Bipolar Disorder in Early Years
Bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. According to an article on bipolar disorder by, David E. Cohen, Some research suggests that highly creative people such as artists, composers, writers, and poets, show unusually high rates of bipolar disorder, and that periods of mania fuel their creativity. Famous artists and writers who might have suffered from bipolar disorder include poets Lord Byron and Anne Sexton, novelists Virginia Woolf (who did suffer from bipolar disorder) and Ernest Hemingway. (Encarta Encyclopedia) Despite the fact that many people suffer from bipolar disorder, we still wait for clear explanations for the causes as well as the cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware of is that bipolar disorder severely weakens its' victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success.Manic and Depressive Symptoms of Bipolar DisorderBipolar disorder or manic depression is characterized by many symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness, despair, hopelessness, and helplessnes
According to The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, the value of support groups, has challenged mental health professionals to take a more serious look at group therapy for people with bipolar depression. Also, anticonvulsant or antiepilepsy drugs such as lamotrigine, topiramate and gabapentin may help stabilize patient's mood when other medications are ineffective. (Encarta Encyclopedia) For those 20 to 40 percent of people who do not respond to lithium therapy, two anticonvulsant drugs may help calm severe manic episodes. Research shows that group participation may help increase lithium compliance, decrease denial regarding the illness, and increase awareness of both external and internal stress factors leading to manic and depressive episodes. ECT is usually the recommended treatment for severely manic patients who are homicidal, psychotic, catatonic, severely suicidal, or for those who were unresponsive to drugs. (NIMH) (Psychology Today, 87)Alternative TreatmentsIn addition to the mentioned medical treatments of bipolar disorder, there are several other options available to bipolar patients, most of which are used together with medicine. Men usually experience mania as the first mood episode, and women usually experience depression first. Many times bipolar states and psychotic states are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Patients are treated with very bright lights (2500lux) for an hour or more each day. Speech is generally rapid and hyperactive behavior sometimes becomes violent when frustrated ((NIMH) (Encarta Encyclopedia)Causes Of Bipolar DisorderThe genes that a person inherits seem to have a strong influence on whether or not the person will develop bipolar disorder. Common side effects of lithium include nausea, increased thirst and urination, dizziness, loss of appetite, and muscle weakness. Still, in "rapid-cycling" bipolar disorder a person experiences four or more mood episodes within a year and may have little or no normal functioning in between episodes.
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