Bipolar Disorder

Mental Illness Paper

Bipolar Disorder

June 17, 2011

HCA/240

Axia College

Bipolar disorder is one of the oldest known illnesses and the symptoms have been found in early medical records; as far back as the second century. In 1854, Jules Falret established a link between depression and suicide, which eventually led him to the term “bipolar disorder”. It then became the name Manic-Depressive Psychosis, which is a psychiatric disorder. The term bipolar disorder again appeared in 1980, replacing Manic-Depressive Disorder. Either way, they are the same mood disorder that causes shifts from depression to mania. There is an overly elevated, energetic, and irritable mood that comes in periods of highs and lows, called episodes. There are many myths behind bipolar disorder, some that are fact and some that are fiction. People have said that bipolar disorder is a rare condition, in which is not true. According to WebMD and the National Institute of Mental Health, statistics and research states that in a given year, bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults 18 years and older. Another myth is that bipolar disorder is just another name for mood swings. Again, not true. Although there are mood swings associated with bipolar disorder, they are very different in a person that does not have the disorder. The mood swings in a person with bipolar disorder are more severe. Another bipolar disorder myth is that people with bipolar disorder shift back and forth from depression to mania very often. This myth is true. Bipolar disorder mood can turn from sad to euphoric very quickly. A bipolar person will be depressed more than they are manic. The myth of when a bipolar person is in a manic state, they are very happy. This is only true for some suffering with bipolar disorder. A bipolar person in the manic state may only stay happy for a while, but will not usually stay that way. When coming down from the happiness of the manic state, a bipolar person will become...