I would like to be a psychiatrist when I am older. The reason this job interests me is because I like to help people. Another reason why is because I find things like mental disorders very interesting and I feel like if I enter this field, I will learn a lot about mental disorders and […]
Silver Linings Playbook was a film released in 2012 that examines mental illnesses through the characterization and depiction of Bipolarism. Pat Solatano play by Bradley Cooper in the film lost his wife and job and was just released from a mental institution to return home to his parents. He later acknowledges that this is his […]
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Get startedBipolar disorder also known as manic depression, is one of the most fascinating, interesting, and awful mental disorders to observe in people. You can see how the disorder affects the person’s behavior and interactions with people and the outside world. It is a relatively common disorder and it isn’t uncommon to personally know someone that […]
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I think that the topic of mental illness is something that many individuals can relate to in this day and age. Though there are works that contain characters with mental illness or ones that we can speculate have a mental illness (ex. King Lear, Ophelia, or the theory that Ariel from The Little Mermaid is […]
Bipolar disorder, just like every other brain disorder, is met with a brutal and unfair social stigma in the world. Bipolar individuals make up about 2.6 percent of the world population, but are somehow still met with discrimination by those around them. Individuals with any kind of mental disorder are met with stigma, bipolar individuals […]
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What does the word “bipolar” mean? A man named Gary R. VandenBos, Ph.D. defines bipolar as “ something with two opposites or extremities…”. Bipolar disorder is an episodic illness, where people who are diagnosed with it will experience two kinds of episodes: manic/hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes. Manic episodes and major depressive episodes are […]
My friend Carrie was diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder the second year of high school. She does not like to talk about it very much so I will do my best with details. A person that would be more familiar to you with this disorder would be Jean-Claude Van Damme. A summary of the DSM […]
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My impression changed though out the number of times I watched this Ted talk. Each time viewing this video it got harder to understand why this type of illness exists. Jennifer Brea is a very strong woman to be open about her struggles and help others become aware of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Jennifer stated that this […]
There are many psychological discomforts in the world people often meet, and they have visible effect on us and environment also bipolar is one of them. Bipolar disorder is a type of mental illness that extremely change in energy, mood, and activity levels, at the same time it has two episode that seen in patients, and one mixed type. There are also some factors that effective on bipolar disorder. The fallowing review will discuss what bipolar disorder is, and episodes, what its symptoms, causes, and treatments are.
There are different categories psychological disorders, mood disorder is one such category. Bipolar disorder is one of the illness under the category of mood disorders. From the name we can understand it is about changes in our mood, energy, feelings, and emotions. Approximately we can say it is emotional inconsistency. Bipolar disorder is highly debilitating psychiatric illness that may affect as many as in every 25 persons (Kessler, Berglund, Demler, Jin, & Walters, 2005).
Lots of people says that they have bipolar disorder because they are changing their thoughts, or choices but it is completely wrong judgment. Bipolar disorder, actually all of the psychological disorders are not something like that, we are not machine, or robot we are human, and we cannot be same all the time, so that we can have thoughts which is different from as always, and they can change without normal speed but its mean not we are bipolar. About the illnesses or disorders, symptoms have to be continuously that’s the mean difference between disorders and normal changes.
Bipolar has two opposite episode which is mania and depressive, for explain more concrete; bipolar disorder is mood disorder that is mood swings from mania episode to depressive episode. Mania is elevated mood, and depressive is low mood but the important point is they are abnormally elevated and low moods. These shifts in periods are the reason why bipolar disorder has a serious impact on our daily life, and our social relationships.
30th March is World Bipolar Day, reason of choosing this day is world famous printer who is Vincent Van Gough was bipolar, and it learned after his dead. 30th March was birthday of Vincent Van Gough, so that 30th March is announced as World Bipolar Day, there is some events making for them in this day.
As we mentioned above bipolar has 2 opposite period which is mania and depressive episode, also most of symptoms of these periods are opposite too like themselves.
Mania:
– Extreme joy
– Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity (DSM-5)
– Sense of being at the centre of events
– Hyperactivity
– Inability to focus
– Talking too fast
– Increased sexual intercourse
– Extreme self-confidence (Timothy J, 2017)
– Less sleep or do not want to sleep
– Have an appetite
– Spending more money
– Racing thoughts (DSM-5)
– Flight of ideas (DSM-5)
– Feeling weird (Timothy J, 2017)
We can say manic period is a full energetic period, patients have abnormal energy and self- confidence while in manic period. There is an exception we can say, some patients who are in manic period lives this period more moderate, they do not extremely get these symptoms this is also called hypomania. Symptoms are seen more clement in this type, so that period goes easier for them.
Symptoms in hypomania are close to mania period. Hypomanic symptoms can be demonstrated with extreme frequency, as temporary exalted mood, laughing, singing, dancing, feeling of happiness in the time of recovery’ (Kraepelin 1899/1921)
Depressive:
– Usually sad
– Having no energy to do something
– Feels hopeless
– Pessimistic thoughts
– Forgetting a lot
– Feel sleepy, sleep too much, or wake up early
– Talking too slowly
– Suicidal thoughts
– Arguing with who is around you
– Increased appetite
– Feels like no one can understand them (Lori L, 2002)
This (mania) period is exactly opposite to the manic period. Because people who have a depressive period even, they have no energy to live. They are usually sad, hopeless, and full of pessimistic thinking. On the other hand, the depressive period is the hardest and dangerous episode because of suicidal thoughts. As a result of these pessimistic, hopeless, and sad thinking people have suicidal thoughts. The research says that which is made by Rihmer Z, and Dame P. (2017) 4-19% of them dying by suicide, and also 20-60% of them attempting to suicide at least one. So that suicide is really high and risky possibility for bipolar disorder, at the same time this rate is higher than 10-30 time from general population.
If you see these two type symptoms together it is a mixed period also called a cyclothymic period. In this period people contain manic and depressive together. People while happy or energetic in a few minutes it may change if they have this type. If someone has more than 4 symptoms, they should see a psychologist.
If you, your psychiatrist, or your psychologist couldn’t aware of it takes longer time do, f they do not take this disorder under control in first 10-year periods going to be longer. Without treatment manic period takes 2 month and also without treatments depressive episode could last up to 6 months or more.
According the expert there is not an exactly reason known what causes bipolar disorder, but there are some factors that effective on it. Our genetics, environment, stressful life can be given as a specific example. They are some psychological, and also some biological factors we can talk about. These factors;
-Genetic factors
-Environment triggers
-Significant factors
-Societal factors
-Traumatic events, old experiences
It is known both of psychological and biological factors has serious effect on psychological disorders. About the bipolar disorder namely old experiences has visible effect which is sexual, physical assaults. These are also cause of anxiety disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). On the other hand, there are some chemical effects too which has real effect on bipolar disorder. There is a neurotransmitter in our brain, and if there is more than one imbalance with them, symptoms of bipolar disorder come out also it is key role in other mood disorders too. Hormonal imbalance, and also the diathesis-stress model is another cause of bipolar disorder which is effective.
Physical exam: Your doctor should do lab test about chemical in your brain which is we mentioned above about neurotransmitters and hormones that causes bipolar disorder symptoms, and physical test.
Psychiatric assessment: Doctor should refer you a psychiatrist or psychologist for talk about your emotions, behaviours, thoughts in short all of your psychological situation. Also, your family, and friends can help you about determine your symptoms because sometimes we cannot be aware of even ourselves. It is easy to see that’s from another eyes.
Mood charting: Recording your daily life routine helps as taking help from our friends and family, and also it helps about finding right method of treatment.
Criteria for bipolar disorder: Your psychiatrist or psychologist compare your symptoms with criteria which is according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Bipolar Disorders (DSM-5) by American Psychiatric Association (APA).
There are different types of treatments in bipolar disorder, major reason of having different treatments on bipolar disorder is having two different episodes so that approaches are changing according to episode, and symptoms. While treatments going moderate and easy in mania and, hypomania; depressive episode goes more intensive. We can categorize those most common treatments, and go detail about them like this:
As in other psychological disorders psychotherapy is uses in bipolar disorder too. Namely, behavioural cognitive therapy (CBT) is effective and most common psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy is in real focuses on relationship, correlation between mood, thought, and behaviour, and it is one of most common empirically supported treatments for other depression illness too. This therapy helps to reduce effects and symptoms of depressive episode, and other depression illness. It has no side effect and can be done from psychologist.
There are more than 10 medications that uses for bipolar disorder. We are going the oldest and the nest common ones. Some of them using for long-term and others for short-term. Some of these medications are:
It is the oldest known medication for bipolar disorder, it used since 1950, and lithium salt is also using for other depression illness too as we said for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Aim of using it reducing mood effects on patients, unfortunately it has side effect too on digestive system. That’s why it should be used by control.
It has side effects to like soma lance and vomiting.
It is also using for anxiety and depression illness.
As you can understand rom the name of treatment, it is an electrical treatment. While the patient is under anaesthesia, involves a brief electrical stimulation on patient’s brain, but there is an important detail about this treatment: it can be only used if the patient did not respond to other treatments. So, this is type of therapy cannot be first option for patients. It is also used for block suicidal thought, and it is using on schizophrenia patients too.
Family and society play an important role for the treatment of individuals with bipolar. Because people usually do not accept that they have bipolar disorder. Or they might think this unusual shift is so normal. So, start to treatment and keep continue this treatment they need their support and help. They should feel comfortable for tell their issue.
Is That Possible to Cure Bipolar Completely? If no, what is Aim of Treatments?
It is not possible to treat bipolar disorder, but it is possible to minimizing the effects of symptoms and periods on patients. With this minimized impact, they can continue their daily life easily, and they will not be need to use medications, or other treatments. On the other hand, the major aim with treatments blocking suicidal thoughts. Studies shows that suicide attempts in bipolar higher than unipolar depression disorder (Journal of Mood Disorders 2013;3[Suppl. 1]:S20-S22).
