Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

There are countless psychological disorders effecting people. One of the most well known psychological disorders is bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. To understand bipolar disorder, it is important to have general understanding of the disease, its diagnosis, and treatments. Although, no cause of bipolar disorder has not been clearly defined, this disorder is characterized by a phenomenon called cycling or “mood swings.” Bipolar disorder affects people between the ages of 15-55, but is not as common among in people of the United States as other psychological depressions (world of psychology pg. 485).

Bipolar disorder has a history that extends far back as second century Turkey, at which time symptoms of mania and depression were just being recognized and documented (Caregiver.com). Today a tool, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is used to measure these symptoms and provides a standard for diagnosing bipolar disorder. It breaks down bipolar disorder into three types: Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2, and Cyclothymia, and Bipolar not-otherwise-specified (NOS) (encyclopedia.com).

The first type, Bipolar 1, is characterized by the manic episodes or the “highs” in the manic-depressive episodes. These people experience more mania than depression. They have a sense of importance and elation, making them very social and provide them ambition to embark on goal-oriented activities. They can also be very irritable and impulsive during this phase. Sometimes they feel no need for sleep. After the manic period ends, it is followed by a depression period. Additionally, some bipolar 1 patients may have “mixed states”. A “mixed state” is when the patient is feeling depressed and hypomania, a milder form of mania, or dysphoric mania, characterized irritability and anger. An example of a “mixed state” would be, feeling depressed but with racing thoughts.