Overview of Mood Disorders Essay

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder known for severe persistent mood instabilities between mania and depression, . It causes unusual changes in mood, energy, and activity levels which makes ability to perform daily tasks very hard. (Concepts Advisory Panel [CAP], 2015). BPD affects more than 2.3 million adult Americans, or 1% of the population. (Guo, Patel, Li, & Keck 2010). There are four basic types of bipolar spectrum; All of them involve clear change in the mood energy, and activity levels (CAP,2015). These mood incidences’ ranges from periods of extremely high and energized behavior known as Manic episodes to very sad, or hopeless periods known as depressive episodes. Bipolar I disorder, the client has at least one episode of manic followed by major depression. Bipolar II disorder, the client has one or more hypomanic and major depressive episodes, the other not so severe and less diagnoses type of Bipolar is chronic mood disorder that lasts more two years with combination of hypomania and dysthymia. (CAP,2015). This paper will go into, Bipolar I, Manic episodes, the pathophysiology, Sign and symptoms, treatments, comorbidity, nursing intervention and nursing and patient therapeutic relationship.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder). Doctors diagnose bipolar disorder using guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the symptoms must be a major change from your normal mood or behavior (National Institutes of Health, Bipolar Disorder in Adults). There are four basic types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS), and Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia.

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.

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).

Bipolar I is our modern understanding of the 19th Century manic-depressive disorder or affective psychosis, however, it differs in that neither psychosis nor a lifetime experience of a major depressive episode is required. It requires one or more extreme manic episode, or symptoms of both a mania and a depression. It may be preceded by, or followed by, hypomanic or major depressive episodes. Mania symptoms cause significant impairment in life and may require hospitalization or trigger psychosis. In contrast, bipolar II is defined by the lifetime experience of at least one hypomanic episode and at least one major depressive episode. Criteria for hypomania are like those of mania, but in a milder form. Instead of impairment, hypomania is marked by a distinct change in functioning. (APA, 2013)

Typically, a person experiences a spectrum of emotions both negative and positive, but they stay within a normal range. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that describes when a person has “extreme mood swings… which typically shift between the heights of elation to the depths of depression.” (Nevid, Rathus, and Greene, 2013) Generally, a person suffering from Bipolar disorder will experience spurts of elation, or happiness, this is usually called the “manic period.” On the other hand, the person will also incur periods of depression, sometimes as severe as committing suicide. Bipolar disorder is categorized in two groups: Bipolar I and Bipolar II. The difference is whether or not the person manic episodes. For Bipolar II, a person must have a hypomanic episode which is a manic episode that is less intense and lasts for a shorter period of time. The bipolar spectrum consists of four main forms: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, and bipolar disorder that cannot be classified. Bipolar I disorder requires a person to have at least one manic episode lasting seven days or more as well as depressive episodes that outnumber the manic episodes three to one. Bipolar II disorder is often misdiagnosed as unipolar depression because the person experiences hypomanic episodes that are less severe and shorter than regular manic episodes. The depressive episodes outnumber the hypomanic forty to one. Cyclothymic disorder

A major depressive episode is described as having a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure along with five (or more) of the following symptoms: (a) significant weight loss, (b) insomnia or hypersomnia, (c) psychomotor agitation or retardation, (d) fatigue or loss of energy, (e) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt, (f) diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, and (g) recurrent

Also known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is defined as a brain disorder that causes atypical changes in moods, activity, and energy level. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience manic and depressive episodes. Whereas manic episodes feature overexcitement and hyperactivity, depressive episodes feature extreme sadness and lack of activity (Walsh, 2014). There are two major types of bipolar disorder. The first is bipolar

A dual diagnosis is when a person presents a severe mental illness like bipolar disorder with a substance use disorder (Halter & Varcarolis, 2014). Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that can be characterized by either mania or hypomania and depressive episodes (Varcarolis, E, 2005). A manic episode is an elevated expansive or irritable mood lasting for at least 1 week. Hypomania episode is less severe than manic episode lasting for a duration of 4 days. A depressive episode has to be manifested by 5 of the 9 following symptoms: depressed mood, lack of interest or pleasure, significant weight loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, inability to concentrate and recurrent thoughts of death (Varcarolis, E, 2005). Bipolar disorder has several criteria’s but overall each criteria has either mania or hypomania with depressive episodes.

mood, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Understanding the definition, history, and diagnosis. Also, the symptoms, treatments, social effects, how it effects the brain and neurotransmitters. Many people do not understand Mood Disorder and how they affect people. The reason why I chose this psychological disorder is, because how it effects the brain and to help people get a better understanding on what Mood Disorders are. “Mood Disorders are characterized bu serve disturbance in mood and emotions most often depression, but also mania and elation(Rothschild, 1990).”

This resource article from The Mood Disorders Canada website discusses how it is commonly believed that depression is a normal part of getting old and that this is not true. This article details how to detect depression, why it is important to treat it and many ways to treat and cope with depression and it's symptoms. Some of the recommendations listed in this article are: medication, social support, talk therapy and Electroconvulsive therapy. This article is a good resource, including an extensive list of ways to prevent and fight depression as well as a suggested reading list. This article is from a Canadian based organization but has information that would be helpful for Seniors living in any part of the

One major mood disorder that will be discussed is bipolar disorder. People who are bipolar tend to have episodes of both mania and depression, sometime by themselves or sometimes mixed. Some of the symptoms are a very active social life, rapid speech, racing

It constitutes a broad spectrum of mood disorders that includes bipolar I disorder,bipolar II disorder, cyclothymia (oscillating high and low moods), and major depression.

Mood disorder refers to the destruction or disturbance of the mood. Firstly, this paper will explain the causes of mood disorders using psychological and sociocultural factors followed by the arguments of the strengths and limitations for each factor.