Imagine that you live in the bottom of a deep ravine. There is no pathway you can use to walk out. There is no rope you can use to climb up. There is no escaping the ravine so you learn to live off of what you have at the bottom with you and you maintain yourself. You aren’t happy, but you haven’t reached a point where you feel like giving up in the most permanent way. So, you live on, and one day you wake up and wings have sprouted from your back overnight. At first you’re shocked and scared but then you realize that this could finally be your chance to escape. The euphoria you felt in that moment would seem endless.
You run outside to test these wings and realize that they are very weak. They barely lift you off of the ground. Before
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This extreme fluctuation of moods puts an unrelenting strain on people who are affected by this disorder. Often, bipolar patients have trouble maintaining personal relationships, cannot manage their energy levels, and are randomly incapable of functioning at their normal standards or abilities. When a patient is experiencing a “high” episode they often feel so invincible that they may put themselves in dangerous situations without a second thought, and when they are having a depressed episode they may feel so down that they no longer see a point in participating in their normal life. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, but the term bipolar is not colloquially used in a way that reflects that. The colloquial usage of “bipolar” equates being bipolar to the changing of the weather, or the wishy-washy opinions of people who can’t decide where they’d like to eat today. The trivial use of this term undermines the severity of bipolar disorder and creates an environment where people affected by bipolar disorder are presented with two options: having their disease undermined by those around them, or being alienated by those around them because people fear what they do not understand. In order to create an environment where bipolar patients can feel comfortable the term “bipolar”
Bipolar disorder, also commonly referred to as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual and heightened swings in a person’s mood, energy level, and ability to function. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe and therefore, they are quite different from the normal shifts in mood that everyone goes through on a daily basis. The effects of bipolar disorder can result in broken relationships, poor performance at work or school, self-mutilation, and even suicide. However, in most instances, bipolar disorder can be treated and people with this illness can lead normal and productive lives with the help of medication and therapy.
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
The stigma associated with bipolar disorder is unacceptable. The purpose of this paper is to improve the readers ability to understand what bipolar disorder is and how being diagnosed with this disorder affects all facets of daily living. Family, friends and associates of individuals with bipolar disorder are often affected as well. As a result of the stigma associated with the disorder, the effects remain: often multiplied by individuals that have a limited understanding of the disorder. There are numerous myths related to individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Hopefully a few of these myths will be put to rest after learning more about the disorder.
The terms ‘manic–depressive illness’ and ‘bipolar disorder’ are comparatively recent, and date back from the 1950s and 1980s respectively. The term ‘bipolar disorder’ (or ‘bipolar affective disorder’) is thought to be less stigmatizing than the older term ‘manic–depressive illness’, and so the former has largely superseded the latter. However, some psychiatrists and some people with bipolar disorder still prefer the term ‘manic–depressive illness’ because they feel that it reflects thenature of the disorder more accurately.
Bipolar disorder also known as manic depressive illness is a brain disorder that causes shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out everyday task (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Every year, 2.9% of the U.S population is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with nearly 83% of causes being classified as severe (NAMI). According to Miller, Ghadiali, Larusso, Wahlen, Ani-Barron, Mittal, Greene (2015), bipolar disorder is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Most people that experience this disorder experience highs and lows of the illness. In this paper, various components of bipolar disorder will be discussed. The components include: population dynamics, physical illnesses that accompany the disorder, risk factors and social determinants, treatment, prevention, health promotion, and cultural differences found globally.
Bipolar disorder is a very intense disorder and many people struggle with dealing with it on a day to day basis. According to the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (2013), bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that can affect your behavior, emotions, and wellness. Bipolar disorder symptoms are more severe than a personal just experiencing a bad day. They consistently interfere with a person’s everyday life. They can vary in intensity, from damaging previously healthy relationships, to thinking about committing suicide. Not all cases of bipolar disorder are the same in that some cases are more severe than
The burden of bipolar disorder, which has an estimated prevalence of 4% worldwide, permeates throughout all aspects of society from the
There is a dark stigma surrounding mental illness in general, and bipolar disorder is no exception. According to the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia, a stigma is “a mark of disgrace that sets someone apart.” Bipolar disorder is incredibly misunderstood by society at large, which leads to this stigma, prejudice, and discrimination. In everyday conversation, the word “bipolar” is frequently used to describe how someone is feeling at that moment. If a person is sad one moment and
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings from highs(mania/hypomania) and lows. Mood swings that can cause life risking behavior because of the intensity of each episode. There’s four different types of bipolar disorders; Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic disorder, and undefined bipolar disorders. Each can be identified by the amount of episodes, length and severity of the episode. Mental health issues have also been for a long time unrecognized because many people believe that a disorder that cannot be seen does not merit recognition. So this has caused disparities with treatments especially in low income areas.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness which requires medication and intervention (Allison M. R. Lee et al., 2014). This paper focuses on the biological, cognitive, and psychological effects of this disorder. It will also explain the social issues associated with this illness and the treatments available for women. It is known as a mood swing disorder because a person can go from being in a state of happiness and having tons of energy to deep depression and feeling tired (Nevid, Rathus & Greene, 2014). People who experience bipolar disorder have no indication of when their mood will change. One day they may feel great and ready to conquer the world and the next day they may want to end their life. They basically lose hope in themselves and
Bipolar Disorder is a serious and complicated mood disorder characterized by abnormal fluctuations between an individual’s high and low moods. Mania, Depression, Hypomania and Mixed Episodes are the predominant moods that can be identified in the different forms of Bipolar Disorder (GlaxoSmithKlein, 2007). The etiology, symptomology, and treatment for each mood and form of Bipolar Disorder vary as well. Moods can be identified by a person’s level of happiness, sadness, outlook on life and how he may physically feel (Mondimore, 2006). Patients struggling with Bipolar Disorder have difficulty regulating the euphoric highs of mania, the “black hole” feelings of depression, the “softer side” of hypomania and the incessant cycling of Mixed
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.
In life people go through experiences that cause their moods to change for the better or for the worse. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the operational definition of bipolar disorder, identify the additional specifiers, comorbidity, prevalence and discuss the cost of treating the disorder. Also, a detailed explanation will be provided about the population most impacted by the selected disorder and evidence-based approaches to assessing the disorder will be presented. In addition, evidence-based treatment approaches to address the disorder will be displayed. Last, a summary will be shared by relating an intervention from the evidence-based treatment approach to each of the themes of School of Social Work Advocacy, Empowerment and transformation.
My wings were mighty and powerful and beautiful. I would stretch it out and it would cover all nations of the earth! Its feathers glittered like silver in the scorching sun and vibrated amongst the earth. When I was in trouble, they'd always arise before my enemy's and whoosh them away like a roaring, fiery dragons flame. My mighty wings had a mind of its own, even when I was sad it would wrap me up tight like a blanket and at times I would fall deeply asleep having only sweet dreams of flying high mountains. But have I ever thought of climbing? Have I ever thought of walking? No. I hadn't even thought of the grimmest yet dismal dreams at all! I would never want my glorious wings to leave me alone.