Bipolar Disorder
The severe mood fluctuations of bipolar disorder or manic depressive disorders have been around since the 16th century and affect little more than 2% of the population in both sexes, all races and all parts of the world.(Bradbury 1). Researchers think that the cause is genetics, but is still unknown (1). The one fact that we are painfully aware of is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its victim's ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success ( Flagler 1). Because the symptoms of this disorder are so harsh, it is crucial that we continue to search for possible treatments and cures.
The characteristics of bipolar disorder are significant shifts in mood that go from manic episodes to deep depressive episodes that go in a up and down trip that never seems to end. There are three types of bipolar disorders. In Bipolar III disorder there is a history of mania in addition to the client experiencing manic episodes ( Akiskal 1). Bipolar II disorder is marked by hypomanic episodes that have not required hospitalization (1). Bipolar I disorder is the full-blown illness and is defined by the presence of manic episodes that require treatment, and usually hospitalization. (1).
Bipolar disorder can strike at any age, but most commonly strikes between the ages of 18 and 24 (Griswold 1). It has also been found that children can be seen with bipolar disorder very early on in their life. This is not prevalent and is only in every 200 cases ( Griswold 2). This occurs because many children with the disorder have been misdiagnosed or just thought of as hyperactive and disruptive. The early symptoms of childhood bipolar disorder are: distractibility, irritability, and hyperactivity, which are also signs of ADHD (Flagler 1). It is mainly for this reason that many cases might be misdiagnosed as ADHD, the prevalence of bipolar disorder in children could be much higher (1).
A person suffering from bipolar disorder alternated from manic...
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