Bipolar Disorder Mental Illness - Term Paper Example

 BIPOLAR DISORDER Mental health is certainly one of the most pressing issues facing us today. Only recently have mental health practitioners and the public at large begun to think about mental issues as the public health problem that they really are. That is unfortunate because they have been with us for a long time now. However, today we are witnessing a dramatic shift in the definition of these problems and where and how they should be dealt with. Although public understanding of this issue is unfortunately still at an early stage, much has changed over the course of the last one hundred years. The difference between perceptions of Mental Illness today and in the 19th century is between night and day (Nunes, 2002). That said we need to dramatically increase the amount of information and education out there on this issue. We need to know when such things become a problem and when they should be left alone. Mental health is an issue that affects all of us and must be taken very seriously by all of us. Among the more serious mental health problems that practitioners are starting to address are those arising from bipolar disorder. This essay will examine Bipolar Disorder And Include An Interview With An Individual Who Suffers From The Disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious problem. It involves mood disorders. Sufferers swing from manic episodes to depressive episodes. Sometimes there are triggers, but sometimes these are very hard to detect (Behrman, 12). It is said that creative people often suffer from this disorder and produce some of their greatest work during the manic phases. But those who suffer from it have serious problems with relationships and employment. Some need need to be medicated, others hospitalized. It is a disorder with a wide prevalence. What can society do to help bring these issues to light and to try to help? A key thing to do is to encourage people suffering from mental illness or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder to seek help. No man or woman is an island and it can be very difficult to balance one’s life and to know when and if you might have a problem (Millon, 78). You might need help. Sometimes this involves asking your partner to help you out, to have a shoulder to cry on. But it might also involve asking a professional to talk to you and prescribe something. There’s no shame in that: it is important to get past the stigma of mental illness. That’s why those people exist and they know what they’re doing. Sometimes people have so much on the go that they themselves are unable to get a grasp on it all. They need a fresh pair of eyes to help make sense of it all. And that’s where a professional can come in handy. Some suggest that bipolar disorder is over-diagnosed, but the evidence suggests otherwise (Millon, 129). It is important to reflect on the changes that the treatment of people with bipolar disease have undergone throughout history. In the not so distant past, people with mental illness were considered to be possessed by spirit or demons. People were frightened of them and locked them up in unpleasant asylums. They had few rights and less treatments. They were object of fear and concern and were often not even considered to human any more. The field of psychology, only really began to develop about 120 years ago, with Freud's first work (Nunes, 2002). Before that, few took the time to understand these issues. We are still learning more about bipolar disorder today.        Today there are, for example, serious deficits in the American criminal justice system with regards to the mentally ill. Too often their problems are not diagnosed or treated (Amen, 1998). They are also often kept in the general population rather than in special wards where their problems can be better treated. This is true of individuals with bipolar disorder. Part of this stems from the high cost of treatment and the shortage of qualified doctors and nurses working in areas of mental health. Another important aspect of this problem arises from the fact that many states pass on the funding and control of programs for the mentally ill on to the federal government and its bureaucracies (Nunes, 2002). Rather than dealing with local problems on a local basis, too many of these very specific problems have to be addressed by a faceless group of officials in a distant capital. This outsourcing has been very unsuccessful in helping improve the situation of the mentally ill with regards to the criminal justice system. But this situation is much better compared with what is was like in centuries past. There were no pleas of insanity in a court. People with mental illness who committed crimes had no treatment of representation. They were just locked up and the key was thrown away. There are a number of contemporary public policies we must address regarding mental health. One of the most important things for businesses to consider when starting up is whether to how much of their employees healthcare costs they should pay. This is part of a great debate about healthcare and whether the state or employers should pay it or whether people should be responsible for it themselves. It comes down to the basic question: is healthcare a private or a public good? That is a vital question to ask regarding mental health as costs associated with it can be not only astronomical but seriously affect employees work performances. In the past, people did not have health insurance and it certainly did not cover mental health. Mental health issues were a dirty secret which people did not talk about. They locked their sick relatives in the attic and pretending they didn't exist. Discussions An interview was recently conducted with an individual with bipolar disorder and with his mother. These interviews may shed some light on the experiences of those suffering from this serious disorder. Interview with individual with bipolar disorder How does it feel to have bipolar disorder? It is something I've been living with for some time. It isn't easy, but to be honest I have learned to manage it. I can identify when it is coming up inside me. It doesn't feel good, but it a part of my life. How does it effect your relationships? People closest to me know that I have this disorder and they provide me with a lot of support. I only have episodes two or three times a year and they are usually quite manageable. My family and friends know about it and they really support me. Do you have any control over it? I have control over it insofar as I can recognize it is coming on. Some situations bring it out in me more than others. Generally stress is a factor. I can't control it but I can manage it. What treatment do you use? I take a number of drugs to treat it. The dosage will depend on my situation and whether or not I think an episode is coming. Are you optimistic about the future? Yes. I'm a creative person and I think in a way this part of the price I pay for that. I have a strong support network so I am able to deal with it. The future is bright I think. Interview with mother of individual with bipolar disorder When did your son first start showing signs of the disorder? He started showing signs when he was a teenager. It can be hard to tell whether it's bipolar disorder or just the typical ups and downs of teenage life. But after awhile it became clear to us. How can you tell when he is about to have an episode? It isn't always easy to tell. He knows best. Sometimes it has to do with the season. It seems like late fall is always worst for him. Does it take an emotional toll on you? It certainly does. I care about my son and want him to be well. I hate to see him lose control during one of these episodes. That said I will support him no matter what and I wouldn't really want to change anything about him. Do you have a support network? I personally belong to a small group at the local church that supports family members of those living with mental illness. They are a great relief to me. The truth is, in order to deal with the scourge of mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, we need a revolution in caring. We need to change the way we see these diseases. We first learn to care for other people in families. The family is one of society’s cornerstones. It is the place we learn, we love, and that defines us. It has many roles, but among its more important roles is in promoting and reinforcing the health of its members. Parents teach their children to eat well, exercise, and stay healthy. But education is only part of it. When a member is ill, families can be extremely important in supporting that member and helping them to get better. Family can have many definitions but it usually refers to immediate relations such as a mother, father, brother, sister, spouse or child. All of the individuals through their love of one another can provide maximum support and encouragement to a patient. Facing mental illness, a powerful support network is one of the key things people need. They can also provide a standard of care that it may not be possible for even the most well-trained nurse to provide. That is what we see from the interviews of those effected by this scourge.       Mental health issues are not going anywhere. Bipolar disorder is not going anywhere. Indeed, there is a good chance that these issues will become even more prominent in the next few years as we begin to understand more about them. We need to understand the continuum of mental health and what we can do to properly address these issues. Works consulted Alloy LB, Abramson LY, Urosevic S, Walshaw PD, Nusslock R, Neeren AM. (2005) The psychosocial context of bipolar disorder: environmental, cognitive, and developmental risk factors. Clin Psychol Rev. 2005 December; 25(8):1043–75. Amen, Daniel G. (1998). Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: the Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness. Three Rivers Press. Behrman, Andy. (2002). Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania. New York: Random House, 2002. Burton, Joan. (2009). “Healthy workplace framework and model: Background and supporting literature and practices.” World Health Organization. Edvardsen J, Torgersen S, Røysamb E, Lygren S, Skre I, Onstad S, Oien PA. (2008) Heritability of bipolar spectrum disorders. Unity or heterogeneity? J Affect Disord. 2008 March;106(3):229–40. Goodwin FK, Jamison KR (2007). Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression, 2nd Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Millon, Theordore (1996). Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV-TM and Beyond. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Nunes, Julia & Scott Simmie. (2002). Beyond Crazy: Journeys Through Mental Illness. McClelland & Stewart. Read More