Research Paper On Bipolar Disorder

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BIPOLAR DISORDER ANGEL POSEY GASTON COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGY 150 2/17/14 BIPOLAR DISORDER A mental illness that robs you of who you really are. It takes from your core and replaces it with something that is completely opposite of who and what you really and truly are. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, n.d.). This disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings from immobilizing depression to euphoria and frantic activity (Lori Metcalf, pp. 418-419). An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness, it is found in all ages, races, and ethnic groups. This illness tends to run in families with a genetic link (Depression and Bipolar Support…show more content…
For the purpose of this paper we will discuss a patient’s view of bipolar disorder. For the confidentiality of the patient we will refer to this patient as Jane. When Jane was admitted to Frye Regional Medical Center, South Campus. She was in the “mania” stage of bipolar. She was extremely agitated. Jane could not sit still, she was very hyper verbal, flight of ideas and rapid speech. She wanted to do more than one activity at a time but could not stay focused. When Jane was asked to explain how she felt, she responded “I feel like God, I feel so invincible.” Jane also talked about how she had sexual feelings that she never had before. During this stage of bipolar she would masturbate until she was in physical pain. As the mania stage faded away Jane became very quiet, almost to the point of mute. Jane slept for days. Upon waking, Jane was confused and grumpy. She would often speak of suicide. Jane stated “the depression feels like it is paralyzing me on the inside.” Neither mania nor hypomania for a bipolar patient is…show more content…
When a patient is experiencing the “mania” stage, they are happy overjoyed to the point of being unreal. To know the in between stage from mania and hypomania are very uncommon, and often do not last long. The biggest challenge caregiver’s face is getting the patient to understand what’s going on and applying coping skills, As in Jane’s case, offering a sympathetic ear, offering encouragement, and reassuring her that she is not a burden was effective in her care. As a caregiver, watching Jane experiment with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) became effective, and she is able to live as close to normal life with bipolar disorder. The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, some factors seen to be involved in causing and triggering bipolar episodes, biological differences, neurotransmitters, hormones, inherited traits, and environment (Mayo Clinic , n.d.). Bipolar Disorder is a serious mental illness, one that can lead to risky behavior, damaged relationships and careers, even suicidal tendencies if not treated (Web MD, n.d.).

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