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Bipolar Disorder : Psychological Trauma And Neurobiological Abnormalities

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In Letters from a Bipolar Mother Alyssa Reyans states, “bipolar robs you of that which is you. It can take from you the very core of your being and replace it with something that is completely opposite of who and what you truly are.” Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed because bipolar is such a complex disorder that contains symptoms of other mental illnesses. Bipolar disorder is a debilitating mental illness that consists of multiple different forms, each with their own symptoms and severity. Bipolar I and bipolar II are the two main forms of the disorder and often the most studied. Research has been conducted in both the fields of psychology and neuroscience but questions over the main cause of onset of the disorder still arise. Researchers have concluded through the most current research that the most influential factors in the development of bipolar disorder are psychological trauma and neurobiological abnormalities. I argue that researching psychological trauma is the best way to understand and treat the disorder; however inconsistencies and lack of research in both psychology and neuroscience has led researchers to misinterpret data thus creating false conclusions. Bipolar disorder is considered to be on a spectrum that ranges in symptoms and severity and is directly related to psychological trauma and genetic composition. Bipolar I is categorized as the most extreme form of the disorder that cycles between manic and depressive episodes.

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