StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Bipolar Disorder as a Psychiatric Illness - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Bipolar Disorder as a Psychiatric Illness" states that generally, bipolar disorder has non-pharmacological treatment options which include psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, psycho-education, family intervention, and behavioral therapy…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.8% of users find it useful
Bipolar Disorder as a Psychiatric Illness
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Bipolar Disorder as a Psychiatric Illness"

? BIPOLAR DISORDER Institute Proposal This paper will serve to explain a very important psychiatric illness which is known as bipolar disorder. The name derives from two episodes which are experienced in this condition namely the depressive episode and the maniac episode. These two episodes have their own characteristics which will be explained. The psychiatric illness can be treated by giving medications as well as other forms of therapy. The different pharmacological treatments along with the other therapies will be analyzed. Outline Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness which has been presenting with many cases in the past few years. It is characterized by mood swings which include a period of being very happy and high and a subsequent change of episode into a depressive mode when the person feels down and becomes depressed. The disorder can become severe and the patient may have hallucinations. The treatment for the condition is both pharmacological and non pharmacological. The pharmacological treatment includes mood stabilizers, anti-depressants and anti psychotics. The non-pharmacological treatment includes psycho therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, psycho-education, family intervention and behavioral therapy. Abstract The diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses has resulted in increased presentation of patients suffering from these conditions. Bipolar disorder is one such condition which has increased by more than 40 times in the years from 1993 to 2003 for the individuals below the age of 19 according to the statistics of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Bipolar disorder is a condition which is characterized by mood swings in the patients. The patient becomes over active and happy in certain periods whereas at other times he becomes depressed and sad. These two swings can be characterized as maniac episodes and depressive episodes respectively. The exact pathology of the condition has not been recognized. Treatment for the condition includes both pharmacological therapy as well as non pharmacological treatment to improve the condtion of the patient. Bipolar Disorder The advancements in the field of medical science and the carrying out of researches have led to the easier and timely diagnosis of different pathological conditions. Bipolar disorder is an example of one such psychiatric illness which is now being diagnosed at higher rates. According to the findings of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, the number of cases diagnosed with bipolar disorder between the year 1993 till 2003 increased from approximately 20,000 to 800,000. These statistics are particularly for the age group below 19. An interesting characteristic of this disease is that it has a greater predilection towards the males. The condition is mainly characterized by unusual mood swings that is there are two phases in a person’s mood that is he may be very active and happy at one time followed by periods of extreme lows and depression. The exact pathology which leads to this condition is yet unknown but it is considered that it may result due to variations in the levels of neurotransmitters. (Myers 2010; Quinn 2007) The bipolar disorder is a condition whose characteristic sign is the changes moods of the patients and knowledge regarding the disorder by the doctor is extremely important for its diagnosis. It is an episodic disorder with the patient presenting with episodes of different moods. At one time the person becomes very happy and extremely active and at another instance he may become sad and lazy. The phase of hyperactivity and happiness is referred to as the maniac episode whereas the phase where the individual is sad is called as the depressive episode. The symptoms of the condition need close monitoring for reaching to the diagnosis but at certain instances the symptoms become very alarming and it becomes clear that the patient is suffering from a psychiatric condition. The analysis of the mood changes is the only way of reaching to a definitive diagnosis for the condition. It is analyzed that in the maniac episode the individuals feel very happy, joyful and irritated at times while at the next moment they may become sad and worried. The physical state of the individual also varies with the patient being very jumpy and hyper at one time and he may be tired at other instances. If the disorder has progressed and reached its late stages, the individuals can start to have hallucinations and delusions (National Institute of Mental Health 2008; Quinn 2007). The treatment of bipolar disorder is characterized by both pharmacological and non pharmacological. The medications that may be prescribed for the condition include mood stabilizers, anti-depressants and anti psychotic drugs. Lithium and divalproex are the widely used mood stabilizers. The function of the mood stabilizers is to decrease the rate of mania and at the same time control the mood swings. These mood stabilizers are meant to be taken in combination with other agents. Anti depressants are mainly also given with these drugs to reduce the depressive state of the individual. The anti depressants include Bupropion, Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine and Nefazodone. The anti psychotic drugs are also beneficial in this condition. This is because they function to reduce the psychotic symptoms in the individuals. The best indication is for the bipolar disorder patients who have hallucinations and delusions. These drugs also serve to be very useful in resolving the problem of sleeplessness and anxiety that these patients experience. Olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and clozapine are the anti psychotic agents that have been found to be useful for patients of bipolar disorder. Researches with regard to these drugs have also shown their beneficial effects in stabilizing the mood changes in the patients of bipolar disorder. The bipolar disorder patients are advised to visit their doctors with regard to any questions relating to the drugs. They should also be monitored and if they do not respond to the drugs, the regime should be changed (Kahn et al 2000, National Institute of Mental Health 2008). Bipolar disorder also has non-pharmacological treatment options which include psycho therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, psycho-education, family intervention and behavioral therapy. In the patients presenting with severe mania or who have very high suicidal, electro convulsive therapy is used. On the other hand, behavioral therapy is directed towards improving the patterns of behavior of the individuals. In a similar way, psychotherapy is directed towards improving the issues like hallucinations. Family intervention is also greatly suggested as the family can act by assisting the patient in overcoming his state. The purpose of psycho-education is to advise the patients to stay away from situations that trigger the problem (Kahn et al 2000, National Institute of Mental Health 2008). Works Cited Top of Form Kahn, D A, R Ross, D J. Printz, and G S. Sachs. "Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: a Guide for Patients and Families." Postgraduate Medicine. 107 (2000). Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Myers, David G. Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2010. Print. National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.).Top of Form Bipolar Disorder. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Mental Health, Science Writing, Press & Dissemination Branch, 2008. Print. Top of Form Quinn, Brian. Bipolar Disorder. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411958-bipolar-disorder
(Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411958-bipolar-disorder.
“Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411958-bipolar-disorder.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Bipolar Disorder as a Psychiatric Illness

Bipolar Disorder

Center of discussion in this paper is bipolar disorder as a disease with subtle specificity and sensitivity.... These factors, together with the diagnostic criteria itself, create confusion in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder as certain symptoms can occur in other disorder.... These factors, together with the diagnostic criteria itself, create confusion in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder as certain symptoms can occur in other disorder.... The study provides a brief description as well as the categories of bipolar disorder....
6 Pages (1500 words) Term Paper

Schizoaffective disorder

The understanding of schizoaffective disorder is very important given the increasing prevalence of the disease among adults and its significant effects on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns of the people affected.... The understanding of schizoaffective disorder is very important given the increasing prevalence of the disease among adults and its significant effects on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns of the people affected.... Physicians therefore need to perfect their ability to diagnose and distinguish schizoaffective disorder from affective/mood disorder and schizophrenia so as to timely identify the best possible type of intervention for a particular patient....
12 Pages (3000 words) Research Paper

Bipolar disorder

bipolar disorder bipolar disorder, which is sometimes called manic-depressive illness, refers to a disorder of the brain that result into unusual changes in energy, mood as well as activity levels of individuals.... In very acute situations, bipolar disorder can make an individual to commit suicide.... bipolar disorder falls among the oldest illnesses, which are known.... In 1960's, several people with bipolar disorder were placed at a given institution and provided with little financial help since the Congress refused to acknowledge that manic depression is a legitimate illness....
4 Pages (1000 words) Term Paper

Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disease

Individuals with bipolar disorder are also more likely to drink when in a depressed state than individuals with unipolar depression.... The paper "Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disease" discusses that bipolar diseases and substance use disorder co-occur at higher rates than one would normally expect.... However, it is not necessary that all the people with substance abuse behaviour may have bipolar diseases.... It is difficult to point out the single most prominent reason for bipolar diseases....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper

Schizophrenia and Bipolar in Psychiatric Researches

The paper "Schizophrenia and Bipolar in psychiatric Researches" describes that disorders are very much alike in their nature.... If the traditional medical practices in the field of psychiatric research are observed critically then it will come to the knowledge that these modern diagnostic practices are based on the assumption that schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are separate entities of a disease.... BackgroundThe question of whether psychiatric research study should be categorized into schizophrenic and bipolar disorders as two different entities disturb many doctors and researchers from the very beginning....
12 Pages (3000 words) Research Paper

The Unipolar Depressive Illnesses

Bipolar I and Bipolar II are terms used to express the severity of the illness with Bipolar II representing the more chronic form of the illness.... Hirschfeld conducted the study by distributing the Mood disorder Questionnaire among a representative sample of the population in the US.... Young adults and individuals with lower income are at greater risk for this largely underdiagnosed disorder (p.... In this essay, the author describes a study for estimating rates of 'positive screens for bipolar 1 and bipolar II disorders' within the US....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

History of the Mental Illness: Bipolar Disorder

The paper 'History of the Mental Illness: Bipolar Disorder' focuses on bipolar disorder as a serious mental illness distinguished by repeated episodes of despair, mania, along with mixed symptom states.... As a result, youth with bipolar disorder may not be diagnosed accurately until they reach a psychiatric inpatient unit (Burns, et al.... The author states that the difference between bipolar disorder and unipolar disorder, also called major depression, is that bipolar disorder involves energized or activated mood states in addition to depressed mood states....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

Mental Health Nursing - Consumer-Oriented Health Care of Bipolar Disorder

The paper 'Mental Health Nursing - Consumer-Oriented Health Care of bipolar disorder' is an apposite variant of a case study on nursing.... The patient, in this case, maybe suffering from a bipolar disorder.... The paper 'Mental Health Nursing - Consumer-Oriented Health Care of bipolar disorder' is an apposite variant of a case study on nursing.... The patient, in this case, maybe suffering from a bipolar disorder.... The name bipolar disorder is known to describe a set of conditions involving mood swings, with the most severe condition termed as manic depression....
11 Pages (2750 words) Case Study
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us