Bipolar Disorder Essay

“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.

Bipolar disorder, also called a manic-depressive illness, is a common disorder which causes mood swings, lasting periods of depression, and episodes of mania. “Extreme changes in energy, activity, sleep, and behavior go along with these changes in mood” (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2008). A person becomes more goal-oriented and has grandeur visions of success. Patient M shows all these symptoms while talking to her friends and professors in college. She describes herself as a person who is above the two standard genders, what she calls a “third sex”, and who switched souls with a senior senator from her state. The latter belief inspires her to start a political campaign and achieve a high position in the government. She

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,

This source gives the readers an in-depth overview of Bipolar Disorder and the causes of having the mental health issue. There’s a great distinction between the ups and downs people experience and bipolar disorder. Due to the ups and downs teens and children experience, bipolar disorder is hard to diagnose during those early years. The National Center of Biotechnology Information’s research program is run by Senior Investigators, Tenure Track Investigators, Staff Scientists, and Postdoctoral Fellows which makes the source credible. The source contained

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).

Those who are researching this illness believe that it had a lot to do with genetics but that there are also many other factors involved. In an example by the National Institute of Mental Health, they found that even if there is a pair of identical twins and one develops bipolar disorder the other twin might never develop it.

Bipolar disorder is a long-term mental illness that is formerly called manic depression. There are many types and episodes of bipolar disorder. The three main types of bipolar disorder are Bipolar I disorder, Bipolar II disorder, and Cyclothymic disorder. The 3 main episodes of bipolar disorder are Manic Episode, Major Depressive Episode, and Hypo manic Episode. There are many ways to treat the bipolar disorder, including medicine, counseling, and alternative medicine. mood swings, (mania, hypomania, or depression). Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, and affects the brain and causes shifts in a person's mood and ability to function

Bipolar disorder is divided into two categories – bipolar I and bipolar II. Bipolar I is a more severe than bipolar II. People with bipolar I experience mania accompanied with irritable mood. This type of mania or manic episode involves delusional thinking. The manic episode can only be diagnosed if it is accompanied with three or more symptoms on a daily basis for a minimum of one week. Usually, hospitalization is a necessary if the individual isn’t taking

Furthermore, inflammation is linked with bipolar disorder and can explain some of the comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, that result in decreased life expectancy. Inflammatory molecules are produced in the periphery by immune cells such as helper T cells and macrophages, in response to pathogens or cell damage. The proinflammatory molecules produced in the body can stimulate the microglia and other neuroimmune cells, by entering the brain through regions where the blood brain barrier (BBB) is more permeable, by active transport through the endothelial cells that make up the BBB, or by vagal nerve signalling (Muneer). The presence of inflammatory molecules in the brain stimulates the microglia to release

There are many factors that influence the treatment outcomes of individuals experiencing bipolar disorder. Demographic variables such as gender, socioeconomic status, and ex-offender status may have an impact on an individual’s overall perspective towards mental health, thus affecting the willingness to seek treatment and overall outcomes. Recent research examined the relationship between gender differences and counseling outcomes and found both genders responded positively to psychotherapy (Watson & Nathan, 2008). Specifically, Watson & Nathan (2008) found no differences in gender on treatment outcomes between individual and group cognitive behavioral therapy amongst depressed clients. Men and women presented with symptoms of depression

The cause of Bipolar Disorder is not easy to pin point. Over the years more research has been done to determine that it may be biological. Serotonin activity often parallels norepinephrine activity in unipolar depression and because of this researchers believed that mania would also be related to high serotonin activity, but this hasn’t been determined (Comer, 2005). Instead, research suggests that mania, like depression, could be linked to low serotonin activity and that this activity opens the door to a mood disorder (Comer, 2005).

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an alternating or shift in moods of elevation and depression. It is also known as manic depression. This mental illness is that brings severe high and low moods, it can cause changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. “Bi” which means two or alternating between two, explains the two common episodic moods that occur in individuals with this disorder; mania and depression. According to the DSM there are multiple forms of bipolar disorder, coming in four major forms; bipolar I, bipolar II, bipolar disorder and Cyclothymia. Bipolar II which is a “major depressive episodes alternate with hypomanic episodes rather than full manic episodes.”(Barlow et al., 2014). Individual with bipolar I are similar, “except the individual experiences a full manic episode.” (Barlow et al., 2014). Lastly Cyclothymia is just a mild form of bipolar disorder. Mania episodes take into account the high elevated moods; where an individual’s is extremely energetic, excited, may partake in usually activities, for example excessive spending, promiscuity or dangerous behavior. On the other hand, there are depressive episodes, which are mark by similar symptoms as the common disorder of depression, such as extreme sadness, lack of motivation, constant fatigue and irritable. More prevalent in women, although it can occur in children and older adults, this disorder is seen to suddenly develop in ages ranging from 18 to 24. Although similar men and

Where and how bipolar disorder is caused is still a bit of a mystery. Some information is known but nothing concrete, and a lot of dead ends. Genetic predisposition is one possible cause for bipolar disorder. The disease usually can be seen throughout a family tree of an affected individual. Twin studies have been conducted to see if there is a higher chance of identical twins, who have the same genetic make up, both getting the disease. These have shown that there is an increased likely hood of one twin to have bipolar disorder if the other has it, but it is not a certainty. The gene for bipolarity has mainly been traced to chromosome 18 as well as some others. It is uncertain which is responsible because it has been found in some cases that chromosome 18 is unaffected in bipolar patients. It is most likely that bipolar disorder is linked