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Introduction
Bipolar disorder, previously identified as manic-depressive disorder, is an intrinsic disorder with comprehensive studies on the illness dating back to ancient Greece. Despite countless studies over the years, it remains elusive and mysterious in several ways. (Johnson, 2002) This paper will demonstrate the numerous complex facets of this disorder. It is important to point out that the elusive effects of Bipolar Disorder not only encompass the patient, consequently, they also largely affect family, friends, and caregivers of people with this inexplicable illness.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a medical condition. It affects brain function and causes dramatic mood swings, which range from periods of deep depression, to hypomania, to mania. It is important to note that there may also be times when the person’s mood is normal. When the individual is in the manic, (high) state, they will exhibit symptoms of sleeplessness, exaggerated self-esteem, aggressive or ill-tempered mannerisms, sped up thought processes, extravagant spending, and unsafe sexual conduct, to name only a few. These manic episodes unfortunately lead to harmful behaviors and are generally followed by periods of depression. (Leahy, 2003)
There are several classifications of this disorder. Bipolar I Disorder is when a person experiences manic episodes, but also will at some point, experiences depression. Bipolar II Disorder signifies that a person has only hypo-manic episodes, which are less severe than full-blown manic episodes causing less impairment. Bipolar II also has depressive episodes but is distinctive as there are no full-blown manic episodes of extreme highs, which can be responsible for behaviors that are troublesome and severe at times. When a person has what is called Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder, they will experience at least four episodes a year with any variance in symptoms from depressive, to hypo-manic, to...