Bi_Polar_Disorder

Bi-Polar Disorder Abstract Within the past few years bipolar disorder has become a disorder that has been brought to everyone attentions because so many people have be diagnosed with this disorder. In this research paper I will address how bipolar disorder also known as manic depression affects people in there everyday life. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be a little hard to understand because having ups and downs in life is normal but determining how a person controls theses emotions and how often the ups and downs happens can determine if the person needs to seek professional help for the disorder. Bi-Polar Disorder Every person deals with many different emotions in their every day life. Some days a person may feel like there on top of the world and nothing can bring them down and on the other hand a person can feel so bad that they do not want to get out of bed. Dealing with ups and downs is indeed a reality of life. For a person with bipolar disorder these emotions are in the most extreme form. Bipolar disorder is a very serious mental disease cauterized by constantly changing moods. Bipolar disorder has been estimated to affect more than 5 millions Americans. It is equally prevalent in men and women, and is found in all cultures and ethnic groups. (http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bipolar.). When thinking about bipolar disorder most people think that it’s just an emotional illness that should be easy to get over, but there is so much to the disorder than that. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. Bipolar disorder can often develop in a person in there late teens or early adult years. Most cases start before the age of 25. Diagnosing the disorder is not easy to spot when it starts, the symptoms may seem like everyday life experiences, which is why some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH],). There are two phases of bipolar disorder that most of the suffers experience they are the manic phase and the depressive phase. The symptoms depend on the phase of the disorder that the person is in. In the manic phase racing thoughts and excessive chatter and talking is another symptom to watch for. During this phase the person needs less sleep and they have huge amounts of energy and inflated self-esteem. When in manic stage the person may also become reckless and impulsive. Some studies show that this stage also can lead to promiscuity, excessive spending and also hallucinations. (www.manicdepression.us.com). The depressive phase follows the manic phase usually deals with sadness, guilt, depression, anxiety and lack of interest in anything. Thoughts of suicide occur in extreme cases. (http://www.livestrong.com). Bipolar disorder tends to run in families, so researchers are looking for genes that may increase a person's chance of developing the illness. Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are four to six times more likely to develop the illness, compared with children who do not have a family history of bipolar disorder (NIMH). After a person is diagnosed with bipolar disorder of course there first reaction will be shock, but there is also a feeling of relief because they have a name to go along with there problem. There is no cure for bipolar disorder but there is treatment, with treatment a person can go on to live a normal life. Treatment for bipolar disorder is usually a combination of mood-stabilizing drug and psychotherapy. Treating the disorder with drug treatment is usually done first, but psychotherapy is important as well. If a person is living with bipolar disorder they will use drugs to treat there condition for the rest of there life. Bipolar disorder is very unpredictable and if left untreated the results can be devastating. For a person to get the best treatment for themselves they have to be well educated on the disorder and open with the doctors about what is exactly going with them concerning the disorder (http://www.webmd.com). When it comes to bipolar disorder there is a lot more to be learned about the disorder but what people who do not have the disorder should remember is that the people who suffer with this disorder didn’t asked for this to happen to them and we should be a lot more understanding to what is happening to them. There is much more research that still needs to be done so professional can gain more understanding of the disorder. References Bipolar disorder. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder Bipolar Disorder Guide. (2005), Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-treatment-care Cameron, P. (2009, October 27). Bipolar Manic Depressive Symptoms. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/18169-bipolar-manic-depressive-symptoms/ National Institute of Mental Health. (2009). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/indexshtml Waller, D. (2007, March 15). Bipolar Disorder Symptom. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://manicdepression.us.com