Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Cassie Osborn

11/03/2013

BEH/225

Dr. Nancy Voorhees

Bipolar disorder can be very intimidating and be very scary or confusing to live with. There are a few types of this mood disorder, with various different signs and symptoms. Living with bipolar disorder can be a different experience depending on the individual diagnosed. With this in mind, treatment options vary. Bipolar medications have shown negative side effects in the past, that can even be life threatening. Having this mental disorder can have a negative impact on a person’s relationships in every aspect of life. Bipolar disorder is a complex disease that impacts a person’s life and relationships if the disease is not treated properly.

The typical time period for a person to develop bipolar disorder is in their late teens to mid-twenties. Bipolar can involve changes in mood and irritability, aggression, and changes in attention and difficult behavior. Mood swings can happen several times during the day (Morris & Maisto, 2010). In adolescents and adults, the illness can start either with a manic episode, or with a depressed episode. Basically a person can have no history of a mental illness with no signs or symptoms, and one day they can have a manic or depressed episode and from then on they need to be medicated and are stuck struggling to manage a strange new disease.

There are five types of bipolar disorder. These five types are: Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2, cyclothymic, mixed bipolar, and rapid cycling. People suffering from Bipolar 1 experience manic episodes followed by mild depression and have low thyroid levels. Mania and manic episodes include feeling of euphoria, impulsive behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, decreased sleep, and even delusions in extreme cases (Coon & Mitterer 2012). Those who suffer from Bipolar 2 experience severe depression episodes. Some symptoms of depression include feeling of hopelessness, odd sleep patterns, loss of interest in past enjoyable...