Bipolar Disorder And Mental Health

In the United States alone, approximately five point seven million people have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, being considered “the sixth leading cause of disability among middle age group and the ninth leading cause of years lost to death or disability worldwide” (Sawan & Hamilton, 2015). Although equal in both males and females, studies have shown that males are prone to developing bipolar disease earlier in life. On the other hand, females are three times more likely to experience rapid cycling and have more depressive and mixed episodes when compared with males. Average age for onset of bipolar disorder is twenty five years, however, studies have shown that illness can develop at any age, including early childhood (Sawan & Hamilton, 2015). Increased risk factors for both men and women diagnosed with bipolar disorder may include ischemic heart disease, diabetes and COPD, together with influenza and pneumonia. In accordance with Swan & Hamilton (2015), bipolar disorder risk factors are probably caused by genetic factors, unhealthy behaviors and pathophysiologic changes occurring with bipolar patients; also medications used to treat this disorder (Sawan & Hamilton, 2015).

This paper analyzes bipolar disorder and the symptoms that come along with it. Bipolarity effects a decent percentage of America and does not target a specific gender, race, age, or ethnicity. It is treatable; however, not curable ailment. Those who are not affected by bipolarity must realize that it is important to help those dealing with the condition cope with the side effects of their mental state.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by alternating episodes of major depression and mania. Episodes of mania are characterized by a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood and increased goal-oriented activity lasting at least one week. Diagnostic criteria for BD have shown two subsets of BD (BD I and BD II), which are differentiated by the severity of the manic episodes. BD I is characterized by traditional manic episodes while BD II is characterized by hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than manic episodes, experienced in BD I. Major depressive episodes are characterized by pervasive and persistent low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and anhedonia (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In the United States, BD has a lifetime and 12-month prevalence of approximately 5% (Merikangas et al., 2007) and has been ranked in the top six most debilitating illnesses in the world (Sanchez-Moreno et al., 2009). BD is likely to result from interactions between genetic vulnerability and environmental stressors that cause a widespread dysfunction across a wide range of neurobiological systems with current theories suggesting that BD can be conceptualized as a disorder of neuroplasticity (Machado-Vieira et al., 2014).

There are several different types of bipolar disorder. The five types are Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2, rapid cycling, mixed bipolar, and cyclothymic. Bipolar 1 is the most serious type of bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 disorder involves excessive happiness and irritability. This type of disorder can restlessness, or the feeling of being unsettled. Another sign of this disorder is increased energy, from what I observed it can be described as an intense need to get up and go. People with this disorder have racing thoughts. They can think a million things at once. People with this illness also have an increased sex drive. This is a product of their reckless behavior. To have bipolar 1 the person involved must have at least 1 manic episode in their life. Most people who have bipolar 1 often suffer from episodes of depression.

Bipolar disorder is behavior disorder that results in shifts of mood, lack of energy, low activity levels, and difficulty performing day-to-day tasks. There are two types of Bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 Disorder, is when the primary symptom is manic, or cycling episodes of mania and depression. Bipolar 2 Disorder is reoccurring depression alongside hypomanic episodes. Manic episodes are periods of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood that may occur for at least a week. In contrast, depressive episodes are intensely unhappy or hopeless states. Emotional and drastic changes from the individual’s standard behavior that may occur randomly are called mood episodes. These mood episodes are the reason that bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as manic-depressive illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms during manic episodes include talking quickly, racing thoughts, little sleep, inflated self esteem, and low attention spans. During depressive episodes, individuals have diminished ability in remembering, indecisiveness, lack of energy to engage in activities, reduced interest in activities, guilt, feeling valueless, and suicidal thoughts or sometimes in extreme cases, attempts at suicide. Besides these common symptoms, researchers have found that bipolar disorder may also cause memory dysfunctions, attention deficits, and learning problems. The impairments in cognitive

When looking at the difference between Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depressive Disorder, and Depression there are not many difference. One could look at the symptoms and see that with each there is a risk of moving towards the next disorder. An individual can be diagnosed with the lowest form of depression and if not taken care of can push the individual to the extreme without ever really knowing. Knowing the symptoms of each disorder, taking time to have tests run, having the diagnose given, and starting on the right track to controlling the disorder can most likely save one’s life in the grand scheme of like.

There are various types of Bipolar disorders. Bipolar Disorder I. is the most basic type of bipolar disorders. In Bipolar Disorder I. the patient has ha at least one manic episode and it may have been followed by a hypomanic or major depressive episode .Mania Episodes are kind of minor compared to the rest. Mania episodes can cause various impairments in your life and may require a psychotic break to break from reality.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 5 million individuals over the age of 18 are affected by bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is an illness that occurs with the brain and causes abnormal shifts in mood and energy. An individual with bipolar disorder will experience many ups and downs. These ups and downs are way different from the ups and downs an individual without the disorder will experience. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition and if not noticed, or treated properly, the ups and downs can become severe. Many individuals in United States, who have the bipolar disorder, don’t even know they have the disorder until later on in their lives. Bipolar disorder may be hard to detect because other individuals may

Bipolar Disorder is considered a mood disorder, characterized by abrupt changes in mood, energy level, and activity. These mood swings interfere with a person’s everyday functioning.  The mood swings range from depression to mania.  In mania, a person’s mood is euphoric, irritable, and all activity is heightened. Some signs and symptoms include less sleep,

This research of bipolar disorder will not only describe in detail the symptoms and affects of this mood disorder, but it will also include the advantages, disadvantages of the treatment and medications, and the major role that medications take. Bipolar disorder involves periods of elevated or irritable mood (mania), alternating with episodes of depression (Moore and Jefferson, 2004). The “mood swings” of mania and depression are very sudden and can happen at anytime any place. Bipolar disorder is categorized by the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) into two different types: Bipolar Type I and Bipolar Type II. Bipolar type I used to be diagnosed as manic depression, however, people with bipolar disorder type I

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2015), bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that may cause random shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and their ability to perform everyday tasks. There are different types of bipolar episodes; the high, euphoric episodes are known as mania, and the low, miserable episodes are known as depression. The median age, of those who are affected by this illness, is 25 years old. Although, it can start in early childhood, or as late as 50 years old. This mental illness does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, social standing, or age; it can affect anyone. Bipolar disorder affects roughly 5.7 million Americans above the age of eighteen; that is approximately 2.6 of the United States population (The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance).

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive illness. The average person will have normal ups and downs in their life, but for someone with bipolar disorder, the ups and downs become more severe and more noticeable. A person affected with Bipolar Disorder will experience periods of mania and depression. When a person is experiencing a manic period, people could expect to see some symptoms. Some symptoms would be inflated self-esteem, poor judgment, rapid speech, agitation, increased physical activity, increased sex

I chose bipolar disorder because making the distinction between normal mood fluctuations and mood fluctuations caused by bipolar disorder is significant to understanding human behavior. It is interesting to analyze how the brain and moods are affected by bipolar disorder and what treatments are available to get it back to a stable stage.

In the world of mental health disorders, one of the most common is Bipolar Disorder. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Bipolar Disorder affects as much as 2.6% of the adult population. The effects of Bipolar Disorder can range from mild (having little impact on the patient’s day to day life) to severe (making the patient’s life debilitating and nonfunctioning). Bipolar Disorder also has a devastating effect on the patient’s friends and family. Bipolar Disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders, however, with proper treatment; the sufferer can go on to live a normal and useful life.