Bipolar Disorder : Symptoms And Symptoms

Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder that is characterized by abnormal changes in mood, energy and activity levels (“National Institute of Mental Health”). Manic-depressive illness is also another name that bipolar disorder is commonly referred to as (“National Institute of Mental Health”). This disorder has four basic types including, bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic, and any other which do not perfectly fit the first three. All four of the types have episodes of extreme highs, manic periods, and extreme lows, depressive periods. Symptoms can range greatly and depend on what type of episode the affected is having. Manic episodes can include, but are not limited to: having extraordinarily high amounts of energy, activity,

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that is characterized by changes in mood. It can lead to risky behavior, damage relationships and careers, and even suicidal outcomes if it’s not treated. Bipolar disorder is more common in older teenagers and young adults, it can affect children as young as 6. Women experience more periods of depression than men. More remains to be learned about this condition that affects millions of people.

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania, hypomania, or major depression [1]. It affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population over 18 yearly. The median age of onset for bipolar disorder is 25 years old though individuals can be diagnosed in early childhood or as late as fifty. The incidence of Bipolar disorder is equal between men and women though women undergo cycles of balanced mood, mania, hypomania, and depression three times as frequently as men [2]. This disorder is suspected to have a genetic component as more than 66% of individuals diagnosed have at least one close relative with the illness or with unipolar major depression [3]. There are two subtypes of Bipolar disorder. Patients diagnosed with Bipolar I experience manic episodes and nearly always experience major depressive and hypomanic episodes. Individuals with Bipolar II disorder have at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode in the absence of manic episodes [1].

The National Institute of Mental Health describes bipolar I disorder as the occurrence of manic episodes that can last up to seven days, or experiencing a state of mania so severe that one must be hospitalized. With manic episodes, it is common to experience depressive symptoms as well, which can last two weeks or more. The NIMH defines bipolar II disorder as a pattern of depressive episodes with the addition of hypomanic episodes, which are not as intense and distressing as the manic episodes in bipolar I disorder. During a manic episode one might be experiencing feelings of having a lot of energy, feeling jumpy or wired, talking fast about a variety of topics, racing thoughts, and wanting to do risky things. During an episode of depression,

Genetics may also play a large role in the presence of bipolar disorder in children. Genetics are often more prevalent with direct relatives, parents or siblings (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2014). In accordance with that the environment that children may be put into in their

Bipolar disorder otherwise known as, manic-depression illness of the brain can form two different types of bipolar. Per which disorder, each has the opposite effects both includes; extreme mood swings highs and lows. Symptoms of Bipolar I, or rather Manic Bipolar, are little need for sleep, constantly hyper, too talkative, and mind races. Other times one diagnosed with this disorder may feel extremely sad, empty, worthless, and unsure of one’s self. Bipolar disorder II, known as depressant bipolar, the person may feel an unbearable amount of sadness, worthless, need for more sleep; however, they are still able to obtain the “high” at times, which would increase these moods cheerful, energetic, and feels as if they can do anything in the world (Bauer 11). About one in every seventy people in the United Stated is diagnosed with bipolar. It usually begins to first effect

The exact cause of bipolar disorder is still unknown, however, there are many factors which that can work together to make it more likely for an individual to develop bipolar disorder. These factors vary from each person, therefore, one factor that produces the onset of bipolar disorder may not cause someone else to develop the illness. It is believed there may be a correlation between genetics and bipolar disorder. Researchers have theorised that there is a genetic predisposition for the disorder as it tends to run in families, with Kerner stating, “the heritability of bipolar disorder based on concordance rates for bipolar disorder in twin studies has been estimated to be between 60% and 80%.” (Kerner 2014). Despite these figures, other studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive in proving the linkage. Studies have shown environmental factors play a major role in the development of bipolar disorder. One of the most significant environmental factors observed in relation to the onset of bipolar disorder is childhood trauma or abuse. This can be observed by looking at the study conducted by Alvarez et al which, “examined 102 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder and showed that nearly half (47.5%) of these patients had suffered childhood abuse.” (E. Brietzke et al. 2002). Childhood abuse is a common cause of various mental illnesses and disorders.

Much research has been done on the amount of people who are affected bipolarity and ways to treat this disorder. Twenty-five is the median age for when this disorder begins; however, it can begin as early as childhood or be noticed as late as the age of forties or fifties. This psychological disorder does not discriminate against gender, for an equal amount of men and women are diagnosed with illness. All races, ethnicities, and social classes are evenly likely to be diagnosed with this mental condition. Although men and women are just as likely to have this illness, studies have shown that women have occurrence more rapidly and often. Bipolarity is known to be one of the leading reasons for claiming disability ranking sixth in the world. Life expectancy is

Bipolar disorder is behavior disorder that results in shifts of mood, lack of energy, low activity levels, and difficulty performing day-to-day tasks. There are two types of Bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 Disorder, is when the primary symptom is manic, or cycling episodes of mania and depression. Bipolar 2 Disorder is reoccurring depression alongside hypomanic episodes. Manic episodes are periods of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood that may occur for at least a week. In contrast, depressive episodes are intensely unhappy or hopeless states. Emotional and drastic changes from the individual’s standard behavior that may occur randomly are called mood episodes. These mood episodes are the reason that bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as manic-depressive illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms during manic episodes include talking quickly, racing thoughts, little sleep, inflated self esteem, and low attention spans. During depressive episodes, individuals have diminished ability in remembering, indecisiveness, lack of energy to engage in activities, reduced interest in activities, guilt, feeling valueless, and suicidal thoughts or sometimes in extreme cases, attempts at suicide. Besides these common symptoms, researchers have found that bipolar disorder may also cause memory dysfunctions, attention deficits, and learning problems. The impairments in cognitive

Bipolar disorder is characterized by more than one bipolar episode. There are three types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar 1 Disorder, in which the primary symptom presentation is manic, or rapid (daily) cycling episodes of mania and depression. Bipolar 2 Disorder, in which the primary symptom presentation is recurrent depression accompanied by hypo manic episodes (a milder state of mania in which the symptoms are not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning or need for hospitalization, but are sufficient to be observable by others). The last one, Cyclothymic Disorder, a chronic state of cycling between hypo manic and depressive episodes that do not reach the diagnostic standard for bipolar disorder (APA, 2000, pp. 388–392) (NCBI, 2012). Manic episodes are characterized by: A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary) (NCBI, 2012). During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted and have been present to a significant degree: increased self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep), more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking, flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity (either

“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.

Those who are researching this illness believe that it had a lot to do with genetics but that there are also many other factors involved. In an example by the National Institute of Mental Health, they found that even if there is a pair of identical twins and one develops bipolar disorder the other twin might never develop it.