Symptoms And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (bipolar affective disorder or manic-depressive disorder) is a long-term disorder where a person’s mood fluctuates between severe depression (lows) and mania (highs), with normal moods in between (sometimes). The time spent in and between extremes could last a few days, weeks, months or even years. There are also instances where no time between extremes is experienced and up to 4 mood fluctuations are experienced per year, this is dubbed Rapid Cycling. Bipolar is not mood swings, they do not merely last up to a few hours. There are treatments for bipolar disorder but it is not curable, the condition can only be improved.

Genetics and the environment play a definite role in bipolar disorders and neurotransmitter regulation, or lack thereof, is the joining factor between the two. Depression and mania are the left and right limits to bipolar disorder and there is quite a bit that can happen in between.

An imbalance in naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters seems to play a significant role in bipolar disorder and other mood disorders.

Bipolar disorder is a common mental neurological illness that currently affects approximately 5.5 million Americans that are at least eighteen years or older. There are an estimated 51% of individuals with this condition who are untreated in any given year. Individuals diagnosed with this disease have mood swings that alternate from periods of severe highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). Suicide is the number one cause of premature death among people with bipolar disorder, with 15-17 percent taking their own lives as a result of negative symptoms that come from untreated illness (TAC, 2011). People with bipolar disorders can be characterized as wild, frantic, pacing, out-of-their-mind, and extremely depressed. Taking a look into what

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.

Bipolar disorder is a very complex mood disorder, which although highly treatable can be very difficult to live with. The disorder has more than one form or classification and many symptoms ranging in severity. I will be discussing the history of the disorder and how it got its name. I will also provide you with the criteria a patient must meet to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Furthermore, I will be discussing the causes for the different types of bipolar disorder, the common forms of treatment for the different types of bipolar disorder and common therapeutic techniques that can be used by patients to manage their symptoms.

Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that interrupts people 's everyday life, with having different symptoms, but there are treatments to help those people too. In the article ‘Bipolar Disorder’ from the National Institute of Mental Health it states, “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.” Bipolar Disorder can change somebody’s tasks during the day from certain event that can happen. People with Bipolar Disorder can feel like they have enough

First is the symptoms of bipolar disorder. There are many symptoms of BPD, but as J. Sloan Manning, author of “bipolar disorder, bipolar depression, and comorbid illness,” states psychologists do not yet have any discrete “biomarkers” for bipolar disorder. He goes on to say that they need to “improve the current methods and accuracy in identifying symptoms, behaviors, histories, and known comorbidities” of BPD. Sloan also stated that “primary care physicians must be familiar with the clinical features, risk factors, and defining symptomology of BPD. A major feature of BPD is comorbidity or multimorbidity, which means, “the array of co- occurring conditions and modifiable risk factors that may be indirectly related to BPD” (1-2). Now quoted in “Rethinking Emotion: Cognitive Reappraisal is an Effective Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation Strategy in Bipolar Disorder,” the “core diagnostic criterion for [BPD] involves disruptive affective functioning, including periods of abnormally and persistently elevated mood [i.e. mania]” (Gruber 1)

This is a 25 year old African American female still grieving the loss of her mother who presents with fatigue, lack of appetite, sleep disturbances, suicidal ideations, and anhedonia.

Bipolar disorder is a major mood disorder that includes the cycling of two parts; acute mania and bipolar depression. There are many factors that affect the onset of bipolar disorder, such as genetics, environment, and dysfunction in the brain. Due to its two-part nature, various drugs have been used as antidepressants or antipsychotics. Unfortunately, not all drugs have the ability to target both aspects of bipolar disorder. As of right now there are various pharmacotherapeutics for bipolar disorder, but two of the most widely used are Lithium treatments or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These are some of the primary treatments for bipolar disorder and even more pharmacotherapeutics and methods are being developed to ensure that patients are utilizing them properly.

It seems every day that goes by we hear someone being labeled as bipolar or another celebrity is getting diagnosed as being bipolar after their spurts of erratic behavior. I had to ask the question, does anyone really know what it means to be bipolar? 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 (NIMH). Suffering from bipolar disorder can mean suffering from drastic changes in mood from one minute to the next. This illness can make getting through the simplest daily tasks impossible and can even cause the person suffering to become suicidal. There are typically three states that a person with this illness will experience; manic, depressive and mixed states. This illness is typically diagnosed in late teens to early twenties and is treatable, but will usually last a person’s entire life. At this time there are no medical tests or exams performed to determine if a person is suffering from bipolar disorder. Usually a trained mental health professional can determine the diagnosis after evaluating the person. Bipolar disorder can run in families, although there are some relating factors, scientists have not yet determined any keys in genetics as far as passing the illness on.

In conclusion, Ben Tang was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder indicated by DSM-5 at age 47. He experienced symptoms such as feeling depressed, suicidal thoughts, and worthlessness in depressive episodes. He experienced symptoms such as racing mind, trouble falling asleep, and committing reckless behaviors in hypomanic episodes. It can be challenging to live with bipolar disorder because the symptoms can be hard to deal with. There are several ways to manage bipolar disorder, include medications, support group, and persistent meetings with psychological and pharmacological professionals with treatment options. It is very difficult to find the perfect treatment at the early stage of disorder. It takes time to find the treatment

I feel that Bipolar disorder is extremely misunderstood. Many people use the term loosely. The people who suffer from this disorder are hurting and can’t control their feelings. My friend must pay over $400 a month for her prescriptions. She has insurance, but the insurance company does not cover that much of the medicine she takes. There is a number of medications used to treat bipolar disorder. The types and doses of medications prescribed are based on particular symptoms. Finding the right medication usually takes some trial and error. The process requires patience, as some medications need weeks to months to take full effect. A few of the most used medications are mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, antidepressant-antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medications.

Depression and Bipolar Disease share several aspects, however, they remain two very different disorders. Depression disorders are marked by the feeling of hopelessness, intense sadness, emotional numbness and withdrawal from family and friends (Sue 2014). Bipolar may have a depressive element to it, nevertheless, manic/hypomanic episodes are what defines the diagnosis. Manic episodes are marked by an elevated mood, exaggerated activity, and a decreased need for sleep, or a state of euphoria. Both depression and bipolar have a multipath model, however, the genetic factor on the bipolar is much stronger than the depression. Medication is the key treatment for bipolar, with Lithium being the largely popular drug. Antidepressant medications