Bipolar Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Victoria Venske
Rasmussen College
Author Note This paper is being submitted on March 11, 2014, for Mr. Powell’s G148 Section 3 General Psychology Course.
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness. This disorder causes unlikely changes in mood, energy, activity level, and carrying out normal daily activities. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe and can range from day to day. Not every person goes through these stages in order. They can go through an up and down motion. The good thing though is that it is a treatable condition (Carpenter & Huffman, 2012, pp. 352-353). In the paper, we are going to discuss what causes it, why people get it, treatment options, and how it relates to psychology itself. There is no single cause for bipolar disorder. Since scientists are studying possible causes, and one thing that scientists do agree on though, is that there are many factors that can act together to produce the illness or increase the chances of getting the disease. Scientists think that genetics play a part in this disorder because it tends to run in families. However, most children with a family history of bipolar disorder will probably not develop this illness. With the new technology available, scientists are able to improve their research. With the recent launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database, scientists are to be able to link visible signs of the disorder with the genes that may influence them ("Bipolar Disorder," n.d.). Another cause would definitely have to be biological. Researchers believe that some neurotransmitters, including dopamine, do not function properly function in individuals who have bipolar disorder. The last possible cause would be an environmental factor. These outside factors can include things such as stress or a major life event that may help trigger a reaction (Tartakovsky, 2014).
Not many people know this, but, there are different forms
Victoria Venske
Rasmussen College
Author Note This paper is being submitted on March 11, 2014, for Mr. Powell’s G148 Section 3 General Psychology Course.
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness. This disorder causes unlikely changes in mood, energy, activity level, and carrying out normal daily activities. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe and can range from day to day. Not every person goes through these stages in order. They can go through an up and down motion. The good thing though is that it is a treatable condition (Carpenter & Huffman, 2012, pp. 352-353). In the paper, we are going to discuss what causes it, why people get it, treatment options, and how it relates to psychology itself. There is no single cause for bipolar disorder. Since scientists are studying possible causes, and one thing that scientists do agree on though, is that there are many factors that can act together to produce the illness or increase the chances of getting the disease. Scientists think that genetics play a part in this disorder because it tends to run in families. However, most children with a family history of bipolar disorder will probably not develop this illness. With the new technology available, scientists are able to improve their research. With the recent launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database, scientists are to be able to link visible signs of the disorder with the genes that may influence them ("Bipolar Disorder," n.d.). Another cause would definitely have to be biological. Researchers believe that some neurotransmitters, including dopamine, do not function properly function in individuals who have bipolar disorder. The last possible cause would be an environmental factor. These outside factors can include things such as stress or a major life event that may help trigger a reaction (Tartakovsky, 2014).
Not many people know this, but, there are different forms
References: Bipolar disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml#part3 Carpenter, S., & Huffman, K. (2012). Visualizing psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Tartakovsky, M. (2014, January 8). Bipolar disorder fact sheet. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/bipolar-disorder-fact-sheet/0001561