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Bipolar Disorder And Common Forms Of Treatment

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Bipolar disorder is a very complex mood disorder, which although highly treatable can be very difficult to live with. The disorder has more than one form or classification and many symptoms ranging in severity. I will be discussing the history of the disorder and how it got its name. I will also provide you with the criteria a patient must meet to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Furthermore, I will be discussing the causes for the different types of bipolar disorder, the common forms of treatment for the different types of bipolar disorder and common therapeutic techniques that can be used by patients to manage their symptoms. The founders of modern psychiatry, like Emil Kraepekin, first categorized psychiatric illnesses. He had …show more content…

The diagnostic criteria for each of the subtypes vary based on the severity and symptoms and the manifestations of them. Some of the subtypes share similar symptoms, which can make it difficult to properly diagnose and therefore treat. The varying symptoms, as explained above, can range from depression, which is a persistent feeling of sadness and can include loss of energy and interest to mania that is a state of great excitement, euphoria, over activity and even delusions. In bipolar disorder type I the diagnosis is based on at least one full blown manic episode and one or more episodes of major depression. It is equally as common in women as it is in men, although usually in men, the first symptom is mania and in women, the first episode is typically depression. In bipolar type II the diagnosis requires major depression but instead of full-blown mania they experience hypomania which is high energy and other similarities such as excitability and impulsiveness but not as severe as mania. Bipolar type II is more common in women than men. Cyclothymic disorder is another type of bipolar disorder, which is characterized by less severe mood swings, episodes shifting from hypomania or mixed symptoms within a year. It may have more than one episode within a week or even within a day. Cyclothymic disorder is more common in people who present with symptoms at a younger age and it affects more

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