines.
The characteristics of bipolar disorder are significant shifts in mood that go from manic episodes to deep depressive episodes in a up and down trip that seemingly never ends. There are actually three types of bipolar disorder. In bipolar III disorder there is a family history of mania or hypomania in addition to the client experiencing depressive episodes. This category is not highly used but is worth noting. Bipolar II disorder is marked by hypomanic episodes that have not required hospitalization. Bipolar I disorder is the full-blown illness and is defined by the presence of manic episodes which require treatment, and usually hospitalization (Wilner 44).
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions in the U.S. that affects, men, women, teens and even the elderly. Most of the time depression goes unrecognized or even untreated. It may be normal for people to experience feelings of sadness or anger for short periods of time. Usually this may last a few days due to temporary circumstances that may happen in an individual’s life, but if these feelings occur for an extended period of time, it may be a sign of major depression. Bipolar disorder may be confused with major depression. An individual having recurring depression and mania for an extended period differentiates bipolar disorder. As a healthcare professional, it is important to educate individuals and their families who have a mental health illness so that they can pay attention to important cues so that they can be addressed properly. This case study refers to a female patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-V) is a publication/diagnostic tool, used by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental disorders (Psychiatry Online, n.d) Bipolar disorder may be confused with major depression. Bipolar disorder is differentiated by an individual having reoccurring depression and mania for an extended period of time. These episodic mood shifts can lead to excessively elevated or irritable mood. Many believe that this disorder can lightly stem from a combination of genetic and non-genetic factors (WebMD, 2014). According to statistics, the average onset for bipolar disorder is in the mid-to late 20s, but over the years the average age has been decreasing. The prevalence of bipolar is approximately 2.6% in the population at large with 82.9% of these cases cl...
Bipolar disorder, also referred to as manic depression, is a mood disorder. A person with bipolar disorder will have extreme mood shifts between mania, a state of highly elevated euphoric feelings, and depression, a state of despondency and despair. These shifts can take weeks, days, or even minutes to happen. The period between shifts will vary for each individual, depending on the severity of the disorder (Williams & Wilkins, 1999, pp. 5-35).
Bipolar disorder involves going from a state of extreme happiness or concentration to a major depressive state and back to “normal.” Depending on the individual in question, the three states may come in various orders and lengths. For example, the upward swing or the elated feeling of bipolar disorder can last from a week to a few years. The same can be said about the major depressive part of bipolar disorder. The exact length of each state of mind varies amongst each individual. For those who have manic episodes, this can involve intense feelings of being on top of the world or they may indulge in spending recklessly with a lack of consideration of friends and family. Therefore, the bipolar person’s friends and family may feel the need to pay off his or her debts. Unlike manic episodes, people with hypomanic episodes experience extreme concentration and have personal insight. Hypomanic people have the capability to listen to their friends and family. For example, people in a hypomanic state may have the energy to write a book in a single night. Over the last five years, bipolar disorder has been on the rise in the media. More and more stories about bipolar are being published in the newspaper, films, television, and online videos, and passed on through word of mouth. More often than not, these stories involve people who are exhibiting bipolar traits. Although bipolar disorder does have some negative parts to it, the stories portrayed in the media often involved only the most severe bipolar cases. Therefore, messages in the media often involve myths. Certain sources do not involve myths but have the potential to cause misinformation. Media messages can become biased. There are many bipolar disorder myths that come from word of mou...
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 will discuss bipolar disease and is also called manic-depressive illness. It will discuss the causes and prevalence of bipolar disease. It will also discuss the signs of symptoms of the disease. The diagnosis and treatment of bipolar will be discussed. Several studies are included in this paper.
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression disorder/illness can be defined in many ways. One definition is a mood disorder in which a person swings back and forth between wild euphoria and frenetic bursts of energy (the manic phase) to such deep, dark, and overwhelming depression that a person may contemplate or attempt suicide. (Hirshkowitz & Smith, 2004, p. 107) This illness/disorder seems to affect both men and women in about equal numbers and can get increasingly worse if left undiagnosed or even untreated.
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depression disorder, may cause unusual changes in mood and behavior such as grandiosity, decreased energy, distractibility, diminished interest, insomnia, pressured speech, suicidal thoughts, and decrease in the ability to carry out day to day tasks (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; 5th Ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). According to Jann (2014) the symptoms of bipolar disorders are severe alternating between normal ups and downs leading in damaged relationships, poor job and school performance, and even suicide among the most severe. There are four types of bipolar disorder which include bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, and cyclothymic disorder Jann (2014).
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).
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition that can affect how you feel and how you act. It is a mood disorder caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that can result in extreme mood swings, from manic highs to depressive lows. Also known as manic-depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is categorized and determined as “a psychological state in which a person experiences a mood disorder causing radical alterations in their moods”. Elevated levels of either manic or depression are very common with a person affected by a bipolar disorder.