Running head: BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

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The Battle of Bipolar Disorder
Shelby N. Hagen
Psychology Project

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BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that affects children, teenagers, and adults.
About 2.6 percent or 5.5 million Americans ages eighteen or older have some form of bipolar
disorder, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center (2011). With bipolar disorder, a persons
emotions can change almost instantly. They can go from being extremely upbeat and bubbly and
then become sad and depressed almost seconds later. The emotions of people with bipolar
disorder are normally unpredictable and usually intensify greatly.
This mental illness is a serious disease. It affects so many people and it causes a great
disruption to peoples everyday lives. Not only do the people diagnosed with bipolar disorder
have a hard time, but so do the people around them. People should be able to go about their daily
lives and not have to worry about a manic episode or an extreme high or an extreme low. This is
a disorder that needs to be treated in order for a person to live somewhat normally.
All people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder have at least one manic episode in
their lifetime. A manic episode is when a person has an irritable mood that lasts for at least one
week, but may last much longer. These manic episodes can be severe enough to cause abnormal
functioning that is important to a persons well-being.
There are four known stages of bipolar disorder. The first stage is Bipolar I- this is where
a person has at least one manic episode in their life, but are prone to many more. Bipolar I is the
most severe case of bipolar disorder. When a person with bipolar I has mood swings, their
changes in behavior can cause difficulties with their relationships, jobs and/or school.
The second stage of bipolar disorder is Bipolar II- this is where a person diagnosed with
bipolar disorder has irritability, but not as severely as bipolar I. People with stage two bipolar
disorder can usually go about their daily lives without too much interruption and difficulty
caused by their manic episodes. The manic episodes that people have with bipolar II are not near
as severe, so they are called hypomanic episodes.
Cyclothymic disorder is the third stage of bipolar disorder. This stage is the most mild
form of bipolar disorder. Depression can still be found in people with the third stage of bipolar
disorder, but their highs and lows are not as severe as the other two stages.
The final stage of bipolar disorder that has been researched so far is bipolar not otherwise
specified. People who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but dont necessarily show
symptoms of the previous three stages can be classified in the fourth stage of bipolar disorder
(Mayo Clinic, 2014)
People with bipolar disorder have seen major changes in their mood, their sleeping
patterns, and the amount of energy they have. People with mild cases of bipolar disorder do not
see as many changes, but people with more severe cases see their lives change drastically
because of their constant changes. For years, bipolar disorder has also been known as mood
disorder, however, that view is changing.
Dr. Youngstrom (2012) has stated that researchers and doctors and scientists are now
shifting their focus on energy, and not necessarily peoples moods. Looking into the amount of
energy people with bipolar disorder have is a more accurate way of detecting peoples manic
episodes.
5.5 million Americans diagnosed with bipolar disorder may seem like a large number, but
about fifty-one percent of Americans who have bipolar disorder are left untreated (Treatment
Advocacy Center, 2011). Some people may not realize that their mood swings or changes in

BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

behavior are that unusual, so they do not go and get the help that they need. Other people just
cannot afford to go to a doctor in order for the doctor to diagnose them. People who have been
diagnosed with bipolar disorder sometimes turn to suicide because they cannot cope with
everything that comes along with bipolar disorder. Suicide is the number one cause of death for
people with this mental illness.
There is no single cause of bipolar disorder. Certain factors in a persons life can
contribute to the onset of bipolar disorder. Genetics plays a big role in the cause of bipolar
disorder. Normally, bipolar disorder is based on a persons genetic makeup. About half of the
people diagnosed with bipolar disorder have a family member who has some sort of a mood
disorder, which may be bipolar disorder or just some form of depression (Bressert, 2007).
Bressert (2007) also said that another thing that may contribute to a person being
diagnosed with bipolar disorder is the structure and function of their brain. A person with bipolar
disorder normally has a disfunction of the chemical makeup in their brain. Other things that may
lead to developing bipolar disorder are: a major life event that has had an impact on the persons
life, alcohol and/ or drug abuse, and some medications that a person may have been on because
of depression.
Bipolar disorder has been known as a mood disorder, but in all reality, everyone
experiences highs and lows in their life. Just because a person has a bad couple of days does not
mean that they automatically have bipolar disorder. The highs and lows of people with bipolar
disorder are on a much larger scale. One important thing to remember is that people with bipolar
disorder usually cannot handle everyday situations when they have a high or a low. It is hard for
them to communicate with others and they tend to have an unrealistic sense of reality, whether
they have a high opinion or a low opinion of themselves.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder vary greatly. Major mood changes are a big warning
sign of bipolar disorder. These major mood changes need to happen frequently, not just once. A
person living with bipolar disorder may have a poor appetite and may gain or lose weight. Very
low or very high self-esteem is another warning sign of bipolar disorder. This is where a person
thinks very highly of themselves and believes that they can do anything, even if it is way out of
reach. Or a person can be on the other end of the spectrum. A person may think that they cannot
do anything, even a very simple and easy task.
Poor concentration is another symptom of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder
have a hard time concentrating on one thing for a long time. They can sometimes be very
restless. Irritability and aggression are two other symptoms of this disease. Deep feelings of
sadness is also an indicator of bipolar disorder. This is where the depression aspect comes into
light. Deep depression is a huge warning sign of bipolar disorder. Difficulty sleeping and talk of
suicide and/or death are two more symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to Bressert (2007).
As of the present time, there is no cure for bipolar disorder. Fortunately, however, bipolar
disorder can be treated effectively over a long period of time. If this mental illness is treated
correctly, there is an eighty percent success rate (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). The
National Institute of Mental Health has funded a Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program
for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD). This program is the largest treatment study that has ever been
conducted for bipolar disorder.

BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Through the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder, the team
of researchers have put together the best practices for treating bipolar disorder. Medications are
one big thing that helps control the wide variety of mood swings people have when they are
diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers are the doctors first choice in helping to treat
bipolar disorder. Lithium was the first mood stabilizer that was approved by the Federal Drug
Administration in the 1970s to help with peoples manic and depressive episodes. Like any
medication, however, there are side effects. Some side effects may be, but not limited to:
bloating, restlessness, joint and/or muscle pain, drowsiness, dizziness, heartburn, headaches, and
cold-symptoms.
Besides medication, many people that suffer from bipolar disorder attend some form of
therapy. Psychotherapy not only benefits the person with bipolar disorder, but also family
members. Cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy,
and psychoeducation therapy are a few forms of therapy that a doctor may recommend to a
person with bipolar disorder.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) also known as shock therapy is also a form of
treatment for bipolar disorder. This type of treatment has had a bad reputation for quite some
time. However, multiple changes have been made to electroconvulsive therapy to make it safer
and more beneficial. Electroconvulsive therapy actually provides people with bipolar disorder a
great sense of relief. This is not always the first choice in treatment for this mental illness, but
some people do not do well with therapy and/or medications, so they turn to electroconvulsive
therapy.
People partaking in this form of therapy are given a muscle relaxant and then put under
general anesthesia. With this treatment, electric currents are sent to the brain There is no precise
scientific data why electroconvulsive therapy helps with mental illness, but researchers do know
the electric currents help reduce manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder. It is said that
many people can tell that their symptoms are better after a couple of sessions. The shock lasts for
about thirty to ninety seconds (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
Quite a bit of progress has been made in regards to how society looks at and treats people
with bipolar disorder. When symptoms of bipolar disorder first appeared way back in 300-500
AD, society viewed people with bipolar disorder as crazy and possessed by the devil. The people
suffering from this mental illness were shunned, had their blood drained to try and get rid of the
craziness, given potions to help cure them, and even euthanized.
Later on, people suffering from bipolar disorder became institutionalized, given
sedatives, and were given not so safe electroconvulsive shock therapy. By the eighteenth and
nineteenth century, the overall approach to bipolar disorder and how to treat it became healthier.
In 1875, Jean-Pierre Farlet, a French psychiatrist, identified manic episodes and what might
bring them upon people. He realized that bipolar disorder was a psychiatric disorder and he
realized that there was a genetic link with the mental illness (Stephens, 2008).
In the early 1950s, Karl Leonhard researched and created better ways to treat bipolar
disorder with medicine. Thanks to Karl Leonard and other researchers, by the mid-1900s, people
who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder were seen as human beings and not psychos. Dr.
Schou tested Lithium on patients suffering from bipolar disorder, and he realized that it was a
good way to help treat the illness (Stephens, 2008).

BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

People with bipolar disorder back in the day were vastly looked down upon and they
were treated differently because of their mental illness. Today, by looking at a person it is hard to
tell whether or not they have bipolar disorder. There were not many types of treatments or
medications hundreds of years ago, but today there are many means of treating bipolar disorder.
Medications have been improved greatly, more types of therapy have been beneficial to people
suffering from bipolar disorder, and the electroconvulsive shock therapy has become much safer
and healthier for people. Medications today treat people much better than they did hundred of
years ago. There are still side effects and the medications could provide even better results, but
scientists are continuously working to improve medications to help treat bipolar disorder.
The rate of clinical diagnoses of bipolar disorder has increased over the last twenty years,
especially in children and teenagers. The increase in developing bipolar disorder is associated
with obesity, changes in peoples diet, unusual sleeping patterns, and the earlier onset of puberty.
People have a lot of pressure put on them today, so that can lead to some severe anxiety and
depression, which can result in bipolar disorder. However, research shows that it is not as
dramatic of an increase as the media sometimes portrays. There is clearly an increase, but not a
huge increase. Thanks to more means of helping treat bipolar disorder, more people are getting
the assistance that they crucially need.
Since there isnt any cure for bipolar disorder, researchers and scientists are still working
to provide ways to end bipolar disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health has been a big
supporter with helping to end or at least treat bipolar disorder even better. Scientists want to
improve current medicines and treatment options for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
There has been extensive research done to develop a more faster working medication treatment.
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Project has been researching more ways to understand
bipolar disorder since there are still so many unanswered questions about the mental illness that
affects many people.

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BATTLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

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References

"Bipolar- Fact Sheet." Bipolar Disorder. Treatment Advocacy Center, Aug. 2011.
Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/resources/briefing-papers-and-factsheets/159/463> Website.

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"Bipolar Disorder." http://www.apa.org. N.p., 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.

<http://www.apa.org/topics/bipolar/index.aspx>. Website.

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"Bipolar Disorder." NIMH RSS. National Institute of Mental Health, 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml>. Website.

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Bressert. "Bipolar Disorder(Manic Depression)." Bipolar Disorder, Coping with Bipolar and
Manic Depression. Psych Central, Oct. 2007. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
<http://psychcentral.com/disorders/bipolar/>. Website.

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Mayo Clinic Staff. "Bipolar Disorder." Symptoms. Mayo Clinic, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/basics/symptoms/
con-20027544>. Website.

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Mayo Clinic Staff. "Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)." Definition. Mayo Clinic, 2014. Web. 14
Dec. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/
basics/definition/prc-20014161>. Website.

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Stephens, Stephanie. "Bp - Hope and Harmony for People with Bipolar." History of Bipolar
Disorder. Bipolar Hope, 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx/162/through-the-ages-its-been-there>. Website.

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Youngstrom, PhD, Eric. "Myths and Realities About Bipolar Disorder." Http://www.apa.org.
N.p., 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/10/bipolar-disorder.aspx>. Website.

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