Chemical Imbalances In The Brain: A Case Study

There are some treatments for bipolar disorder. The main treatments are medications and psychotherapy. The types of medication used to treat the disorder are antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers (NIMH, 2015). Some other treatments that are helpful in dealing with the symptoms of bipolar disorder are sleeping medications, herbal supplements, and electroconvulsive therapy (NIMH,

According to Thomas Wheaton the author of “Bipolar Disorder: Agony and the Ecstasy”, having Bipolar disorder is a medical condition which in tales an extra amount of strength and hard work. Bipolar disorder is dealing with the ups and downs of depression and mania all at once. Bipolar disorder can be broken down into three types. First, Bipolar 1, Second, Bipolar 2, Third, Cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar disorder affects over five million people. These three types of Bipolar disorders are found in the DSM4 reference manual. Dealing with bipolar disorder, a person must endure a great deal of medication which can also have side effects. To help cope with these a person can do the following; see a therapist and a psychiatrist. However, to a person

Currently the best treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of medical medicine along with therapy and counseling. The medicines used to treat bipolar disorder are grouped together in three categories: Anticonvulsants, Antidepressants, and Antipsychotics. Each medicine is prescribed to the patient according to the symptoms the individual is experiencing. Each bipolar disorder case is different and it is important to diagnose the patient properly in terms of medicine and counseling for better recovery results from the

Mental illness has plagued human kind for as long as we have been on this earth. The science of psychology has made great strides in past century. The stigma of being mentally ill has begun to fall away and people are finally starting to get the help that they need to recover. Bipolar disorder is one illness that we have come to more fully understand. Through assistance from a psychiatrist, family and medication a patient with bipolar disorder can enter remission and live a normal life.

People living with bipolar disorder need medication to help them function at their full potential. Some people feel that people living with bipolar disorder do not need to be medicated to live a healthy fulfilling life. However to say this first a person must know what bipolar disorder is and how a person is affected by the disorder. According to Rachal Pollock PHD bipolar is described as a common recurrent, often lifelong major psychiatric disorder characterized by manic/ mixed and depressive episodes. According to her if the person does not have treatment for the disorder then the risk grows substantially in regards to morbidity and mortality. I know firsthand how it is to live on

As the child grows up, bipolar disorder may affect the size, shape, and function of the brain. Experts believe bipolar disorder is partly caused when brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are unbalanced. Humans have three chemicals in their brain called noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. Noradrenaline and serotonin have been known to link to psychiatric mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Dopamine has to do with the pleasure system of the brain. Disruption to the dopamine system is connected to psychosis and schizophrenia, two mental disorders characterized by distortions in reality and illogical thought patterns and behaviors.

You have to take a lot of pills and it’s really important to stay on those medications or you’ll become very maniac and could get admitted repeatedly to the hospital. Bipolar disorder is a complex illness with many parts of the brain implicated in its presence. Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, two types of chemical messengers in the brain, are typically targeted by bipolar medications. The primary types of medication for bipolar disorder treatment are:mood stabilizers,anticonvulsants,and

With all being said, I have learned from video, Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain, while medication is the foundation of bipolar disorder treatment, therapy and self-help strategies also play important

The exact cause of bipolar disorder is currently unknown, however there are several factors that could increase the likeliness of developing the disorder. Structures or deformations of many important parts of the brain can lead to the disorder. Structures like the basal ganglia and the cerebellum tend to be smaller in individuals with the disorders (Comer, 2004). According to Comer malformation of structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, or the prefrontal cortex could also cause the disorder (2004). These structures are responsible for fear response, regulation of emotion, and decision making (Comer, 2004). One of the possible causes of the disorder are neurotransmitters, overactive norepinephrine can result in a manic episode, while low levels can result in a depressive episode (Free, 2016). Many

Furstenfeld explains that bipolar disorder is a malfunction of the brain hence the lyrics “your brain is faulty wiring” (Furstenfeld, 2005) and recognizes that there is a biological mechanism that causes the disorder. According to Butcher, Hooley, and Mineka, “cortisol levels are higher in bipolar disorder patients and evidence of mood changes are caused by abnormalities concerning the hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid axis which

Electroconvulsive therapy is a form of treatment where small electric currents travel through the brain to intentionally induce seizures (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). This treatment is mostly used when illnesses have not been improved by other types of treatments like medication and other forms of therapy. For example, illnesses like severe depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, and sometimes post-traumatic stress disorder as well (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Since the procedure includes having electrode pads placed on the head to deliver levels of electric currents, it is essentially considered a “last resort” treatment because of its inhumanity. Electroconvulsive

People with bipolar disorder shouldn’t feel completely helpless because there are many ways to cope with the mental disorder. Therapy can play a huge role in coping with being bipolar, from speaking to a therapist to even speaking with family and close friends. Being able to trust someone close and be able to tell them the mental and physical effects occurring could often help numb the physical shock and mental emotions pulsating through the mind. Therapists may often try to come up with ways to ease the brain during an episode such as writing. This can help get a lot of thoughts out in open and put them into perspective instead of keeping them locked up inside. Another great method is exercising, this can help motivate and relieve some stress

There are not nearly as many treatments for bipolar disorder. In fact, there is only one treatment that seems to have lasting effects. This treatment uses therapy with a professional coupled with medications. “Antibipolar drugs, also called mood stabilizers, help steady the mood of those with a bipolar disorder” (Chapter 2, 2009). The advances in treatment are due to the discovery of lithium as a medication. This drug works extremely well to eliminate manic episodes and even help with the depression. The drugs

Because bipolar disorders are generally recurrent, maintenance treatment is usually needed. This is especially true when there have been multiple episodes, a clear family history of bipolar disorder or symptom onset before age 18. Effective maintenance