Bipolar disorder, also known as schizophrenia, can be described as a chronic condition or syndrome of mental health that causes the affected person to experience changes in mood which are extreme. It mainly affects the behavior or psychology of the affected individual without relating to other common mood changers and losses like when a person loses a loved one or when someone has similar psychological or behavioral characteristics in response to a particular cultural event (DMS-V 123). A person with bipolar disorder may have mania or hypomania where an individual’s state of mind is at high emotions, or have extremely low emotions and is said to be depressed. An individual with this condition therefore have or experience mood changes that are not normal, where at times they become very active and so full of energy and happiness while some other times, they feel the exact opposite characterized by being inactive, unhappy and with low energy. The episode is when people with this mental condition are full of energy are happy and active is referred to as the manic episode, while when they feel depressed it is called the depressive episode.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
Major categories of this condition are two which are mania which may be referred to still as hypomania when it’s not extreme, and depression. Moods and behaviors can change unpredictably due to symptoms leading to a stressful life (Mayo Clinic). There is bipolar disorder I which is a representation of the classic-manic depressive disorder where there has to be at least one manic episode that comes before or after major depressive episodes. People with full episodes of syndromal manic can as well, in the course of their lives, experience major depressive episodes.In bipolar II disorder, in an individual’s lifetime, they get to have one episode of major depression, then maybe one or two episodes of hypomanic, but they never get to experience the manic episode. It used to be thought of as mild bipolar I disorder but this is no longer the case due to the period of depression that an individual takes when they have the condition. Individuals with bipolar II disorder also to have serious problems with their work and general functionality due to the instability of mood experiences (DSM V).
Signs and Symptoms and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
Individuals in the mania or hypomania may have similar symptoms with mania being more dangerous hence requires medical attention. Some of these symptoms include an individual becoming talkative in an unusual manner, becomes sleepless, gets to have several thoughts in mind at a time, they become agitated and full of energy, become overconfident, and they become poor decision makers. The depression episodes are characterized by sadness, worry and emptiness, changes in normal eating rates, individuals become forgetful, troubled sleep, with death and suicidal thoughts in mind (Judd et al., 2016).
Diagnosis criteria for bipolar disorder are characterized by distinct a period of persistent, abnormal or irritable mood and increased energy directed towards goal achievement characterized by excessive planning and involvement in several activities at once, present daily and lasts a week, accompanied by the symptoms. It needs hospitalization as it causes impaired judgment which makes work impossible and there is need to prevent self-harm or to others. An individual feels on top of the world and is very cheerful, with children becoming silly and goofy, they get to do several tasks at once and start to develop previously absent preoccupations. There is less need for sleep, different from insomnia, individuals talk louder with pressure hence difficult to interrupt.
Causes
A number of factors may be involved which may include changes in the brain, in terms of anatomy. Changes in the brain may lead to an imbalance in body hormones. Another factor may be when there is an imbalance in the chemicals called neurotransmitters that control the functions of the body, especially the brain. Certain triggers may also cause the condition like when a person has lost a loved one. Genetics may also be a factor as research has indicated that the disorder happens to be more common where there is a close relationship like an individual’s parent, thus the genes that lead to this condition would be passed to offspring. Exposure to too much sunlight may also be a cause as this would affect the brain’s functionality.
Any person can get this disorder regardless of the sex, that which is inherited, there is a 10% chance of inheriting the disorder if one parent has it, in cases where both parents have the disorder, then the chances of their child inheriting it becomes greater, 40%. Up to 20 years one is more likely to have the disorder though occasionally at an older age it can as well occur to an individual.
Current Research and Studies on Bipolar Disorder
Scientists have succeeded in identifying and interpreting antipsychotic's molecular structure, the most commonly used antipsychotic risperidone docked, and this would create a breakthrough by creating chances for the better design of treatments of bipolar disorder. Brain circuitry has been discovered as well by scientists which are necessary for general brain state, making it possible to observe the behaviors of neurons in a particular brain state hence their analysis on the circuits involved, hence observing the alertness of the brain (Joseph, 2011).
Treatment
A clinical trial was conducted and found to be effective when standard medications for this condition were given to individuals aged 60 years and above. This became an achievement and improved the hopes for treatment of older adults with bipolar disorder. Even though they can be effective, mood stabilizing drugs have side effects in older adults since their systems weaken with age. Lithium was found to be important in this trial for bipolar disorder, but it became disadvantageous for the elderly who were not able to tolerate the doses Lithium only becomes effective under correct doses and if abused side effects like diarrhea and vomiting may occur (NHS). Other than lithium, other mood stabilizers exist like the Divalproex that also controls the signs and symptoms of mania. Individuals who use lithium may have tremor thus the usage of these ant-psychotic medications may cause serious side effects at times. Ketamine also helps patients who are resistant to treatment by reversing their loss of interest in pleasurable activities. Ketamine however if abused, can cause delirium, amnesia and make someone hallucinate (NMIH).
Non medicated treatments for bipolar disorder have also been found to be very beneficial to patients. These include family-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral modifications through psychoeducation. Family focus therapy involves patients and their families being involved heavily insessions of psychosocial treatment, where they are made aware about all the factors involved in the disorder, and how they would handle situations including problems that would arise and manage the situation (Goodwin, 2017). This is more effective than treatments of a control group that involved a combination of treatment according to research. The control enhanced care combines the family focus therapy and medication as well as managing conflicts in their homes. All the patients took mood stabilizers. Combined treatment for the disorder which can involve family focus sessions, interpersonal therapy as well as mood stabilizers would result in rapid recovery than maybe just medication and therapies (NIMH).
Effects of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can affect a patient physically, socially, psychologically as well as their performance in their daily routines. A person can physically harm themselves as well as others in their families or at places of work. Episodes of mania come with disruptiveness which may cause fights. People become impulsive and aggressive in the manic episode thereby making themto have risky behaviors that may make them hurt themselves, their friends which may end the friendship, legal issues as well as problems related to finance. They may also commit suicide. Having the desire to do things at ago and several thoughts running through an affected person’s mind may make them mess up at work through poor decisions, do and present projects in a hurry making mistakes that may cost them their jobs. Bipolar students may underperform due to them being inactive in class on fail tests because of being in a hurry.
The most common disorders that occur alongside bipolar disorders are those of anxiety like social phobia and panic attacks. Others include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder like intermittent explosive disorder, substance use disorder like alcohol abuse. Metabolic syndrome and margarine are some of the medical conditions associated with metabolic disorder (DSM V 132). There is a similarity in symptoms of bipolar disorder and other illnesses making diagnosis difficult. Heart diseases, diabetes, thyroid disease and obesity are some examples of illnesses that bipolar disorder may lead to.
References
Current research on rapid cycling bipolar disorder and its treatment Calabrese, Joseph R et al.Journal of Affective Disorders , Volume 67 , Issue 1 , 241.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM V)
Goodwin, G. O. (2017). Evidence-based guidelines for treating bipolar disorder: Revised second edition recommendations from the British Association for Psychopharmacology. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 23(4), 346-388.
Judd, L. L., Akiskal, H. S., Schettler, P. J., Endicott, J., Maser, J., Solomon, D. A., " Keller, M. B. (2016). Bipolar Disorder: The long-term natural history and symptomatic status of bipolar disorder. Archives of general psychiatry, 59(6), 530-537.
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc- 20355955
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml#pub2
