Bipolar Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, And Prevention
Every human being is susceptible to mood changes, sometimes feeling happy and energetic, and other times feeling melancholic and miserable. However, a persistent feeling of sadness and hopelessness is a mood disorder, known as depression, which is very common and requires medical attention. In the nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln was so depressed that he described himself as "the most miserable man living" (Leonard and Jovinelly, 2012). Leonard and Jovinelly go on to describe Bipolar Disease, also referred to as manic depressive illness, as the most complex type of depression. According to National Institute of Mental Health, NMIH (2015), nearly six million American adults suffer from this disorder. Bipolar Disease (BD) is a condition that is characterized by drastic changes in energy and moods which are often not related to the prevailing circumstances. The condition makes a person's moods alternate between two extreme emotional states: mania and depression (Leonard and Jovinelly, 2012). Depression makes the person feel low and become withdrawn from others, while a manic state makes them extremely active - both physically and mentally. However, BD patients struggle with depressive symptoms more than they struggle with symptoms caused by elevations in their mood (Ketter, 2012). This text looks at Bipolar Disorder in detail and examines its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in both children and adults.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
The functioning and structure of the brain
For a long time, scientists have tried to establish the causes of BD. Most recent brain imaging technology, including, but not limited to, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) has made it possible for doctors to monitor bipolar disease in the brain. They established that the structure and functioning of the brain of a BD patient is different from that of a normal person. For example, one MRI revealed that there were similarities in the development of the brain between children with multi-dimensional impairment and children with BD, which makes symptoms overlap and leads to mood swings (NIMH, 2015). The prefrontal cortex, the brain structure used in decision making and problem solving, has also been found to be smaller in BD patients and functions in a smaller capacity. Preston and White (2009) also note that the brains biochemistry plays a big part in BD due to the unstable transmission of nerve impulses.
Genetics
Studies have found that BD is genetic. Children with a family history of BD are more likely to suffer from the condition as compared to those whose siblings or parents have never had it. However, the National Institute of Mental Health (2015) notes that this is not to say that all children with a history of BD will acquire the condition when they grow up.
Trauma and Stress
The most popular triggers of BD symptoms among adults are stress and lack of sleep. Strenuous activities that are not accompanied by adequate amounts of rest are likely to cause mood elevation. According to Preston and White (2009), trauma experienced in an individual's childhood hastens the start of severe BD.
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disease
The following are the signs and symptoms of BD (White and Preston, 2009; NIMH, 2015):
Mania
Persistent feelings of irritability and denial
Restlessness and high levels of energy without feeling tired
Increased sexual drive
Feelings of great or supernatural abilities
A high sense of irritability and intrusive behavior
Extreme feelings of happiness and joy
Lack of concentration and easy distraction
Impulsive behavior
Depression
Feelings of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts
Feelings of melancholy and anxiousness
Lack of concentration and changes in sleep patterns and appetite
A pessimistic attitude and loss of interest in once fun activities
Lack of self-worth and feelings of emptiness
Fatigue and feeling delayed or slowed down
Diagnosis
The Diagnostic and Statistical Model of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides guidelines that help doctors diagnose the various types of BD. When a person manic symptoms are very extreme with episodes lasting a whole week, they are diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder (NMIH, 2015; DBSA, 2015). Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by less severe mania and depression. When a person is not acting normally but does not have either Bipolar I or II, they are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS). Milder episodes of BD characterized by depression and hypomania are classified as Cyclothymic Disorders (NMIH, 2015; DBSA, 2015). NMIH also explains a more severe type of BD where a patient experiences more than four episodes of extreme depression and mania in one year. This is known as Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder and is rather prevalent in women.
The diagnosis of bipolar disorder involves a thorough evaluation of a patient's family history with tests and examinations to ascertain the type of BD suffered from. Brain scans enable doctors identify the causes of mood changes by checking for tumors. NMIH...
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