What is Bipolar Disorder?
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
I.Writebol
COMM/156
5/25/2012
M.Clark
“What a creature of strange moods [Winston Churchill] is - always at the top of the wheel of confidence or at the bottom of an intense depression,” once said William Maxwell "Max" Aitken. Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain that has yet to be unraveled; it causes many mood swings that can happen at a moment’s notice without a word. With many mental illnesses in order to diagnose them it takes time and observation with a health care provider. Treatment is also an aspect that takes planning and reflection mostly on how the patient feels in reaction to the medication that they are taking and other forms of treatment. Although bipolar disorder is a complex disease to diagnose, there are several alternative treatments used in conjunction with medication can be effective in managing this serious mental illness. By definition Bipolar Disorder is associated with mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania; otherwise known as obsession . These two separate feelings could come at the same time of the day or may only take place a few times a year; it all depends on the severity of the patient’s disorder. Currently there is no known exact cause for bipolar disorder; although there are several contributing factors thought to cause the disease. Several of the factors involved with causing bipolar disorder are neurotransmitters, inherited traits, hormones, environment, and a life trauma or significant life moment; such as a death in the family or divorce of the parents. An imbalance in naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters seems to play a significant role in bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is most frequently seen in patients whose parents or a blood relative has the same disorder. The stress of one’s environment also plays a key role in bipolar disorder, when something critical happens to a person that could have
I.Writebol
COMM/156
5/25/2012
M.Clark
“What a creature of strange moods [Winston Churchill] is - always at the top of the wheel of confidence or at the bottom of an intense depression,” once said William Maxwell "Max" Aitken. Bipolar disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain that has yet to be unraveled; it causes many mood swings that can happen at a moment’s notice without a word. With many mental illnesses in order to diagnose them it takes time and observation with a health care provider. Treatment is also an aspect that takes planning and reflection mostly on how the patient feels in reaction to the medication that they are taking and other forms of treatment. Although bipolar disorder is a complex disease to diagnose, there are several alternative treatments used in conjunction with medication can be effective in managing this serious mental illness. By definition Bipolar Disorder is associated with mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania; otherwise known as obsession . These two separate feelings could come at the same time of the day or may only take place a few times a year; it all depends on the severity of the patient’s disorder. Currently there is no known exact cause for bipolar disorder; although there are several contributing factors thought to cause the disease. Several of the factors involved with causing bipolar disorder are neurotransmitters, inherited traits, hormones, environment, and a life trauma or significant life moment; such as a death in the family or divorce of the parents. An imbalance in naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters seems to play a significant role in bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is most frequently seen in patients whose parents or a blood relative has the same disorder. The stress of one’s environment also plays a key role in bipolar disorder, when something critical happens to a person that could have
Cited: Altinbas, K., Smith, D. J., & Craddock, N. (2011). Rediscovering the Bipolar Spectrum. Archives of Neuropsychiatry, 167-170. Gary Sachs, C. K. (2000). The Treatment of Bipolar Depression. Bipolar Disorders, 256-260. The Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012, Januaray 18). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from The Mayo Clinic : http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/ds00356