Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is the third most common mood disorder after major depression and dysthymic disorder. The disorder (a.k.a Manic-Depression) effects an estimated three million (or 1%) of people in the United States with severe manic-depression and 5-6 million with milder forms of the disorder. Which is approximately one out of every seven people. Women are twice as likely as a man to experience major depression, but men and women are equally likely to be affected by this illness. The onset of this disorder usually occurs between twenty and thirty years of age, with a second peak in the mid-forty's for women. The majority of patients with bipolar disorder will experience significant symptoms before the age of twenty-five years (Suppes, Dennehy, Gibbons, 2000). The disorder is complicated by co-occurring alcohol or substance abuse. Without effective treatment, it leads to suicide in nearly 20% of cases, which is 30 times higher than the general population. 20-50% attempt suicid!e at least once. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, also may be common in people with bipolar disorder. There are two types of this disorder: bipolar I and bipolar II. "Bipolar I is diagnosed when
Lithium is used as the first-line treatment. It is the primary drug used for long term maintenance of bipolar disorder. It is usually very effective in controlling mania and halting the reappearance of depressive and manic episodes (Psychology 24x7). Effects of lithium may take two weeks to kick in, but up to 80% of those individuals who take it receive benefits from it. Unfortunately as many as 40% of bipolar patients are either unresponsive or cannot tolerate the side-effects of lithium. There are other treatments for patients that cannot take lithium. The American Psychiatric Association's guidelines suggest the next line of treatment to be Anticonvulsant drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine. These drugs are useful as antimanic agents, especially in those patients with mixed states. Anticonvulsant medications may be combined with lithium, or with each other, for maximum effect. Although there are many treatments for bipolar disorder many people do not achieve full remission of symptoms. Often people with bipolar disorder do not realize how impaired they are, or they blame their problems on some cause other than mental illness. A person with bipolar disorder may need strong encouragement from family and friends to seek treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with bipolar disorder learn to change inappropriate or negative thought patterns and behaviors associated with the illness. Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers "Excessively 'high' or euphoric feelings Family therapy uses strategies to reduce the level of distress within the family that may either contribute to or result from the ill person's symptoms.
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Approximate Word count = 2138
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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