Stephen Fry 's The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive

“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.

In pop culture Bipolar Disorder is described as someone quickly switching emotions. The term gets flown around easily without evidence of the alleged diagnosis. This publication changed my perspective on mental illness due to always hearing society's opinion on the phrase. Kay’s experience shows an individual who suffered tremendously behind doors that no one else could relate to, having episodes last days to months not switching every minute like society's stereotypes. It is obvious that there is not control and while medication helps, there is a significant consequence when missing treatment. Additionally, material learned within this book can help fundamentally determine someone suffering this illness. For example, if someone has manic highs and lows that force them to change their daily lifestyle for a period of time and developes changing impulsive decisions there could be an underlying illness. Even though there are few details that can fall into the category of Bipolar, it is still rare and unless diagnosed by a doctor one should never jump to conclusions about another

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

Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression has always been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that it can appear in almost everyone. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings in energy, thinking, and other behavior. Having a bipolar disorder can be very disabling (Kapczinski). A study was evaluated and about 1.3% of the U.S population of people suffers from bipolar disorder. Stressors and environmental influences can trigger and cause a person to go through numerous episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized according to the severity of the stages. According to Kapczinski, there are four different stages that a person with bipolar disorder can experience. The prognosis of a disorder is different in each particular patient

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.

Currently effecting between 2-4% of the overall population and as one of the leading causes of homelessness, suicide, and hospitalization, bipolar disorder is yet, still one of the most perplexing, as well as the most misunderstood mental disorders out there. With this particular disorder, the complexity arises given one’s predisposition, diversity, and non-specific range of hazards for said disorder; thusly, making a cure, or at best, prevention, difficult, if not impossible, if not for appropriate early intervention. Bipolar not only puts a strain on the economic condition of our country, but on the individual, as well as society as a whole; given, its propensity to bring about financial difficulties, employment difficulties, and poor self-esteem and this is simply three examples, out of quite possible a largely finite numeral of disparities realized within the afflicted, as well as the overall populace. Nothing left of what we deem normal will be left untainted, and with limited governmental funding and a lack of knowledge, mankind’s naïve, uncaring nature will only bring about less than desirable responses to treatment, medicinally or otherwise; given, the disorder is far more difficult to treat later in life. With the proximal factors of which occur within one 's own environment, such as acute

Victoria Maxwell, a comedian, actress, and writer, uses comedy to educate others by sharing from her personal experience of living with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, commonly referred to as manic depression, is a mental illness characterized by a fluctuation in behavior or mood, between periods of mania (high) and depression (lows). There are five different types of the disorder: bipolar I didorder, bipolar II disorder, bipolar disorder not otherwise specified, cyclothymic or cyclothymic, and rapid-cycling disorder, each with symptoms that vary according to the length and severity of mania and depression (“NIMH RSS”). Currently, the mental disorder affects almost 6 million Americans (Chillag). Maxwell suffers from bipolar 1, the severest

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder, is defined as “a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks” (1). According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, this disorder affects approximately 5.7 million people age 18 and older in the United States annually (2). There are a few different categories of this disorder including Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, and Cyclothymic

Famous celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mel Gibson and Jim Carrey are proof that bipolar I disorder can be treated and still have a full and productive life. Like any other diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, bipolar I disorder is a long-term disorder that must be carefully managed throughout one’s life. Some psychotherapies can help with the treatment of bipolar I disorder with manic psychotic features such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal and family therapies, and psycho-education. The CBT is used to identify negative thoughts and behaviors and learn to modify them to create a positive change. Interpersonal and family therapies help to manage the patient’s symptoms and needs that improve relationships and communications. Lastly, psycho-education which can be used to educate people with bipolar disorder as well as their family members to help identify the signs of mood swings before they happen. Since bipolar I disorder with manic psychotic feature is essentially a long-term condition, it is recommended that the client remains in family session therapy for as long as the client is receiving medications. Therefore, since there is no cure for bipolar I disorder, a thorough investigation of the client’s symptoms and family history along with the combination of medication and psychotherapy can lead to successful treatment and management of 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

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.

Bipolar disorder, or manic depressive disorder, is a disorder characterized by extreme mood changes. People with this disorder undergo unusual shifts in his or her mood, activity levels, energy and the ability to carry out daily activities (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). A person can go from being very outgoing and energetic to feeling irritated and worthless over a period of a few days, months, or even years. People with bipolar disorder experience “mood episodes”, represented by a drastic change in a person’s unusual mood or behavior (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). A manic episode he or she may experience is overexcited and overly joyful; however, someone in a