BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar Disorder

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion3

Symptoms of Bipolar disorder4

Structure of Bipolar Disorder5

Classifications of Bipolar Disorder5

Causes of Bipolar Disorder5

Treatment of Bipolar disorder6

Conclusion8

References9

Introduction

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings. This condition is also known as manic-depressive illness or manic depression. The cause of this disorder may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Bipolar disorder sometimes runs in families, i.e., occurs in several members of a family. If a child has a parent with bipolar disorder, then there are more chances that the child will suffer from this disorder. Both men and women can have bipolar disorder. People of any age can suffer from this disease.

Discussion

People affected by bipolar disorder or manic depression experience mood swings, from emotional highs (mania) to depression. This condition can be mild or severe. The causes of bipolar disorder are unknown. Research suggests that people suffering from this disease have a genetic predisposition. This disorder seems to run in families. Drug use and stressful or traumatic events can cause or trigger episodes of bipolar disorder. (Hofmann, Tompson, 2002)

The disorder usually begins with having a depression in adolescence or early adulthood. The first phases of mania may not appear until several years. This disorder varies from a peak of mania to deep depression from one person to another. It has been found that there is an increased risk of suicidal thinking among the people with the disorder. According to the estimates, there is a proportion of one out of every four persons considering suicide. However, only one out of ten persons succeeds in committing suicide.

Genetics play an important role in bipolar disorder. Relatives close to people suffering from bipolar disorder are the most susceptible for this infection or some form of depression than other people. Other studies point out that environmental factors are responsible for this disorder. These environmental factors include disruption of family relations that aggravates the situation. (Basso, Rush, 1996)

Symptoms of Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition in which the person's mood changes in cycles which lasts for weeks to months. The mood of the person can be extremely high or irritable to extremely low and hopeless. A person may go through periods of elevated mood, depressed mood and moments during which the mood is normal. Periods of extremely high and low mood are episodes of mania and depression. The symptoms of bipolar disorder cannot be easily distinguished as it varies from one person to another. It has been said that when bipolar disorder at its peak, it may be difficult for doctors to distinguish between mania and schizophrenia. (Miklowitz, Goldstein, 1997)

A depressive episode may also include symptoms of intense anxiety, excessive worries and other physical symptoms. In addition, some psychotic symptoms are also associated with Bipolar disorder such as delusions in which patient start believing that certain things are true then that they are false. Hallucination is another psychotic disorder in which patients face problems such as hearing, smelling or seeing things that do not exist (Reiser, Thompson, 2005)

Depression is ...