Bipolar Disorder Psychology Research Paper Research

Bipolar Disorder
Students Name
Institutional Affiliation
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that results in unusual shifts in mood activity levels and energy. It also changes the individual's ability to carry out their daily activities. The mod changes range from extremely happy moments to extreme sadness. There are four types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 Disorder is characterized by manic changes that last for as long as seven days. In most cases, the symptoms are severe to the extent that the individual requires medical assistance. The patient might experience depression which lasts for approximately two weeks. The Bipolar 2 Disorder is characterized by both hypomanic and depressive episodes. However, the symptoms are not full-blown, as in the case of Bipolar 1 Disorder. Besides, Cyclothymic Disorder is characterized by interchanging periods of depression and hypomanic symptoms, which last for at least two years. In the case of adolescents and children, the symptoms last one year. In addition, the symptoms do not meet any of the diagnostic requirements. The fourth category is the other unspecified and specified Bipolar disorders, which is characterized by symptoms that do not match those of the above three types.
The mood changes experienced by bipolar patients are different from the moods experienced by a normal person. The symptoms consist of extreme emotion. The lack of proper treatment for patients expressing hypomania could result in the development of severe depression. Therefore, the stage of bipolar disorder depends on the kind of treatment offered to the patient. The proper treatment helps the patients to live a happier and healthier life. The initial step that an individual suspecting to have the bipolar should take is talking to a medical practitioner. The medical professional will carry out an examination for them to be able to rule out other conditions. In the case where the symptoms are not caused by another condition, then the doctor would perform a mental evaluation to refer the patient to a psychiatrist. The main challenge facing the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is that its symptoms are similar to those of most disorders hence making it difficult to diagnose. In addition, people with particular genes stand higher chances of being diagnosed with bipolar.
Bipolar patients are prone to experiencing a relapse period. The bipolar treatment aims at the prevention of such relapse. Therefore, the prevention of such relapse can be prevented by monitoring the patient's symptoms as they carry on with their daily life. Smartphone apps have been developed to make the monitoring process an easy one. The mobile apps...