Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind

82)This emphasizes the book’s point of saying that some criteria are “abnormally increased activity or energy,” and “flight of ideas or subjective impression that thoughts are racing,” (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). She mentions that during these episodes that her friends would tell her to slow down (Jamison 1995, p. 37). This can also be considered as the symptom characterized by unusual talkativeness and rapid speech (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). According to the textbook, a decreased need for sleep also characterizes mania, which Jamison often refers to, saying that “Decreased sleep is both a symptom of mania and a cause,” (Jamison 1995, p. 69). During her manic episodes, Jamison also had a tendency to dress provocatively and overspend money, which the DSM-5 characterizes as “excessive involvement in activities that are likely to have painful consequences, such as reckless spending, sexual indiscretions, or unwise business investments,” (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). She also mentions that during one of her manias, she bought snakebite kits because “God had chose me, and apparently only me, to alert the world to the wild proliferation of killer snakes in the Promised Land,” (Jamison 1995, p. 76), which can be classified as the DSM-5 criteria “increased self-esteem; belief that one has special talents, powers, or abilities,” (Kring et al. 2016, p. 140). As for her depressive

Although it is talked about frequently in today's society with really no expertise which brings a misunderstanding to the whole illness. When finishing this novel it became clear that in addition to my definition, Bipolar makes an individual suffer extreme highs and lows within their daily lifestyle unable to control when the episodes switch. In addition, I learned how the episodes affect individuals differently and there are ranges usually including a type of rage or aggression when manic and depressed. Unquiet Mind did not change my understanding for Bipolar Disorder, but it did enhance details I was not completely aware of. Furthermore with this disorder, Bipolar affects the person and the people in their lives dramatically. For example, Kay’s education and lifestyle of striving to be the best got put to a halt several times within the start of her career due to her episodes not allowing her to concentrate. On the other hand, her high manic episodes ended significant relations with men that could not deal with her pains. She stated when discussing her difficult times that, “no amount of love can cure madness or unblacken one's dark moods. Love can help, it can make the pain more tolerable, but, always, one is beholden to medication that may or may not always work and may or may not be bearable” (Jamison 155). It is a hidden battle to walk through

(Müller-Oerlinghausen, Berghöfer & Bauer, 2002). More importantly, It should be noted that controversy has arisen over the exact reasons individuals suffer from bipolar disorder, where it still remains somewhat unclear (Leahy, 2007). Although ambiguous, researchers have established that bipolar disorder results from a multifaceted interaction of genetic and environmental factors (Demjaha, MacCabe & Murray, 2011) in sum, several things are said to be correlated with origin and maintenance of Bipolar disorder. This literature review will examine the biopsychosocial model approach. Examining biological, environmental and psychological under pinning’s in the diagnoses and classification of mental illness.

These scientists identified 128 independent associations with schizophrenia encompassing 108 loci, 83 of which had not been previously reported. They found that among the loci that they identified, there was no evidence of non-additive or epistatic effects. 75% of the 108 loci identified in this study include genes that code for proteins and an additional 8% are located within 20kb of a gene. They found that there was an association with CACNA1C, CACNB2, and CACNA1I, which code for subunits of voltage gated calcium channels and have been suggested to play a role in other psychiatric disorders in addition to schizophrenia. Quantitative trait loci, those that regulate the expression of mRNA, were also implicated in conferring a risk for schizophrenia. There were also higher levels of expression of schizophrenia risk genes in tissues associated with immune function, which supports the hypothesis that immune dysregulation plays a role in schizophrenia. They also found that copy number variations that were linked to schizophrenia overlapped with those that are associated with autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual disabilities (Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2014). However, some scientists hypothesize that genes alone are not sufficient for the development of schizophrenia

It is impossible not to enjoy An Unquiet Mind based on how it explores the topics that people suffering from bipolar disorder tend not to touch. That is, Jamison employs the writing to tell people about her life as a victim of a mental health condition that is characterized by stigma everywhere. In depicting such an account, the author explores the actual nature of the disease, how it affects its victims, and how victims can fight it. Basically, the storyline gives a lifeline to people who suffer from bipolar disorder, and who have lost hope in achieving their dreams in life. The most fulfilling aspect of the reading features the fact that the author is able to identify a problem and at the same time offer a practical solution to the problem from a personal perspective, something that is rare to come by in real life medical practicing. Simply put, it is enjoyable to read Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind.

Kay Redfield Jamison, an American clinical psychologist and author published one of her books An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness in 1995. The book, as the title describes, is an emotionally moving memoir of emotions. Jamison has had bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, since her young adulthood and An Unquiet Mind unapologetically takes readers through the roller coaster of which is her life. Albeit bipolar disorder is hard to understand without having it, this memoir gives an honest yet informative understanding of Jamison’s personal experience with manic-depressive illness. From her early childhood to the peaks of her illness, An Unquiet Mind shows the perspective of an otherwise perplexing disorder

In her memoir, “Madness“, Marya Hornbacher  takes  the reader on  a journey  of her life with  Type I rapid cycle bipolar disorder. She explains the disorder as “when you are mad, mad like this, you don’t know it. Reality is what you see. When what you see shifts, departing from anyone else’s reality, it’s still reality to you” (Hornbacher, page 118).

Aside from genetic studies, it has previously been noted that there are associations between some of the personality traits (which are quantitative in nature and applicable to all human beings) and some categorical psychiatric conditions like depression and schizophrenia [Koorevaar et al., 2013; Guerra et al., 2000]. Identification of the genetic components of personality traits, at the same time as studies are underway to identify genetic components of bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions, offer an opportunity to better understand the interactions and components of the biological components that shape psychological experience and psychiatric illness.

The struggle with the manic-depressive illness got much worse during her college years. At one point she even thought about seeking guidance for her issues, but could not get herself to follow through with it. There wasn’t another thought of getting some help for years to come. Jamison made the decision to switch to clinical psychology during graduate school where she first began learning how to diagnose psychiatric patients. Not once did she make the connection of the symptoms of these constructs to the symptoms she was personally experiencing, although she did realize that she was more comfortable making diagnoses than her colleagues were. When learning about diseases, some people automatically think that they have that illness if they have experienced any of the listed symptoms. However, Jamison was the complete

The novel “An Unquiet Mind” starts off describing the life of a young girl, Kay. Early off in Kay’s life she is experiencing traumatizing life events. One of those events is a very close encounter with a plane that flew over the elementary playground very low and “It flew into the trees, exploding directly in front of us” (12). Early on it seems much easier to see how she developed the mental illness, manic-depressive (bipolar) illness. Also, her father showed signs of a bipolar illness and maybe it could be heredity. Another traumatizing event was when Kay and her family moved to California and the complete shock from the change in background. This switch also leads to Kay drinking before she attends classes for high school. Just at the age of 16, Kay is beginning to see just how much her mood swings are affecting her friends and how the bipolar illness is changing her life.

Bipolar disorder is typically a condition that affects people in their late teens and early adulthood. It is usually not thought to affect a child but it is something that, if present at a young age, can seriously affect the way a child grows up. Bipolar disorder affects every aspect of a person’s life and is not as understood as it should be. Researchers are still looking for the cause of this illness and how it can be treated but overall it is a condition that many people are undereducated on and that is something I’m hoping this paper might be able to change for some.

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 the nature of the disorder more accurately(N.Burton, 1).” The typical age of onset for bipolar disorder is 25 years old. Even though the illness can start in early childhood, it can also start as late as the 40's and 50's. It is equally diagnosed between men and women and it can be found in all ages

I believe this book is meant to help those still struggling with manic depression illness. Jamison’s story is not what normal people can bear. It is even harder for her since she is a psychiatrist who specializes in treating mood disorder. Often her disorder has caused her much of her life. Often she questions and feels unhealed inside.

The author, Kay Jamison talks about her life with bipolar I disorder in her book, An Unquiet Mind. Jamison was a Caucasian woman who at the age of forty seven wrote this memoir. Currently she is seventy years old and dealing with her disorder. She spent her life moving around a lot because her father was an air force pilot. She grew up with an older brother who was very caring and an older sister that she bumped heads with. Kay’s father was a really delightful person. His emotions were contagious. Her mother was always helpful and caring for her family no matter how busy she was. Kay’s parents were supporting in all her interests; such as pets, poetry, science, and medicine. When she was fifteen, things took a turn and her family moved to California for her father’s new job as a scientist. Her father began to show worsening signs of depression. Around the age of sixteen, Kay realized that she was having mood swings that were very drastic. In her senior year of high school, she had her first manic depressive attack. She started her undergraduate study at UCLA dealing with her constant depression and manic episodes. As she was studying as an undergraduate, Kay began to take an interest in psychology. She pursued her PhD in psychology at UCLA again studying mood disorders. As a graduate student, she also began working in the psychiatric ward and dealing with marital problems in her first marriage. She was slowly spiraling out of control until she had a terrifying

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.