Bipolar Boom Summary

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

Mental illness has plagued human kind for as long as we have been on this earth. The science of psychology has made great strides in past century. The stigma of being mentally ill has begun to fall away and people are finally starting to get the help that they need to recover. Bipolar disorder is one illness that we have come to more fully understand. Through assistance from a psychiatrist, family and medication a patient with bipolar disorder can enter remission and live a normal life.

The article “Bipolar Disorder: The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Thomas Wheaton explains what it is like living and dealing with Bipolar. Bipolar is a mental health condition typified by mood swings between gushing euphoria and draining depression. Luckily, there are medications and therapy to help someone cope with the disorder. For example, Trazodone it will help a person sleep at night and Xanax, which is for panic attacks. The side effects are that people tend to be dizzy, light headed, heat-sensitive and their mouths will be dry from some of them. In contrast, to not taking them it would be worse for them. There were times where he was depressed to point where he thought about killing himself both when he was six years old and then again when

According to the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia, stigma can cause patients to feel shame, hopelessness, distress, and make them not seek help in fear of being labeled as “crazy.” Media depictions of mental illness and bipolar disorder can cause a vicious cycle. According to Atkins, stigma and prejudice against bipolar disorder can lead television and movie writers to focus on “scary, out-of-control people who do bad things” (Atkins PAGE NUMBER), which then further convinces the public that people with mental illness are dangerous. The seriousness of mental illness can also be downplayed because of stigma. By using the word “bipolar” to refer to everyday mood swings, the public may not think that bipolar disorder exists or that it is a serious ailment. According to Mikayla DeLeon, the word is used “jokingly” among her friends. In her experience, “it [is] an insult… [It’s] not really taken seriously”. These contrasting misconceptions can make people who are suffering with a mental disorder not want to seek help. They may also fear telling their loved ones because they fear being seen differently by their friends and coworkers, being labelled as “crazy,” and losing opportunities at work. Jessica Blaikie, a young woman that suffers from mental illness says that, because of the misconceptions surrounding mental illness, “I was so afraid to say anything

Thomas Wheaton construes in the article “Bipolar Disorder: The Agony and Ecstasy” facts on the condition as well as his own personal experience. Bipolar disorder as of now is divided into two different types that varies with treatment. The first is considered manageable, however the second needs a large amount of attention. Medication being one of the main treatments recommended for this type causes numerous side effects including, organ deterioration, heat susceptibility and vertigo.

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.

Anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder should reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or doctor for help as soon as possible. Left untreated bipolar disorder can lead an person into financial, legal, or relationship trouble. Once seen and diagnosed by a doctor treatment is usually required for the rest of the individuals life. Treament will usually consist of medication, psychotherapy, and education or support groups. Some medications used to treat bipolar disorder are lithium, Anticonvulsants, Antipsychotics, Antidepressants, and or Benzodiazepines. Medications play a large role in controlling symptoms of bipolar disorder. It may take some time but with the right treatment plan, the right medications, and the right support it is very possible to live and maintain a normal, happy

Even though the symptoms of bipolar disorder have been around for many years, individuals with bipolar disorder had no type of effective treatment until the mid-19th century. In 1949, John Cade, an Australian psychiatrist, made a remarkable discovery on the effects of lithium carbonate on bipolar disorder. The idea began when Cade was studying the effects of various substances on war veterans with chronic psychiatric illnesses following World War II. In 1947, he hypothesized that mania was ‘‘a state of intoxication of a normal product of the body circulating in excess’’ and ‘‘melancholia is the corresponding deprivative condition’’ (Mitchell & Hadzi-Pavlovic, 2000, pg. 515). This lead to the idea that the cause for maniac in individuals were

First, the individuals who are tested for bipolar disorder are typically those who are over the age of 18, meaning that a large amount of people who have bipolar disorder are not actually diagnosed, or their information has not been aggregated. Therefore, the actual total number of people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder could very well reach higher to an estimated five percent of the population (Van Meter, Moreira, Youngstrom, 2011, p. 1254). The overall ailment typically manifests before the age of 25, and then an individual begins experiencing a variety of symptoms that make one’s mental health difficult to

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder, is defined as “a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks” (1). According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, this disorder affects approximately 5.7 million people age 18 and older in the United States annually (2). There are a few different categories of this disorder including Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, and Cyclothymic

Bipolar disorder can be severe and long-term or it can be mild with infrequent episodes. People who suffer from this illness may experience symptoms in very different ways and on average will have 8-10 manic or depressive episodes over a lifetime (Simon, 2013). As Kay put it, “manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live” (Jamison, 1995). Kay experienced very severe symptoms of bipolar disorder, including extremes changes in energy, mood, activity, sleep, behavior, and a suicide attempt, which all can be defining characteristic of the disorder. These symptoms can causes alcohol or substance abuse, relationship problems, and/or difficulty to perform in school or work (Townsend, 2014). However, bipolar disorder can be treated and people with this illness can live a full, productive life. For Kay she was able to control her manic highs and depressive lows with medication and therapy so she could continue her education and career.

I became curious about Bipolar Disorder after learning about how this disorder manifests and how much of a range from highs to lows a person can experience with this disorder. In fact, more than 5 million people in the United States have bipolar disorder and about one third of the cases of bipolar disorder begin in adolescence, which means it can begin in childhood, too. The disorder is really difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are relatively common, so suffering individuals will often ignore the symptoms. Bipolar disorder is caused by lack of stability, and can be diagnosed if someone has rapid alternation between manic and depression symptoms. The movie “Mean Girls” (2004) shows how teenage girls change and feel in their social development during their adolescence at school. The characters have many psychological problems, and one of the characters, Gretchen Wieners, has bipolar disorder. Some parts of the movie show that she has taken both sides of an elevated and depressed mood, which fits the description of bipolar disorder, also referred to as ‘manic depression.’ So the movie “Mean Girls” portrays bipolar disorder well in that its symptoms of mania and depression were well matched to the behaviors of character Gretchen Wieners.

Challenges faced by people that suffer with bipolar disorder are: uncontrollable mood swings between depression and mania that seem to appear suddenly, anxiety disorders that can be debilitating and alter sleep patterns, maintaining and managing stable relationships with others, addressing and controlling any addictions and substance abuse issues, and finding the right medication (Tartakovsky, M 2016). Lithium is usually the first line of medication treatment, but it is important to know about the medications being prescribed and the affects they have on the individual, not all medications work and react the same in everyone. (Tartakovsky, M 2016)

As one of the more common psychiatric disorders, as well as the most complex, Bipolar disorder is the leading causal factor of functional disability in which aberrations of mood are found in correlation with changes in behaviors, biological rhythms, and cognitive functions; being amongst the most severe of all psychological disorders, with the highest rates of homelessness, suicide, and hospitalization, as it concerns an estimated 2–4% of the population within then United State alone. For mania, in the year following hospitalization, often scarcer than 35% of those diagnosed will ever resume a station within the workforce. Unfortunately, statistically, those inflicted with bipolar disorder are 25% - 50% more like to attempt suicide and 11% more apt to follow through.

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