Severe Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by unstable mood swings of high severity. Its severe symptoms interferewith the routinely life of the patients and affects their performance in all spheres of work both in their personal and social life. Since bipolar disorder is characterized by mood swings, the term used for high moods is ‘hypomania’ or just ‘mania’ whereas the term used for low mood is ‘depression’. However, it is noteworthy here that to experience mood swings at different times is a normal thing to happen and cannot be identified with bipolar disorder until the moods are extreme and intense enough to meddle with the personal and professional life of an individual, in which case, the individual is recommended a psychiatric assessment and treatment. Bipolar disorder has two types that differ with respect to psychotic experiences of the patient. Causes of bipolar disorder include genes and structure and functioning of the brain. Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder reflect in the behavior and physical activity of the patient. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder involves psychological assessment of the patient and conducting of blood and urine tests. Bipolar disorder can be treated with adequate medicine and therapeutic treatment so that the patients can live fully satisfying lives. Introduction Bipolar disorder, sometimes called as manic-depressive illness, is a disorder of the brain which leads to unusual changes on the levels of energy, activity, and moods, and interferes with an individuals ability to execute daily tasks efficiently. Durban electronics engineer Wesley who personally suffered from bipolar disorder said about this mental disorder, “It’s an illness characterised by recurring bouts of hypomania, which is like a feeling of invincibility, followed by bouts of depression, where your world comes crashing down” (Wesley cited in Ord, 2014). Bipolar disorder affects as many as 2.3 million Americans which makes 1.2 per cent of the population of the USA, 7 out of 10 patients of bipolar disorder get at least one misdiagnosis, and 30 per cent of the people suffering from bipolar disorder who do not get treatment commit suicide (Healthline, 2012). These are very alarming statistics about bipolar disorder. Types of Bipolar Disorder The term ‘bipolar disorder’ is generally used to indicate a set of conditions of mood swing, whose most intense form is called as ‘manic depression’ (Black Dog Institute, 2014). When categorized in terms of symptoms, there are two types of bipolar disorder i.e. bipolar disorder I and bipolar disorder II. Bipolar disorder I is the most severe form of bipolar disorder with respect to symptoms. People suffering from bipolar disorder I have huge tendency of experiencing mania, and have ‘highs’ for longer periods. Their increased tendency to have psychotic experiences makes them more likely to be hospitalized. The main difference between bipolar disorder I and bipolar disorder II is that unlike the former, a patient suffering from the latter experiences the symptoms of a ‘high’, though it is not accompanied with the experience of psychotic experiences. The episodes of hypomania may take anywhere from few hours to few days to last, though it is suggested by the longitudinal studies that the severity of impairment is just as much as that of bipolar disorder I. Causes of Bipolar Disorder Research about the possible causes of bipolar disorder is ongoing (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). However, a vast majority of the scientists mutually consent that there is no single cause of bipolar disorder. Instead, there are a host of factors that mutually operate to lead to the illness as discussed below: Genetics Genetics is a prominent cause of bipolar disorder and is evident from the fact that the illness generally runs in families. Research has demonstrated that people carrying certain genes are more vulnerable to acquiring bipolar disorder compared to others (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). However, most children that have a family history of bipolar disorder do not become its victims. Genetic research on bipolar disorder is being improved with the advances in technology. A prominent example of this is launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database that would allow the scientists to link the illness’s visible signs with the genes which might influence them (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Structure and Functioning of the Brain Structure and functioning of the brain varies from one person to another and is a cause of bipolar disorder. Tools of brain imaging like positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (f MRI) enable the researchers to capture images of the living brain at work. Studies have shown that the brains of people suffering from bipolar disorder are different from those of people without this mental illness. For instance, one study used the MRI to find out that the pattern of development of brain in the children suffering from bipolar disorder was similar to the pattern of brain development observed among the children with multidimensional impairment, which is suggestive of the fact that the very pattern of brain development might be considered as a risk factor for the development of unstable moods (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Frequency of Mood Swings Sometimes, people simultaneously experience a mixture of lows and highs, or switch from a low to a high or otherwise during the day, thus giving a mixed indication. On the other hand, some people tend to have just a single episode of mania not more than once in a decade while other patients of bipolar disorder may have mood swings every day (Black Dog Institute, 2014). This indicates that the frequency of mood swings varies from one patient of bipolar disorder to another. Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder has severe symptoms which differ from the usual behavioral changes that people experience at difference points on time in their lives. Symptoms of bipolar disorder can lead to poor job, damaged relationships, poor academic performance and even suicide in extreme cases. However, it is possible to treat bipolar disorder and with adequate treatment, patients of bipolar disorder can be enabled to live productive and happy life. Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder include but are not limited to irritability, sleep problems, feeling of sadness and hopelessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, lack of energy, changes in weight, inability to experience happiness, thoughts of suicide, physical and mental laziness, irritability, concentration and memory problems, guilt and feeling of worthlessness (Smith and Segal, 2014). Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis of bipolar disorder is based on the self-reported experiences by the patient as well as the abnormalities of behavior reported by the family members and friends, and other people working closely with the patient. A health care professional, whether a psychologist or a psychiatrist, diagnoses bipolar disorder taking this information into consideration and after going through a range of criteria. The National Health Service, UK states that bipolar disorder’s depression phase is first diagnosed (Medical News Today, 2014). After the initial physical exam, several physical diagnostic tests of blood and urine are carried out. A major piece in the diagnosis is the psychological evaluation. Treatment of Bipolar Disorder A variety of treatment options are currently available to treat bipolar disorder. Treatment is offered according to the part of cycle a patient is in. Patients in the manic or hypomanic phase think that they do not require medication and hence, stop taking medicines, but often return to treatment when they enter the depressive phase. Types of treatment typically prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorder include atypical antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, psychotherapy, and a combination of medicines (Bressert, 2014). References: Black Dog Institute. (2014). Bipolar disorder explained. Retrieved from http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/bipolardisorder/bipolardisorderexplained/. Bressert, S. (2014, May 27). Treatment of Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression). PsychCentral. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/treatment-of-bipolar-disorder-manic- depression/000909. Healthline. (2012, April 5). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/fact-sheet?ref=tc. Medical News Today. (2012, Mar. 12). What is bipolar disorder? What causes bipolar disorder? Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37010.php. National Institute of Mental Health. (2014). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml. Ord, L. (2014, May 26). Bipolar: a life of extremes. ioL Lifestyle. Retrieved from http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/bipolar-a-life-of-extremes-1.1693980#.U4UjdvmSyQY. Smith, M., and Segal, J. (2014, April). Bipolar Disorder Signs & Symptoms. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm. Read More