Essay about Bipolar Disorder and Zaps Bipolar Experiment

I am diagnosing Sheen with Bipolar disorder which is categorized as an Axis I disorder, in the DSM-V. Bipolar disorder affects approximately 7.5 million people eighteen years or older in any given year (Mohr, 2013). Of the three types of bi-polar disorder, I am diagnosing him with type I bipolar disorder, which is characterized by alternating depressive episodes and one or more manic episodes. “Manic episodes are periods of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood” (Mohr, 2013). During mania someone exhibits extreme mood swings with irritability and sudden outbursts of misplaced rage, work output is decreased, and they may go on spending sprees or engage in promiscuity (Mohr, 2013). He must exhibit at least three of the following symptoms in order to be correctly diagnosed with the disorder. The symptoms for type I bipolar disorder are: decreased need for sleep, inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, distractibility, more talkative than usual, increase in goal

In this experiment there were 62 participants that were diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder and 50 control participants that had no diagnosis of a lifetime mood disorder. The people that were participating were recruited from the Bay Area Community in California. Everyone was fluent English speakers and ranged between 18 and 65 years old. Neither with no history of brain injury or medical conditions of the central nervous system and no show of impaired mental status or developmental disability. Every

Nusslock is a professor at Northwestern University. After graduating with a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, he went on to study neuroscience at Pittsburg medical school. This journal focuses on how criteria regarding bipolar disorders may fail to include milder bipolar syndromes. The main argument is the criteria for diagnosing mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, is not adequate. He argues there is no reliable criteria equipped for diagnosing mild cases of bipolar disorder. Mild bipolar disorder is significant and should not go unnoticed, argues Nusslock. “Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who display subsyndromal hypomanic features, not concurrent with a major depressive episode, have a more severe course compared to individuals with MDD and no hypomanic features, and more closely resemble individuals with bipolar disorder on a number of clinical validators,” claims Nusslock. His findings prove what he hypothesized. The article gives the reader an insight to how important subtle symptoms are and how no person or behavior deserves to go unnoticed. He suggests there is a fault with how we are diagnosing bipolar disorders. We tend to group patients into a larger category, rather than finding a diagnosis that fits properly. The evidence in this article is a combination of research and Nusslock’s own ideas. Because he is able to combine thoughts and ideas, the information is more reliable. This article may be biased because he seems to be solely talking about his perspective than the opposite perspective. Nusslock continuously reflects on his strong sense of opinion. He seems to be very passionate about bipolar disorder and wants to be a part of making a difference. In my opinion, the information is reliable for one side. It does not show reliability for an opposing opinion because there seems to be no other opinion present. This article is a

Ever felt extremely happy one day and terribly depressed the next, as if you were on an emotional roller coaster? How about spontaneously spending $5,000 on a shopping spree that you have no use for? Imagine being so depressed that you want to commit suicide because dinner was not the meal you had in mind. Each of these actions may seem completely farfetched to the average person; however, actions similar to these are a reality for nearly 5.8 million adults in the United States that suffer from an illness called bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, historically referred to as manic depressive illness, is an

There is more to the treatment of bipolar disorder than medication, but the medication Lithium has been the primary treatment since the 1960’s. In four studies

The common symptoms for a manic depressive episode consist of elated, expansive, irritable or hyperactive mood. Their speech becomes hard to understand, they have ideas racing through their head, they have incredibly high self esteem, they rarely feel tired and they are often involved in activities that could possibly harm them. “Rarest symptoms were periods of loss of all interest and retardation or agitation” (Weisman, 1991). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) has demonstrated, bipolar disorder can participate in developmental delays, marital and family problems, loss of jobs and an inability to keep a steady income.

A mixed episode, also known as a dysphoric manic episode, is a combination of depressive and manic symptoms, such as agitation, change in appetite, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thinking. Severe depression or agitation in this state can also be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include delusions and hallucinations. Bipolar individuals often describe these episodes as ‘sad mania.' This episode is the one most commonly seen in children. Though not uncommon, mixed episodes are not widely recognized. Studies show that only 40 percent of people who have both manic symptoms and a sufficient number of depressive symptoms are diagnosed as being in a mixed depressive and manic state. Studies have also shown that suicidal thoughts are greatly increased in people while in a mixed state. Its treatment has not been

(2000) explained that the prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorder is between 2.6% and 6.5%, which can be compared to the prevalence of drug abuse which is 4.4%. Bipolar can be classified as a spectrum disorder because it forms an umbrella for bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymia, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. Unfortunately, bipolar spectrum disorders often go undiagnosed and therefore untreated. With that, Hirschfelt et all (2000), emphasizes the importance of recognizing this disorder. With recognition, these individuals can seek intervention for this disorder and decrease its symptoms and its progression. One way to diagnose this disorder is to screen for it by performing a mood disorder questionnaire. The researchers created a one-page, self-report, paper-and-pencil inventory that can be easily evaluated and administered. The questions were derived from the DSM-IV criteria at the time, but have been updated to the newest version’s clinical

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the clinical differences in the diagnosis of both Major Depressive Disorder (Unipolar depression) and Bipolar Depression can be made on the basis of characteristics of a Major Depressive Episode (MDE). That is, can an MDE in patients with Major Depressive Disorder be differentiated from a MDE in patients with Bipolar Disorder? Firstly, the extremes in mood, Major Depressive Episode and mania/hypomania will be defined and it will be explained how they contribute to a diagnosis of MDD or Bipolar Disorder based on the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Secondly, the importance of differentiating the two disorders based on MDE characteristics will be explained. Thirdly, the literature on the clinical characteristics of MDE in Bipolar and Unipolar Depression will be reviewed. Lastly, this essay will touch on what this means for clinicians in their decisions in diagnosing patients with Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar disorder.

Approximately 0.5-1 percent of Americans will develop bipolar II disorder in their lifetime, worldwide the prevalence is 0.4 percent (Rosenberg & Kosslyn, 2011). Bipolar disorder is one of the main causes of disability, because of its cognitive and functional impairment, the high rate of medical and psychiatric comorbidity, and the relevant suicide risk (Dell 'Osso, et al., 2016). Bipolar II disorder is one of the two most commonly diagnosed subtypes of Bipolar disorder, which are distinguished by the amount of burden the depression causes, the number, frequency, duration, and severity of the depressive episodes, and the occurrence of specific sub threshold episodes (Dell 'Osso, et al., 2016). Although bipolar II disorder diagnosis are on the rise we lack extensive research on the features and treatments of this disorder (Datto, Pottorf, Feeley, Laporte, & Liss, 2016). Bipolar II disorder is now recognized in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) under a new chapter dedicated specifically to bipolar disorders. Which proves that bipolar disorders are their own set of disorders in terms of symptomatology, family history, and genetics (Möller, et al., 2014). This allows an enhancement in the accuracy of diagnosis, which in turn leads to earlier treatment. In the DSM-5 it states that bipolar II disorder can lead to effects such as disability, comorbidity, mortality, and an impact on the quality of life (Datto, Pottorf,

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness affects about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population (8). It is defined by fluctuating states of depression and mania throughout ones life. Those who are depressed may be restless, irritable, have slowed thinking or speech, decreased sexual activity, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, suicidal thoughts as well as other changes. Those in a manic state may have increased activity or energy, more thoughts and faster thinking, grandiose thoughts, decreased sleep and need for sleep, increased sexual activity, elated mood, irritable mood, as well as other symptoms. Mixed state is when both depression and mania are exhibited at the same time in a cycle. Rapid cycling

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).

Before I truly understood Bipolar disorder, it was still a fairly common word in my vocabulary. Anytime I thought someone was being moody or fluctuating between emotions, I joked by claiming that person to be bipolar. Several incidents of this involved one of my roommates who seemed to be happy one day, and quite the polar opposite the next. However, it was not until my clinical experience on the psychiatric unit that I realized what true bipolar disorder was, and that she did not fit the criteria. Even though I always thought my roommate was bipolar, I quickly found after being exposed to a diagnosed bipolar patient that my roommate was instead just moody. I decided to write this paper on bipolar disorder, not because I have struggle with it or know a friend or family member with this disease, but because I had several misconceptions about what it entailed.