Bipolar
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Affecting nearly one percent of the population of the United States, bipolar disorder has quickly become one of the leading forms of mental illness (“NIMH”). While advancements in medical science and technology have allowed researchers and physicians to understand its elements more clearly, the effects of bipolar disorder are tragic and often deadly. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that affects a persons mood and ability to function; however through proper education, correct diagnosis and treatment, patients with the disorder can live productive lives.
Bipolar disorder, as defined by the National Institution of Mental Health, is a mood disorder that causes a person to suffer extreme emotional changes and shifts in mood. Previously known as manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder causes alternate periods of mania and depression. To fully understand the effects of this disease, it is important to comprehend the meanings of mania and depression. mania is defined as “excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood.” (“Wikipedia”). Depression, on the other hand, is defined as “a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death.” (“Wikipedia”). The combination of the two results in emotional chaos.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are often exhibited in several other illnesses; therefore potential bipolar patients must be made aware of the symptoms of the disease. There are criteria that must be met in order to properly make the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. For a depressive episode, the person must exhibit at least five of the following symptoms during a two week period: depressed mood, loss of interest in all daily activities, significant weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, inability to think or concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death (“NIMH”). Three of the following symptoms must be exhibited in a period of one week: inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, excessive talking, racing thoughts or increased amount of ideas, distractibility, increased goal-oriented activity, and excessive involvement in pleasurable activities (“NIMH”). The symptoms for both a depressive episode and a manic episode must cause a significant impairment in social, family, and occupational functions. Finally, these symptoms must not be the direct result of a medical condition or medical treatment (“NIMH”). Until bipolar disorder is diagnosed, most people do not know what is wrong with them and they sometimes feel as if they should be “snapping out of it” (“Course of BD”).
What exactly causes bipolar disorder? Most scientists now agree that is no single cause for the disorder rather, factors act together to produce the illness (“NIMH”). Bipolar disorder is primarily biological rather than psychological. A number of genes have been identified that may be related to the disorder. Bipolar disorder seems to run in families. For a child with two affected parents, there is 50 percent chance that the child will have the disease. If ones identical twin is affected, the risk is about 65%” (“NIMH”). If you have a number of relatives with the bipolar disorder or depression, the chance may be greater (“Bipolar Disorder”). Medical research is also trying to find a connection between the illness and chemical deficits with the brain cells. The National Institute of Mental Health, suggests that bipolar disorder is most likely an inherited problem somehow related to a lack of stability in the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain due to chemical deficits. Serotonin is the most commonly believed deficient chemical followed by norephinephrine and dopamine. This biochemical imbalance makes those with bipolar disorder more susceptible to physical and emotional stress (“Wikipedia”). Another possible cause may be related to the physical structure of the brain. Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomographic (PET) scans show structural abnormalities called hyperintensities, referred to as unidentified bright objects (UBOs), in the brains of many bipolar patients (“NIHM”). Many researchers indicate that these “bright spots” are closely related to, if not the direct cause of, bipolar disorder. This is indicative of a physiological cause of bipolar disorder (“NIHM”).
While it is important to understand that bipolar disorder is a disease separate from the numerous other types of mental illnesses, it is also necessary to differentiate between the four different types of the disorder. The first type, Bipolar I, is the most often discussed. People who suffer from this type of bipolar disorder experience extreme periods of mania coupled with depression (APA). During the extreme times of mania, Bipolar I patients engage in activities that are exceptionally dangerous and eccentric yet they believe that their actions are normal. Such activities may include spending outrageous amounts of money, investing in business schemes without any research or knowledge of the investment, driving recklessly, and engaging in sexual promiscuity (“The Course of BD”). Also, during advanced mania, all touch with reality is completely lost resulting in delusions and hallucinations (“Bipolar Disorder”). With this type of bipolar disorder, there seems to be an abundant amount of energy with almost a complete lack of sleep (“Bipolar Disorder”).
The second, and most common, type of bipolar disorder is known as Bipolar II. With this type, people experience recurrent bouts of depression without the psychotic episodes of mania. Unlike Bipolar I patients, they suffer from brief spells of hypomania during which they feel euphoric and have a great amount of self-confidence and energy (“Bipolar Disorder”). While it may appear that hypomania is similar to general happiness, it is not. Hypomania is a recurrent condition and happiness is not (“The Course of BD”). Generally, this type of bipolar disorder is the mildest form of the disease and is the easiest to treat.
The final classification of bipolar disorder is known as cyclothemia, or rapid cycling. This type is characterized by intense changes in mood occurring more frequently than what is typically expected in bipolar disorder (“NIMH”). Often, a person with cyclothemia will experience periods of mania and depression within the same day or within hours. They often begin projects or tasks with enthusiasm but become quickly uninterested in them. The majority of