Bipolar And Bipolar Disorder ( Bipolar )

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Doctors diagnose bipolar disorder using guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the symptoms must be a major change from your normal mood or behavior (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder in Adults). There are four basic types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS), and Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia.

“Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depressive illness) is a complex genetic disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood (affect) ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior.”// The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV) classifies two types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar 1 Disorder and Bipolar 2 Disorder. Bipolar 1 Disorder has primary symptoms of cycling episodes of mania and depression. The essential feature of Bipolar 1 Disorder as “a clinical course that is characterized by the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes or Mixed Episodes.”//

​Bipolar Disorder, also known as a manic depressive illness, is classified as a brain disorder; that causes unusual shifts in the mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry-out day to day tasks. The majority of bipolar individuals experience alternating episodes of mania such as an elevated or euphoric mood or irritable state (US Department of Health 1) (Thackey 127). Bipolar Disorder falls under the category of a mood disorder, 3% of the general population suffers from bipolar disorder. A mood disorder interferes in everyday life with a person for an extended time. The moods that the diagnosis experience do not go away on their own and cannot be shaken off. The illness affects more than just mood, however it also impacts

Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that is characterized by abnormal changes in mood, energy and activity levels (“National Institute of Mental Health”). Manic-depressive illness is also another name that bipolar disorder is commonly referred to as (“National Institute of Mental Health”). This disorder has four basic types including, bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic, and any other which do not perfectly fit the first three. All four of the types have episodes of extreme highs, manic periods, and extreme lows, depressive periods. Symptoms can range greatly and depend on what type of episode the affected is having. Manic episodes can include, but are not limited to: having extraordinarily high amounts of energy, activity,

Bipolar disorder is a challenge facing many people around the world. Bipolar disorder is a brain illness that causes unusual wavering changes in a person’s mood. However, the mood wavering changes that bipolar sufferers experience are sometimes so severe that it can affect their work performance, school activities or day to day living. But the good news is that while the illness is chronic, bipolar disorder can be treated so that persons with the disorder can lead healthy, happy lives and be the best that they can be.

Bipolar disorder was previously known as manic depression, many people believe bipolar disorder is a controversial diagnosis, some labelling it madness rather than a medical condition. Bipolar disorder is a major mood disorder and has significant impact on the person, families and loved ones. Furthermore, persons living with this mental illness often experience stigma, alienation and discrimination, and once labelled by their illness they are seen as part of a stereotyped group. Erving Goffman once said “Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart”.

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 mood disorder of bipolar is a roller coaster of high and low emotions. Bipolar has many different components and can manifest as either Bipolar I or Bipolar ( Oltmanns & Emery, 2015) Bipolar I is described as having one manic episode. ( Oltmanns & Emery ,2015) Mania is a disturbance in mood characterized by symptoms as elation, higher self-esteem, hyperactivity and expedited thought process. (Oltmanns & Emery, 2015) To have Bipolar II, a person must have at least one depressive episode and a mild manic episode. A depressive episode includes hypomania meaning in bipolar II a person will not have a full blown manic episode. (Oltmanns & Emery, 2015) People who have bipolar have a tough time with their emotions, because their emotions are not stable. They oftentimes feel like they are on an emotional roller-coaster because of the erratic ups and downs ( Oltmanns & Emery 2015)

Bipolar Disorder is an increasingly common mood disorder that effects millions of people worldwide. In order to understand the plight of any psychiatric patient suffering from this ailment or to be prepared to treat this disease, it is pertinent to first fully understand what this mental disorder truly is. The first misconception surrounding bipolar disorder is that it is just one disease, contrarily it can be divided into two different sub categories. The National Institute for Mental Health defines Bipolar I Disorder as “manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks”. Likewise, they define Bipolar II disorder as “a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes”.

Bipolar is a disorder that has a severe impact on everyone that is around the person diagnosed. While the individual may suffer from the disorder the most, others are right there with them. As of yet most scientists tend to agree that there’s no single cause for the bipolar disorder to form in an individual. There are many different types of bipolar and each type has different symptoms.

“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.

What is bipolar disorder? As defined by the (NIMH 1), “Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.”

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness which causes extreme mood swings in which the person would have times of emotional highs (manic or hypomania) and lows (depression), with periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar can affect relationships and the ability to carry out day to day tasks.

Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness, which involves hypomanic episodes, which are changes in someone’s usual mood. Originally, Bipolar Disorder was called manic depression because it does share similar symptoms with people diagnosed with depression. Bipolar Disorder is a severe condition because it can cause mania, which then causes hallucinations and paranoid rage. (Bipolar Disorder) Bipolar Disorder is classified into two categories, bipolar type 1 and bipolar type 2. Bipolar type 2 is more serious because there is more major depression episodes. (Bipolar Disorder) A study done by Revista Brasileria de Psiquitra, shows a higher prevalence of Bipolar Disorder type 1 but overall both are pretty low in the general population. (Clemente)

Bipolar Disorder or manic-depressive disorder is a disorder characterized by highs, manias, and lows, depressions, and can therefore be easily distinguished from unipolar depression, a major depressive disorder in DSM-5, by the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes (Miklowitz & Gitlin, 2014). Bipolar disorder is generally an episodic, lifelong illness with a variable course (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). There are two classifications of bipolar disorder; bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. If the episodes are primarily manic but there has been at least one depressive episode, the diagnosis is bipolar I disorder (Early, 2009). If the episodes are primarily depressed but there has been at least one episode of hypomania, increased mood that is more euphoric than normal but not quite manic, the diagnosis is bipolar II disorder (Early, 2009).