The Imperfect Science Of Diagnosing And Treating Bipolar Disorder

Mental illness has plagued human kind for as long as we have been on this earth. The science of psychology has made great strides in past century. The stigma of being mentally ill has begun to fall away and people are finally starting to get the help that they need to recover. Bipolar disorder is one illness that we have come to more fully understand. Through assistance from a psychiatrist, family and medication a patient with bipolar disorder can enter remission and live a normal life.

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

The two week period during a major depressive episode is arguably the most dangerous time for people who suffer from bipolar disorder because it is the time when the vast majority of them contemplate death. This can range from the idea of suicide without any specific plan to an actual suicide attempt. These episodes are usually not diagnosed when the same symptoms could be connected with the recent loss of a loved one or some other traumatic experience. Usually speaking, people with bipolar will usually be depressed far more often than they are manic.

There are many concerns when it comes to the mental health of individuals throughout the world. Mental health problems can manifest in a variety of different ways and range in severity from attention deficits to hallucinations. One of the most severe forms of disorders that can affect an individual is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that presents a wide variety of different symptoms that affect the ability of an individual to live a complete and satisfied life. By examining the overall prevalence of the ailment, its symptoms, and the forms of treatments available, a more complete understanding of bipolar disease can emerge.

When a seventh grader at Frederick Area High School in Frederick, South Dakota, was asked to describe what bipolar disorder is, he said that it refers to people that “change personalities fast” (McGaugh). However, this is only a common misconception. Though the word “bipolar” is often used in conversations to describe a person that has mood swings, bipolar disorder actually refers to a serious mental illness. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, about 2.6 percent of American adults suffer from a form of bipolar disorder, and about one in five people with bipolar disorder commits suicide. Despite the impact that bipolar disorder has on the lives of patients and families alike, it is treated casually by people across the United States. Even though many treat it flippantly, bipolar disorder is a serious mental ailment, and the public needs to have a greater understanding of it.

When a seventh grader at Frederick Area High School in Frederick, South Dakota, was asked to describe what bipolar disorder is, he said that it refers to people that “change personalities fast” (McGaugh). However, this is only a common misconception. Though the word “bipolar” is often used in conversations to describe a person that has mood swings, bipolar disorder actually refers to a serious mental illness. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, about 2.6 percent of American adults suffer from a form of bipolar disorder, and about one in five people with bipolar disorder commits suicide. Despite the impact that bipolar disorder has on the lives of patients and families alike, it is treated casually by people across the United States. Even though many treat it flippantly, bipolar disorder is a serious mental ailment, and the public needs to have a greater understanding of it.

Bipolar disorder is an illness known for its unique fast transitional mood shifts, usually from manic to depressive. (Moore, P et al., 2014.) This illness holds no prejudice as it can affect anyone at any age, gender or race. (Smith, M 2014) Bipolar disorder is not only dangerous to the patients themselves but could also potentially cause harm to bystanders as well. It is important to get treatment and prevent it from further development. A patient with bipolar disorder cannot differentiate between reality and insanity; they severely lack comprehension of their actions and behaviour as they are unaware of their mood swings. Unable to acknowledge their actions, they are additionally unable to grasp control of their physical, verbal and psychological vivacity.

One of the most common mental illnesses worldwide is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable disease with a polygenetic mode of inheritance. It can also be known as manic depressive illness, an illness associated with mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. This illness can affect many people at fairly young ages, but is harder to diagnose the younger the patient is. The reason being is because outbursts in infants can be looked upon as temper tantrums or the infants are simply confused on whom they are. A true personality is not recognized until a person is around five years of age. Bipolar Disorder is very broad in the symptoms, causes, and treatment of the illness, and can be widely misinterpreted. Those

The following essay will look at the health related issue bipolar disease first previously described as ‘manic depression insanity’ was seen as different from other mental illnesses by psychiatrist Emil Krapelin in 1899 (Goodwin, Guy, Sachs, Gary, 2010).However the illness ‘bipolar’ was named in the 1960’s by psychiatrist Angsy and Perris who both understood the illness happened in mania and mood altitude (Goodwin, Guy, Sachs, Gary, 2010). According to the National Institute of Mental health in many cases diagnoses for the condition isn’t diagnosed until the late adolescent to the early adult years of a person’s life. The reason being that the condition is not easy to identity therefore, the life long illness can unfortunately go unrecognised for years until a proper diagnosis is done (National Institute of Mental health 2012).

When trying to distinguish between a Bipolar person and an average Joe, one might have difficulty. As the term suggests, this ailment isn’t as easily seen much like the flu, but expressed in a rather peculiar way: behaviorally emotionally, and mentally. Due to this inability to be seen, it’s much harder for doctors to accurately diagnose somebody who is thought to be sick. Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a book that has been written and approved by the American Psychiatric Association, doctors will record a patient’s symptoms, behaviorally and emotionally, and see where he or she lands on the spectrum (Sutton 7

A long term mental illness affecting a person’s moods is bipolar disorder. Having bipolar can produce several different symptoms and these alter in intensity depending on the type of bipolar a person has and how these symptoms interfere with everyday life. The diagnosis of bipolar remains hard to get accurate and receiving the appropriate diagnosis and treatment can require years. Treatment usually involves a mixture of medication and therapy. Moreover, it requires constant work with a treatment team to trial different treatments and acquire a treatment plan that works for each individual person. Bipolar disorder effects a range of aspects of a person’s life and the lives of the people closest to them. The beginning and development of bipolar

Everyone experiences mood swings, some days individuals can feel short-tempered and angry; other days they can feel cheerful and excited. However people that are dealing with bipolar disorder, experience these feelings more frequent and more serve to the point where it makes living a constant struggle. Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is a mental illness that affects many men and women in the United States. More than five million adults in the United States are affected with the disorder each year and are growing at a rapid pace (National Institute of Mental Health). In today’s society, teenagers and children are being diagnosed with bipolar disorder too, which use to be uncommon years ago. Furthermore, this disorder has numerous signs and symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose and be treated properly. However, many individuals think this brain disorder is made up because most of the signs could also be involved in a healthy individual’s everyday life, such as; depressed moods and feeling sad, fatigue, loss of energy, poor concentration and difficulty in making decisions. While on other days an individual with bipolar disorder could feel very talkative, easily distracted, driven, passionate, and important to others. These diverse signs and symptoms make it difficult to diagnose a person with bipolar disorder because the uncertainty of how their brain is working. Therefore, it is common for a person living with bipolar disorder to turn down

The evidence found within the literature suggests that a serious problem in the United States is the inappropriate treatment of bipolar disorder (Merikangas, Akiskal, Angst, Greenberg, Hirschfeld, Petukhova, & Kessler, 2007). According to Merikangas et al., (2007), the leading cause of premature mortality as a result of suicide and associated medical conditions is bipolar disorder. This population is also at an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes due to their recurrent periods of mania, depression and psychotic episodes combined with their substance use and unstable living environments (Kilbourne, Bauer, Pincus, Williford, Kirk, & Beresford, 2005). Patients with bipolar disorder may also be at risk for being under-diagnosed and/or misdiagnosed. Researcher have learned that patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder have actually had Borderline