Free Essay About Bipolar Disorder

CHRISTINA PETRELLIS CENTER

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental disorder in which people who suffer from it experience intense changes in their mood. At one extreme, sufferers may feel extremely unhappy, sad and not interested in anything or anyone at all. When a sufferer is in a low mood period, he is described as being depressed or in a depressive episode. At the other extreme, sufferers may feel energetic, excited and interested in anyone and everyone. When a sufferer is in a happy period, he is described as being hypomanic or in a manic episode. Changes between moods can happen as often as every few days to as seldom as every year.
While everyone experiences changes in mood from time to time, but for suffered of bipolar disorder that mood swing are severe, ongoing, and hard to predict. Because bipolar disorder affects the ability of sufferers to perform or complete daily tasks, if not treated, it can be extremely disruptive to sufferer’s life. For example, teachers of student sufferer in manic mode may think that they are being disruptive on purpose and punish them rather find ways to allow the student to channel her energy positively. Bipolar disorder is quite common with over 3 million cases reported each year ().

SYMPTOMS

Bipolar disorder symptoms most often begin to appear during a person’s teenage years and the effects usually last a lifetime. Bipolar disorder is found equally in men and women, as well as among racial and ethnic groups. Symptoms are classified according to whether a sufferer is in a depressive or manic episode. Depressive episode symptoms include loss of interest in contacting or interacting with people, feeling sad and hopeless for long periods of time, feeling extremely tired, having problems making decisions or concentrating, and thinking about or attempting suicide. Manic episode symptoms include being extremely irritable, easily distracted, acting impulsively, working long periods without being sleepy or tired, feelings of extreme happiness, and having unreasonably high confidence in one’s ability. The most important factor in understanding the symptoms is recognizing the unavoidable change in mood. For instance, if someone is always happy or always depressed, they are not suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders sufferers will be happy then sad for long periods with short periods of transitions between.

CAUSES

While the exact cause of bipolar disorder has yet to be discovered, most experts believe that a variety of factors including genetics and how a person’s brain develops may play a role. Research has found the bipolar disorder has a tendency of being common in families. Accordingly, children with a grandparent, parent or sibling who suffers from bipolar disorder are more likely to suffer from it than a child where bipolar disorder affects no one in the family. Moreover, research into the brains of people with bipolar has shown that are different from those of people who are not sufferers.

TREATMENT

Despite the problems that bipolar disorder may cause its sufferers and the fact that it cannot be cured; it is treatable. Moreover, if treated properly, bipolar disorder can be managed and controlled so that it does not negatively affect how a sufferer lives. The most common treatment for bipolar disorder is mood stabilizers. Mood stabilizers are medications prevent the high and lows of bipolar disorder.