Severe Mental Illnesses: Bipolar Disorder - Research Paper Example

Severe Mental Illnesses: Bipolar Disorder Introduction This paper aims to provide an overview of bipolar disorder, gain a basic understanding about the illness itself, the existing available medical treatments, and coping strategies. It can also update stakeholders and family members about the recent scientific thinking on the causes and symptoms pertinent to bipolar disorder and some discussion about treatment options. You will find additional references at the end—including some technical, scientific summaries Disease Characteristics Bipolar disorder is one form of brain disorder, which, causes unusual shifts in energy, mood, activity levels and the ability to carry out everyday tasks; also known as manic-depressive illness (National Institute for Health, 2009). Bipolar disorder (Kessler, Berglund, Demler , Jin, Merikangas and Walters, 2005) usually develops in the late teens or in the stage of a person's early adult years, whereby at least half of the entire cases start prior to age 25. In addition, this illness is common, in fact, approximately three percent (3%) or 10 million adults (affecting both men and women) in the US population have bipolar disorder (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2008). Categories of Bipolar Disorder The National Institute for Health (2009) characterized Bipolar Disorder into four basic types : First is the Bipolar I Disorder, which is mainly defined by episodes of manic or mixed episodes and last at least seven days; in severe cases, the person needs immediate hospital care; Second, the Bipolar II Disorder which is defined by episodes of pattern of depressive shifting back and forth jointly with hypomanic episodes, however, no full-blown Bipolar disorder 3 manic or of mixed episodes; Third is the Bipolar Disorder which is “Not Otherwise Specified” (BP-NOS), diagnosed if a person's illness has symptoms that do not match with diagnostic criteria (whetherr bipolar I or II); Fourth is the Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia, manifested by a mild form of bipolar disorder. In this type of condition, patients exhibit cyclothymia (episodes of hypomania) that shift back and forth together with mild depression around two years. Signs and Symptoms of Illness There is no absolute cause of bipolar disorder, however, most scientists believe that this illness is likely caused by multiple factors, which interact with each other in order to produce a chemical imbalance and affecting some parts of the brain. Most experts also say, Bipolar disorder usually runs in families; and studies suggest that there must be a genetic component to the disorder. Moreover, the first episode is usually trigger by a stressful event, such as difficult relationship or financial problems,unexpected loss, chronic illness, or any major change in life. Therefore, an individual’s coping strategies of handling stress may play essential role in the development of symptoms (The National Institute for Health, 2009). In some instances, drug abuse can trigger the disorder. Living in a stressful life situations also may lead to sleep loss or changes in one’s schedule can also contribute to the onset as well as, recurrence of depression and mania (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2008). According to New York State Office of Mental Health (2008), the periods of highs and lows are known as episodes of mania and depression. The Signs and symptoms of manic episode include: Restlessness, increased energy, excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood, little sleep needed, extreme irritability, racing thoughts and talking very fast, Bipolar disorder 4 inability to concentrate, distractibility, poor judgment, unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities, increased sexual drive, spending sprees, intrusive, provocative or aggressive behavior, lasting period of behavior usually different from usual, denial that anything is wrong and abuse of drugs, particularly alcohol, cocaine, and sleeping medications. Treatment or Medication At present, there is no absolute cure for bipolar disorder; only proper treatment that helps most people with this illness gain better control of the mood swings and other related symptoms (Mueser, et.al, 1998; Strakowski, et.al, 1998 and Krishnan, 2005). For patients with bipolar disorder, the preliminary step to manage the illness is by getting an appropriate diagnosis to a physician, who may carry out a physical examination, initial interview, and series of lab tests. If the problems are not identified as caused by other diseases, the doctor may continue the conduct of mental health evaluation. He/she can also recommend the client to a trained mental health professional, like a psychiatrist, who is expert in diagnosing and managing bipolar disorder. The mental health professional usually perform a complete diagnostic evaluation; discuss the family history of a mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder ; get the entire history of symptoms; they also frequently talk to the person’s spouse or close relatives describe to them the person’s symptoms, as well as, family medical history (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2008). Since bipolar is a lifelong and recurrent mental illness, people with the disorder also need long-term treatment to sustain control of bipolar symptoms. Included to their effective maintenance treatment plan are the medication and psychotherapy to avoid relapse and to reducing symptom severity (Miklowitz, 2006) . Bipolar disorder 5 Note that not everybody responds to medications in similar way. Physicians keep a daily documentation of the patient's daily mood symptoms, sleep patterns, treatments, and life events to keep track and treat the mental illness most effectively. There are medications which are commonly used to stabilize bipolar disorder and some are the following (Bowden, et.al, 2000 & Calabrese, et.al, 2005): Lithium (also known as Eskalith or Lithobid); Divalproex sodium (Depakote) or Valproic acid. In addition to medication, the psychotherapy can be another effective treatment for bipolar disorder that provide client with education, support, and guidance, so with their amilies. Common psychotherapy treatments for bipolar disorder include: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps clients with bipolar disorder learn to modify harmful or negative behaviors; Family-focused therapy that includes helping family members to enhance family coping strategies, like recognizing new episodes early and assisting their loved one. Bipolar disorder patients need not be afraid, but take the circumstance as a special challenge. The fears experienced must be judged against the all the benefits of getting, as well as of staying well. Bipolar disorder 6 REFERENCES Bowden CL, Calabrese JR, McElroy SL, Gyulai L, Wassef A, Petty F, Pope HG, Jr., Chou JC, Keck PE, Jr., Rhodes LJ, Swann AC, Hirschfeld RM, Wozniak PJ, Group DMS. (2000) A randomized, placebo-controlled 12-month trial of divalproex and lithium in treatment of outpatients with bipolar I disorder. Arch General Psychiatry. 57(5):481-489. Calabrese JR, Shelton MD, Rapport DJ, Youngstrom EA, Jackson K, Bilali S, Ganocy SJ, Findling RL. (2005) A 20-month, double-blind, maintenance trial of lithium versus divalproex in rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. American J ournal of Psychiatry. 162(11):2152-2161. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch General Psychiatry. 62(6):593-602. Krishnan KR. (2005) Psychiatric and medical comorbidities of bipolar disorder. Psychosomatic Medicine. ;67(1):1-8. Miklowitz DJ. (2006) A review of evidence-based psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 67(11):28-33. Mueser KT, Goodman LB, Trumbetta SL, Rosenberg SD, Osher C, Vidaver R, Auciello P, Foy DW. (1998)Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in severe mental illness. J ournal of Consultant in Clinical Psychology. 66(3):493-499. National Alliance in Mental Health (2008) Understanding bipolar disorder and recovery. 2107 Wilson Boulevard Suite 300 Arlington, VA, 2-35. National Institute of Mental Health (2009) Bipolar disorder in children and teens: a parent’s guide. Science Writing, Press & Dissemination, 1-15. Strakowski SM, Sax KW, McElroy SL, Keck PE, Jr., Hawkins JM, West SA. (1998) Course of psychiatric and substance abuse syndromes co-occurring with bipolar disorder after a first psychiatric hospitalization. Journal in Clinical Psychiatry. 59(9):465-471. Read More