The severe mood fluctuations of bipolar or manic-depressive disorders have been around since the 16-century and affect little more than 2% of the population in both sexes, all races, and all parts of the world (Harmon 3). Researchers think that the cause is genetic, but it is still unknown. The one fact of which we are painfully aware of is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its' victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because the symptoms of bipolar disorder are so debilitation, it is crucial that we search for possible treatments and cures. 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 …show more content…
In 1995, Depakote was approved by the FDA for the treatment of bipolar disorder and is slowing becoming the most widely prescribed drug for the use on mania. Depakote hasn't totally replaced lithium; however, it is being used on patients that were not previously treatable with lithium. Compared with lithium, Depakote doesn't have all the bad side effects when properly administered. Patients taking Depakote find their thinking is clearer and don't seems to have the kidney and thyroid problems (Burns 104-106). The antipsychotic drug Clozaril also has been used to stabilize the moods of bipolar disorders, especially those that have not responded to lithium and the anticonvulsants. One major side effect of Clozaril is that is suppresses the production of white blood cells on about 1% of patients (Harvard Mental Health Letter, June 1997). Because of this side effect, doctors have to be extremely careful when prescribing. One of the major problems when treating clients with pharmaceutical agents, however, is that during manic stages the euphoria they experience is so enjoyable that they discontinue their medication during the low stages of depression in an attempt to bring that "high" back again. Also when one goes off of the medication given to them the disorder may actually get worse. They can cause more episodes
These mood episodes include the manic episodes and the depressive episodes. The mood changes of mania include a long period of an overly happy mood and irritability; the behavioral changes are talking quickly, having racing thoughts, being distracted, increasing of activities, being restless, getting little or no sleep, being impulsive, and engaging in high-risk, pleasurable activities or behaviors (NIMH, 2015). The mood changes of the depressive episodes are loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed and a long period of sadness; the behavioral changes are feeling very tired, having trouble with decision making and problem solving, being irritable, changing normal habits, and negative thinking (NIMH, 2015). Sometimes symptoms from both episodes can be present in a person’s current mood episode. This is called a mixed state. In the mixed state, a person can feel agitated, have a change in eating habits, and have suicidal thoughts; they also feel very hopeless and very energized at the same time (NIMH, 2015). About ten percent of people have at least four mood episodes every year which is called rapid cycling bipolar disorder (Schacter el at.,
Bipolar I is identified by the length and severity of the manic and depressive episodes. The manic episodes must last for at least seven days or they must be so severe that a person requires immediate hospitalization. The depressive episodes last around two weeks. These episodes, both manic and depressive, must be an extreme, major alteration from the person’s normal behavior. An effective treatment plan for bipolar I includes medication and psychotherapy. The medication helps with stabilizing a person’s mood and the psychotherapy is for the prevention of relapse and the reduction of symptom severity. Many people with bipolar I take combination medicine treatment. The treatment includes a mood stabilizer; sometimes an anticonvulsant other times a non anticonvulsant, and an antidepressant, to help reduce depression episodes. Doctors prescribe both an anticonvulsant and an
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder known for severe persistent mood instabilities between mania and depression, . It causes unusual changes in mood, energy, and activity levels which makes ability to perform daily tasks very hard. (Concepts Advisory Panel [CAP], 2015). BPD affects more than 2.3 million adult Americans, or 1% of the population. (Guo, Patel, Li, & Keck 2010). There are four basic types of bipolar spectrum; All of them involve clear change in the mood energy, and activity levels (CAP,2015). These mood incidences’ ranges from periods of extremely high and energized behavior known as Manic episodes to very sad, or hopeless periods known as depressive episodes. Bipolar I disorder, the client has at least one episode of manic followed by major depression. Bipolar II disorder, the client has one or more hypomanic and major depressive episodes, the other not so severe and less diagnoses type of Bipolar is chronic mood disorder that lasts more two years with combination of hypomania and dysthymia. (CAP,2015). This paper will go into, Bipolar I, Manic episodes, the pathophysiology, Sign and symptoms, treatments, comorbidity, nursing intervention and nursing and patient therapeutic relationship.
While having a manic phase people with bipolar disorder cannot control themselves, their behaviors, they do not feel sleepy or tired, they are very involved in activities, and they can be very hyper , they can have very elevated mood.
And episodes are noticeably stronger, especially when depressed. For people who have bipolar and are feeling down many symptoms are similar to those that are depressed and every thought is consumed in sadness; they have feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, fatigue, inability to concentrate, abnormal weight gain or weight loss, insomnia or abnormally oversleeping and they may even have thoughts of suicide. When flipped to the other side maniac displaced feelings of extreme energy, restlessness and irritability they 're overly confident themselves talking fast and erratic. They have high energy and excess need for activity you need much less sleepy early, 3 hours would be more than enough. They have no self-control and spend money recklessly and they 're easily irritated when things don 't go their way. People with bipolar will display different abnormal mood changes on various intervals, for example they could be depressed for 3 to 4 months and return to their normal selves for a few months and maniac for a couple of months and then back to their normal self again. It 's not necessarily that the occurrence of both moods will take place one after the other it could be depressed normal depressed again normal again and then manic or manic first and then depressed after that. Bipolar disorder can affect anyone of any gender, age or profession, but it is most commonly found in 16 to
There is more to the treatment of bipolar disorder than medication, but the medication Lithium has been the primary treatment since the 1960’s. In four studies
Someone with Bipolar Disorder can experience unpredictable changes in mood and behavior so much so that it effects the whole body, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral through anxiety distress, and even psychosis. Bipolar Disorder is characterized be irregular episodes of mania or (manic phase) and depression that lasts days to months at times and is experience could be described and may be associated with suicidal thoughts, low motivation, loss of interest, in daily activities, or high energy or feelings of euphoria as impulsivity, recklessness, and reduce need for sleep and loss of touch with reality. These behaviors leading to loss of judgment and spending sprees, becoming promiscuous, risky behaviors with drug or alcohol abuse, or even getting in trouble with the law. The opposite can be said to be true when in the depressive state that causes the person to become withdrawn completely from anyone and everything. Treatment is usually life long and often involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy for patients/someone with this disorder, along side a specialists, psychiatrist, clinical psychologists, also their primary care physician or (PCP). Several contributing factors
Bipolar disorder is a mental abnormality involving an intense mood change from mania to a depressive mood in a matter of seconds. This used to be called manic-depressive disorder. During the manic phase, your will be very energetic, happy, talkative, have an increased sex drive, and even aggression. You could also end up spending a mass amount of money in which you didn’t intend to do. But during the depressive phase, you are very depressed, hopeless, anxious, sleepy, guilty, and sometimes even suicidal. People with bipolar disorder, often struggle with psychosis as well. Psychosis is the hallucinations and hearing voices.
The terms ‘manic–depressive illness’ and ‘bipolar disorder’ are comparatively recent, and date back from the 1950s and 1980s respectively. The term ‘bipolar disorder’ (or ‘bipolar affective disorder’) is thought to be less stigmatizing than the older term ‘manic–depressive illness’, and so the former has largely superseded the latter. However, some psychiatrists and some people with bipolar disorder still prefer the term ‘manic–depressive illness’ because they feel that it reflects thenature of the disorder more accurately.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depressive disorder, is a disorder characterized by extreme mood changes. People with this disorder undergo unusual shifts in his or her mood, activity levels, energy and the ability to carry out daily activities (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). A person can go from being very outgoing and energetic to feeling irritated and worthless over a period of a few days, months, or even years. People with bipolar disorder experience “mood episodes”, represented by a drastic change in a person’s unusual mood or behavior (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). A manic episode he or she may experience is overexcited and overly joyful; however, someone in a
There are not nearly as many treatments for bipolar disorder. In fact, there is only one treatment that seems to have lasting effects. This treatment uses therapy with a professional coupled with medications. “Antibipolar drugs, also called mood stabilizers, help steady the mood of those with a bipolar disorder” (Chapter 2, 2009). The advances in treatment are due to the discovery of lithium as a medication. This drug works extremely well to eliminate manic episodes and even help with the depression. The drugs