Bi Polar Disorder ( Psychological Disorders & # 8211 ; Manic Depression ) Essay, Research Paper

The terrible temper fluctuations of bipolar or manic-depressive upsets have been around since the 16-century and affect little more than 2 % of the population in both sexes, all races, and all parts of the universe ( Harmon 3 ) . Research workers think that the cause is familial, but it is still unknown. The one fact of which we are distressingly cognizant of is that bipolar upset badly undermines its? victims ability to obtain and keep societal and occupational success. Because the symptoms of bipolar upset are so debilitation, it is important that we search for possible interventions and remedies.

The features of bipolar upset are important displacements in temper that go from frenzied episodes to deep depressive episodes in a up and down trip that apparently ne’er ends. There are really three types of bipolar upset. In bipolar III upset there is a household history of passion or hypomania in add-on to the client sing depressive episodes. This class is non extremely used but is deserving observing. Bipolar II upset is marked by hypomanic episodes that have non required hospitalization. Bipolar I disorder is the matured unwellness and is defined by the presence of manic episodes which require intervention, and normally hospitalization ( Wilner 44 ) .

Bipolar upset can strike at any age but most normally work stoppages at age 18 in bipolar I ; for bipolar II upset, the age is 22 ( Durand and Barlow 189 ) . It has besides been found that kids can be seen with bipolar upset early on. This is non really prevailing, and is merely one in every 200 instances. This is thought to happen because many kids with frenzied depression might

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have been misdiagnosed or merely thought of as overactive and riotous. The early symptoms of childhood bipolar upset, distractibility, crossness, and hyperactivity are besides the marks of attending shortage hyperactivity upset ( ADHD ) ( Harvard Mental Health Letter, March 1997 ) . It is chiefly for this ground that many instances might be misdiagnosed as ADHD and the prevalence of bipolar upset in kids could be much higher.

A individual enduring from bipolar upset surrogates from frenzied provinces to those of depression. These emotional provinces can jump cyclically or one temper may rule over the other. It is besides possible for the two to be assorted or combined with each other.

When the sick person is in a frenzied stage of the upset they may exhibit many unusual behaviours that are non usually present in their mundane life. Elation is likely the most obvious constituent, and it is frequently misplaced and without any existent ground for being in this temper. Manic episodes bring with them extreme assurance and energy to run into people and prosecute in all kinds of activities and escapades. It is non uncommon to be unable to understand what a individual in a frenzied province is stating because they are speaking loud and fast, and can leap from one topic to the following without any aggravation or cognizing why. Irritability and deficiency of attending span are besides hallmarks of this province. In its most utmost, passion can besides convey approximately force and fury from the person. During this period the sick person frequently enrolls themselves in many activities or duties that they can non carry through after the passion subsides, imparting to further jobs even after the episode has subsided ( Encyclopedia Britannica, 23:847 ) .

The depressive province is the darker side of this upset. There are two types of the depressive province, the agitated province and the retarded province. In the agitated province one may hold sustained tenseness, over-activity, desperation and perchance hold discerning psychotic beliefs. For the retarded province the phase becomes darker still as their activity is slowed and can about go

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catatonic. The patient is dejected and sad, and beats himself down with self-degrading talk. Suicide is most likely to go on in the depressive side of bipolar upset and the patient must be closely watched for self-destructive inclinations. Estimates of self-destruction in bipolar upset scope from 9 % to every bit high as 60 % , with an norm of 19 % ( Nathan, 205 )

It is frequently impossible to foretell the figure of episodes that a individual with bipolar upset can anticipate to hold over the class of a twelvemonth and is frequently dependent on each single instance. There is a job when one experiences excessively many episodes in one twelvemonth, it is called rapid-cycling form. ? An person with bipolar upset who experiences at least four manic or depressive episodes within a twelvemonth is considered to be sing a rapid cycling pattern. ? ( Durand and Barlow 192 ) This group of manic-depressives makes up approximately 20 % of the entire figure of that are afflicted with bipolar upset ( Harmon 32 ) . In most instances, rapid cycling tends to increase in frequence as clip base on ballss and can make terrible provinces in which there may be no interruption between frenzied and depressive stated at all.

Over the old ages many different medicines to handle bipolar have been introduced, but Li carbonate has been the primary intervention of bipolar upset since its debut in the 1960? s. Its chief map is to stabilise cycling features of bipolar upset. However, there were drawbacks to utilizing Li. Some people being treated for bipolar upset were non able to digest the side effects of Li. Lithium has been linked to doing kidney and thyroid jobs. Many people have found the inauspicious side effects of the medicine excessively hard to digest, interfering with their occupations and day-to-day life ( Burns 103 ) .

For old ages, Lithium has been the st

andard intervention for bipolar upset. By opportunity, scientists found other effectual antimanic drugs are the anticonvulsant medicines Tegretol and Depakote, which have been used to handle temporal lobe epilepsy ( Harvard Mental Health Letter,

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June 1997 ) . In 1995, Depakote was approved by the FDA for the intervention of bipolar upset and is decelerating going the most widely prescribed drug for the usage on passion. Depakote hasn? T wholly replaced Li ; nevertheless, it is being used on patients that were non antecedently treatable with Li. Compared with Li, Depakote doesn? Ts have all the bad side effects when decently administered. Patients taking Depakote find their thought is clearer and wear? T seems to hold the kidney and thyroid jobs ( Burns 104-106 ) . The antipsychotic drug Clozaril besides has been used to stabilise the tempers of bipolar upsets, particularly those that have non responded to lithium and the antiepileptics. One major side consequence of Clozaril is that is suppresses the production of white blood cells on about 1 % of patients ( Harvard Mental Health Letter, June 1997 ) . Because of this side consequence, physicians have to be highly careful when prescribing.

One of the major jobs when handling clients with pharmaceutical agents, nevertheless, is that during frenzied phases the euphory they experience is so gratifying that they discontinue their medicine during the low phases of depression in an effort to convey that? high? back once more. Besides when one goes off of the medicine given to them the upset may really acquire worse. They can do more episodes to happen and with each episode the hazard of future episodes additions, as does the opportunity that Li interventions will turn out uneffective ( Robbins 78 ) .

A more extremist intervention is electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) . Many people have heard about the horror narratives of ECT and see it as an antediluvian tool that does little but torment the patient. This, nevertheless, seems to be a competent technique for handling bipolar upset. Electrocon-vulsive therapy was the chief signifier of intervention for both passion and terrible depression before the debut of Li. ? In one survey, all of 28 frenzied patients responded to ECT, while merely 18 of 28 similar patients responded to the antipsychotic drug Thorazine. In another survey, ECT was given for eight hebdomads to 17 patients who had non responded to lithium, and all of them

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recovered? ( Harvard Mental Health Letter, June 1997 ) . Electroconvulsive therapy is really effectual with patients enduring from rapid cycling between passion and depression and those that require restraint or if they are hallucinating. There is no survey in which ECT has proved less effectual than Li or major tranquilizers.

A new alternate method of handling bipolar upset may be every bit simple as changing one? s diet. Surveies have shown that devouring fish oil may cut down the symptoms of bipolar upset. It is good accepted that fish like Salmon and Mackerel have been known to cut down bosom disease, but now surveies are demoing that they may besides cut down the symptoms of bipolar upset. Oily fish are packed with fats called omega-3 fatty acids. One survey at Mclean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts found that one group of patients taking fish oil pills along with their regular medicines showed fewer symptoms than patients taking merely their regular medicines ( Finkelman 201 ) ) . While research workers aren? t sure of how omega-3 fatty acids helps relieve symptoms of bipolar upset, they are hopeful that in the hereafter the fatty acids will supply an alternate low cost, natural mood-stabilizing drug.

It seems that everything that goes incorrect with the human organic structure is someway linked backed to our cistrons. Bipolar upset is no different. In the non so distant hereafter, we may hold another manner handling bipolar upset. Research workers are presently runing for mood-disorder cistrons that lead to frenzied depression. If the cistrons were found, they would assist scientists plan better drugs to command bipolar upset. With every great determination there is ever a contention lurking in the background. One such contention has already arisen for mood-gene testing. If the exact cistron or cistrons are found, they mat lead to prove being done on foetuss. Peoples may elect to abort the gestation instead than giving birth to a babe that has a higher hazard or holding bipolar upset. On the positive side, new drugs made possible by mood-gene research may be effectual plenty to

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render the disease harmless, so the issue of abortion would be eliminated ( Finkelman 176 ) .

Bipolar upset is a really hard upset to populate with ; it affects one? s life in many differing ways and can be highly enfeebling. Those diagnosed with manic-depressive psychosis can non look frontward to a speedy recovery ; this is a upset that is frequently chronic like diabetes. To populate with the upset 1 must be diligent in their interventions ; they must take their medicine, have a collaborative relationship with the healer in the psychosocial therapy Sessionss, involve one? s household, and perchance even fall in a support group.

The figure of people with bipolar upset is turning mundane. Many people live with bipolar upset everyday and have no thought they have it because they are in denial or have been wrongly diagnosed by a doctor. I have merely touched on some of the manner that bipolar upset can be treated. There are many other ways, some better, and some worse. With the information we know have bipolar and the cognition that we will larn in the hereafter, hopefully someday the disease we know as bipolar upset will discontinue to be.