Bipolar Disorder

These mood episodes include the manic episodes and the depressive episodes. The mood changes of mania include a long period of an overly happy mood and irritability; the behavioral changes are talking quickly, having racing thoughts, being distracted, increasing of activities, being restless, getting little or no sleep, being impulsive, and engaging in high-risk, pleasurable activities or behaviors (NIMH, 2015). The mood changes of the depressive episodes are loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed and a long period of sadness; the behavioral changes are feeling very tired, having trouble with decision making and problem solving, being irritable, changing normal habits, and negative thinking (NIMH, 2015). Sometimes symptoms from both episodes can be present in a person’s current mood episode. This is called a mixed state. In the mixed state, a person can feel agitated, have a change in eating habits, and have suicidal thoughts; they also feel very hopeless and very energized at the same time (NIMH, 2015). About ten percent of people have at least four mood episodes every year which is called rapid cycling bipolar disorder (Schacter el at.,

There are four types of mood episodes in bipolar disorder: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Each mood episode comes with a series of symptoms. In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of increased energy and extreme happiness are the most common. People who are experiencing a manic episode often cannot stop talking, their talking is fast and very hard to understand, they sleep very little, and are very hyperactive. They feel they are invincible and can do anything in the world. Hypomania is a less severe type of mania.

People with bipolar I disorder have full manic and major depressive episodes. Most of them experience an alternation of the episodes; for example, weeks of mania may be followed by a period of wellness, followed, in turn, by an episode of depression. Some, however, have mixed episodes, in which they display both manic and depressive symptoms within the same episode—for example, having racing thoughts amidst feelings of extreme sadness. In bipolar II disorder, hypomanic—that is, mildy manic—episodes alternate with major depressive episodes over the course of time. When a person experiences numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms, but not full-blown episodes, DSM-5 assigns a diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder. The symptoms of this milder form of bipolar disorder continue for two or more years, interrupted occasionally by normal moods that may last for only days or weeks.

And episodes are noticeably stronger, especially when depressed. For people who have bipolar and are feeling down many symptoms are similar to those that are depressed and every thought is consumed in sadness; they have feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, fatigue, inability to concentrate, abnormal weight gain or weight loss, insomnia or abnormally oversleeping and they may even have thoughts of suicide. When flipped to the other side maniac displaced feelings of extreme energy, restlessness and irritability they 're overly confident themselves talking fast and erratic. They have high energy and excess need for activity you need much less sleepy early, 3 hours would be more than enough. They have no self-control and spend money recklessly and they 're easily irritated when things don 't go their way. People with bipolar will display different abnormal mood changes on various intervals, for example they could be depressed for 3 to 4 months and return to their normal selves for a few months and maniac for a couple of months and then back to their normal self again. It 's not necessarily that the occurrence of both moods will take place one after the other it could be depressed normal depressed again normal again and then manic or manic first and then depressed after that. Bipolar disorder can affect anyone of any gender, age or profession, but it is most commonly found in 16 to

Bipolar disorder most commonly develops in a person’s early adult or late teen years. According to the article, What Is Bipolar Disorder, at least half of all bipolar cases start before a person reaches the young age of twenty-five. There are four main types of bipolar: Bipolar 1 Disorder, Bipolar 2 Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, and then there is Cyclothymic Disorder. Bipolar 1 Disorder is easily defined by manic or mixed episodes occurring at a minimum of seven days and then depressive episodes which can last about two weeks. Sometimes the episodes can be so severe that the person may need to be hospitalized. Bipolar 2 Disorder is described as a pattern of hypomanic and depressive behavior episodes without the full blown manic episodes. Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, also known as BP-NOS, is used as a diagnosis when a person displays symptoms of the illness but does not fit the criteria for a diagnosis of Bipolar 1 or Bipolar 2. Now the Cyclothymia Disorder is a very mild form of Bipolar. There are hypomania and mild depressive episodes for a minimum of two

Mixed states is where the person will feel manic and depressed at the same time (rapid mood swings from happy, sad to irritable and in some causes suicidal), this is highly disruption to the person as it can last anywhere from a few days to a few months and may require hospitalisation.

Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression that causes multiple unusual mood swings; dealing with manic highs and depressive lows. It may also affect their ability to do everyday tasks. When depressed, there is a sense of hopelessness and sad. Even in regular activities person with disorder will lose interest. Person will deal with low energy and low energy. Also, they may deal with a feeling of euphoria, full of energy. These patterns will cause the person to lose sleep, affecting their energy, way of thinking, and activity. Bipolar disorder is a serious brain illness.

Bipolar I is our modern understanding of the 19th Century manic-depressive disorder or affective psychosis, however, it differs in that neither psychosis nor a lifetime experience of a major depressive episode is required. It requires one or more extreme manic episode, or symptoms of both a mania and a depression. It may be preceded by, or followed by, hypomanic or major depressive episodes. Mania symptoms cause significant impairment in life and may require hospitalization or trigger psychosis. In contrast, bipolar II is defined by the lifetime experience of at least one hypomanic episode and at least one major depressive episode. Criteria for hypomania are like those of mania, but in a milder form. Instead of impairment, hypomania is marked by a distinct change in functioning. (APA, 2013)

Rapid Cycling is a short clip that begins in an interview with Michael Landrio, a young man who suffers from Bipolar Disorder. Michael explains the struggles of living with mental illness and how he doesn’t realize when he is experiencing a manic or a depressive episode, “It is very difficult to sometimes reconcile the two sides of me.” The clip continues displaying different objects and images depicting his hypo manic state. Michael uses roller coasters, Ferris wheels and other hectic objects to demonstrate what he experiences in his manic state. The clips of the manic state fade away to a car pulling up to a stop sign, and then refocuses on a female with black paint around her eyes lighting a candle. This quick transition from hectic scenery to a dark and gloomy scene demonstrates the feeling of “Rapid Cycling”, which is defined as; a person

The second type is Bipolar Disorder II where the mood swings are much milder. Although most patients go through mild depression some can have severe sessions. The main difference between this and II is the absence of mania. Because of the prevalence of hypomania the energy levels are not so high. Mildness of this category makes this much safer when compared the first disorder and others may see such individuals as very moody. The last type of the Bipolar disorder is cyclothymia. Although the name might sound daunting, this is actually the mildest from. People with this disorder never reach out for diagnosis. For the most part they are functional but more prone to mood swings.

Symptoms of bipolar range from maniac to depressive states, in which a person deals with mood swings which make them vulnerable in dealing with intense emotional episodes. Mood swings that can lead to harm to the person cognitively, emotionally

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is a mental disorder characterised by extreme shifts in mood, as well as fluctuations in energy and activity levels. Someone with bipolar will experience episodes of low mood (major depression) and times of high or elevated mood (mania or hypomania). Bipolar episodes are essentially drastic mood changes, and last at least one week. These episodes can affect a person 's thoughts, feelings and actions, and can dramatically interfere with relationships, academic performance, lifestyle activities, and day-to-day living. Every individual experiences bipolar differently. Some people only have one or two episodes in their life, and they never reoccur, whereas others can endure years without any symptoms, yet still have manic or depressive episodes. Often depressive episodes occur just before a manic episode takes place.

Steve Bressert states, “Bipolar Disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by constantly changing moods between depression and mania. The mood swings are significant, and the experiences of the highs of mania and the lows of depression are usually extreme. (Bressert) ” In other words, mood swings, forms of mania and depression can be felt intensely by a person. A manic episode makes people have extreme happiness and no need for sleep. While a depressive episode makes you have extreme sadness, no energy, and make you feel hopeless. A person with a bipolar disorder can have three years of normal moods between manic or depressive episodes. Gong up and down between strong emotions can make someone feel like they cannot have a normal life. Cycling between emotions can be rapid or happen slowly over time. It can be as often as multiple times a week. However, most people experience a high manic episode or a low depressive episode over long periods of times. This does make it hard to lead a regular life. If you have experienced one manic episode, you will most likely have future episodes. Directly before you have a depressive

Bipolar II however, is very similar to Bipolar I except the person affected will have mood changes that will cycle between highs and lows over a period of time. The persons’ affected will never reach a full mania during one of their “up” moods. Another form of bipolar disorder is called Rapid Cycling. A person who has Rapid Cycling will experience four or more episodes of mania in a single year. Only about 10% to 20% of persons’ diagnosed with a bipolar disorder will be diagnosed with Rapid Cycling. Mixed Bipolar disorder would consist of somebody that will experience mania and depression simultaneously or in a rapid sequence. Cyclothymia is the mildest form of bipolar mood disorder. Symptoms of Cyclothymia must last for at least two years. Also, the person cannot have gone two months at a normal state.