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Bipolar Disorder (BP)

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Bipolar disorder (BP) is a mood disorder that is considered to affect the emotional regulation of individuals who have it (Blaney, Krueger, & Millon, 2015, p.234). Bipolar disorder is also believed to compromise the executive functioning, attention, planning, and regulation for the individuals who have it (Blaney, Krueger, and Millon, 2015, pp.234-235). As a consequence, BP may cause serious adverse consequences to the individuals who have it. According to Singh and Muhammad (2006), bipolar disorder is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed when patients are initially seen when seeking treatment for mood symptoms. Furthermore, unrecognized or misdiagnosis of BP may lead to ineffective treatment and increased risk of mood episodes (Consequences …show more content…

The DSM-5 is a comprehensive classification guide to mental disorders and is meant to serve practitioners with useful information in the recognition and diagnosis of mental disorders. The criterion provided in the DSM-5 gives a comprehensive, and useful guide to aid in the diagnostic, recognition, and comorbidity factors related to a bipolar diagnosis (BP). The most common factor associated with a BP diagnosis according to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), is distinct manic-depressive episodes characterized by abnormally fluctuating moods that are deleterious to an individual’s ability to function in life (p.123-139). However, the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM Task Force) states (2006), “Despite this clear delineation, most clinicians find that their mood-disordered patients experience a range…of patterns except for certain “textbook cases” (p. 108). Despite the seeming clear criterion for BP, it may still be difficult to recognize due to the mixed features it presents in …show more content…

Cerimele, Chwastiak, Chan, Harrison, & Unützer (2013), state “Historical examination and other factors can be helpful in differentiating bipolar disorder from other mood disorders” (p.1649). According to Cerimele et al. (2013), a personal history of hypersomnia episodes, psychotic features, mood lability, and subsyndromal mania, among other factors occurred more often in patients with BP (p. 1649). In addition, Acikel, Son, & Tutuncu (2015), have another reason for conducting a historical examination. Acikel, Son, & Tutuncu (2015), suggest that BP is up to 70% heritable (p.13). This heritability infers that if one family member has BP, the possibility of another family member having it increases. Therefore, a thorough personal examination, in conjunction with a familial history assessment, may increase the probability of receiving an earlier diagnosis of BP, and conceivably increase the likelihood of earlier interventions, management, and treatment plans for

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