Bipolar_Disorder

A person who experiences bipolar disorder show signs of mood swings and discrepancies to normal functional behavior. The person represents a back and forth mood transition of feeling highly energetic and feeling depressed or low. Bipolar disorder can appear in most anyone. Even though the disorder positions a person with many frames of mind, treatment helps calm the symptoms. Until the patient receives treatment, he or she has no control over their actions. Most people are likely to develop bipolar disorder if he or she has the gene in their family. Like most mental disorders bipolar disorder stems from inheritance. Psychologist help patient with bipolar disorder by determining the signs and symptoms, causes, management, and prognosis to help him or her to better function. The signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder start with noticeable mood swings. The person may reveal signs of positive energy and become overly anxious and happy. A person also may show signs of anger and become over aggressive about situations. He or she may become very talkative and seem as though the mind switches from topic to another. Once the person mood breaks down, he or she may show signs of major depression. He or she may feel worthless and all of the fun things are not fun anymore. The person shows signs of being sadden or irritated. This describes a fraction of bipolar disorder that is a deep depression. The disorder makes it hard for a person to function around normal people because they are hard to get along with. One never knows what mood an untreated bipolar person will display. The extreme disposition of the person causes trouble in relationships and everyday life. Even though the actions are not intentional, he or she becomes very unpredictable. There are combinations of aspects that contribute to the cause of bipolar disorder. “No single cause may ever be found for bipolar disorder. Instead, a combination of biologic, genetic, and environmental factors appears to trigger and perpetuate the chemical imbalances in the brain that shape this complex disorder.” (Harry Croft, 2009) Genectics play a large role in the cause of bipolar disorder as with other mental disorders. The genetic abnormalities and pathway of neurotransmitters are important in detecting the cause of the disorder. Studies show that a person who’s parents are diagnosed with a mental disorder, increases his or her chance of developing a mental disorder as well. Environmental factors play a role in causing bipolar disorder. Stressfull life altering events trigger the symptoms of someone already bilogically exposed to mental illness. Drug and alchohol abuse also generate the symptoms of the disorder because they affect the chemicals in the brain. There are treatments for bipolar disorder and depends on the person state of mind as to how a phsycologist treats him or her. If a patient with symptoms of acute mania presents themselves to a doctor’s office, a psychiatrist should immediately be consulted. Sometimes the manic situation is so severe that it requires the attention of police or even hospitalization. Patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder require a medical and psychiatric evaluation. There are a number of laboratory and imaging test to determine a diagnosis especially for patient younger than 40 years. Mood stabilizers such as lithium and depakote are used for patients who are healthy before the completion of the evaluation. “Bipolar disorder is a uniquely challenging disorder to treat, with the most lethality, the most recurrences, and the most varied clinical presentations of any major psychiatric disorder” (S. Parikh, 2010). The importance of physicians and psychologist to develop a relationship while treating the patient because of the severity of the disorder. Therefore, the methods of treatment are communicated between them both as well as family members. The psychiatrist normally diagnoses the patient with the disorder but it becomes a collaborative decision between the medical doctor and psychiatrist to determine care. Follow up visits are required to maintain treatment and to prevent mood swings, violence and self harmful behavior.