Bipolar DisorderDakota Miller

Micah Moyer

What is it?

• Bipolar disorder is a mental illness.

• It is also classified as a mood disorder.

• Causes unusual shifts in:

• Mood

• Energy

• Activity levels

• Ability to perform daily tasks

How do you get it?

• No single cause.

• Many factors:

• Genetics

• Seems to run in families.

• Physiological

• Abnormalities in certain brain circuits could be the root of the problem.

How do you get it? (continued)

• Many factors:

• Environmental

• Environmental factors play important role in developing bipolar disorder.

• Individual psychosocial variables may interact with genetic dispositions.

• Including:

• Recent life events

• Interpersonal relationships

How do you get it? (continued)

• Many factors:

• Neurological

• A bipolar-like disorder can occur due to a neurological condition or injury.

• Including:

• Stroke

• Traumatic brain injury

• HIV infection

• Multiple sclerosis

How is it diagnosed?

• Five types:

• Bipolar I Disorder

• Manic or mixed episodes that last 1 week.

• Manic symptoms severe & person needs immediate hospital care.

• Depressive episodes that last 2 weeks.

• Bipolar II Disorder

• Pattern of depressive & hypomanic episodes.

• No full-blown manic episodes.

How is it diagnosed? (continued)

• Five types:

• Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

• Symptoms of the illness exist.

• Don’t meet criteria for Bipolar I or Bipolar II.

• Symptoms clearly out of normal behavior range.

• Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder

• Rapid changes in mood.

• 4+ episodes of major depression, mania, hypomania, or mixed in 1 year.

How is it diagnosed? (continued)

• Five types:

• Cyclothymic Disorder

• Also called Cyclothymia.

• Mild form of bipolar disorder.

• Episodes of hypomania & mild depression occur for 2 years.

• Symptoms don’t meet requirements for any other type of bipolar disorder.

Parts of Bipolar

• Mania

• Depression

• Hypomania

• Mixed state

Mania

• Abnormally elevated energy levels

• Opposite of Depression

Mania

• Symptoms

• Energy increase

• Unusually more talkative/Hyperactive

• Racing thoughts

• Irritable

• Little sleep required

• Self-esteem inflated

• Behavior is reckless

Mania

Depression

• Abnormally decreased energy levels

• Opposite of Mania

Depression

• Symptoms

• Sad

• Crying uncontrollably

• A lot of guilt

• Fatigue

• Anxiety/Social withdrawal

• Sleeping problems

• Eating problems

Hypomania

• Not full blown Mania

• Symptoms can still be those of Mania

• Extremely energetic

• Talkative

• Confident

• Hyper-sexuality

• creativity

Mixed State

• Being in a Manic AND Depressive state at the same time

How to Help

• If you want to help someone with a mental illness you should:

• Not treat them different

• Be empathetic, not sympathetic

• Let them talk

• For the love of god do not tell them it gets better

• LISTEN

What is the treatment?

• Everyone’s different, so medication needed varies.

• Sometimes combinations of medication needed.

• Drugs used• Mood stabilizers

• Anxiety relieving drugs

• Medicines• Lithium

• Anticonvulsants

• Antipsychotics

• Antidepressants

• Benzodiazepines

Can it be prevented?

• It cannot be prevented

• Symptoms can be controlled with meds

Works Cited

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

• http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder