Psychopathology: Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder
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Bipolar Disorder
Introduction
Psychological disorders are also known as mental disorders or psychiatric illnesses. They are peculiarities of the mind that bring about resolute acquired habits capable of severely influence multiple areas of a person's life (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). Psychological disorders can create anguish for the individual experiencing the symptoms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the major categories of psychological disorders comprise eating disorders, for example as binge eating disorder, mood disorders, example, seasonal affective disorder, personality disorders like narcissistic personality disorder, psychotic disorders, for instance, schizoaffective, sexual disorders including erectile dysfunction among others (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). One person may have different psychological disorders. This essay will extensively discuss bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder Definition
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition that results in extremely high and severely low moods, alterations in sleeping patterns, vigor, reasoning, and behavior. Persons with bipolar disorder can experience phases in which they are extremely excited and active, and others where they feel very sad, dejected, and inactive (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). In between the two extremities, bipolar disorder patients usually feel normal. Bipolar disorder is also referred to as manic-depressive sickness. Bipolar disorder brings about mania episodes that cause drastic changes in a person's conduct, emotional state, activity levels, and potential to accomplish day-to-day duties. Maniac episodes are usually periods of unusual and constant high, bad-tempered emotions that last up to a week (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). These emotions as well entail grumpiness and hasty or careless decision-making. Nearly half of bipolar disorder patients can also experience delusions and hallucinations during mania. Hypomania explains mild manifestations of mania whereby patients do not experience illusions or mirage, and their presentations rarely interrupt their day-to-day life (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). The majority of bipolar disorder patients experience depressive symptoms than manic or hypomanic symptoms. Both manic and depressing phases can be short, running a few hours or days, or the cycles can run longer, continuing up several weeks or months.
Types of Bipolar Disorders
According to Maddux & Winstead (2015), the major classifications of bipolar disorder are four. They include bipolar I and II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, and bipolar disorder resulting from medical or substance abuse ailment. Various classifications of bipolar disorders are recognized and differentiated by how mania and depression patterns occur. Also, various categories of bipolar disorders are treated differently (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). Bipolar I disorder is detected when manic incidences last at one week and come along with psychotic characteristics. The manic signs are drastic enough to require instant confinement because the patient is at risk of harming themselves or others. Patients with bipolar I disorder encounter depressive episodes lasting up to a fortnight, having manic incidences with some depressing features, or depressive episodes with manic characteristics (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). Bipolar II disorder patients do not necessarily experience manic episodes. However, persistently repeated episodes of extensive depression and hypomania are endured. Diagnosing bipolar II disorder patients should have experienced at the minimum one hypomanic incidence and one or more severe depressing incidence. Bipolar II disorder patients have unpredictable high moods and low moods. Still, less stringent than bipolar I. common symptoms occur during major depressive periods such as insomnia and hypersomnia, mysterious and unmanageable crying, extreme exhaustion, disinterest in activities the person generally enjoys, and regular contemplation of demise or self-murder (Maddux & Winstead, 2015).
Cyclothymic disorder is a moderate form of bipolar disorder. Cyclothymic disorder features aren't as grievous as those of bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Cyclothymic disorder comprises cyclical mood swings. The condition usually develops during the adolescence stages. Individuals suffering from this disorder often appear to function normally but seem temperamental or problematic to others. People often fail to get medical care for the cyclothymic disorder because the symptoms are mild (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). However, failing to seek medical attention increases patients' risk of suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders resulting from other medical or substance abuse problems do not have particular patterns. Drug misuse and substance abuse may worsen any bipolar disorder, and patients require help from specialists capable of handling both conditions (Maddux & Winstead, 2015).
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder dramatic incidences of extremely high and very low moods are disoriented and do not follow specific patterns. Some patients may experience the same gloomy or maniacal mood state multiple times before shifting to the opposite mood (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). These instances can occur over weeks, months, and occasionally years. The episodes vary in severity from one person to another and may worsen or reduce over time. All types of bipolar disorders are characterized by mania or hypomania symptoms. An individual should fit the DSM 5 bipolar disorder standards to be identified with the illness.
A diagnosis on bipolar I disorder requires a person to experience the full basis of a manic occurrence which encompasses not less than three of the following symptoms; increased babbling; an inflated sense of safety and self-assurance or greatness; less need for rest; increased vigor, activity, or agitation; fast thinking; getting distracted easily due to decreased attention spans, and constant dangerous behaviors (Maddux & Winstead, 2015).
Bipolar II diagnosis basis involves people who have endured an incidence of hypomania along with depression appertaining to the following symptoms; depressed moods; insomnia and hypersomnia; changed eating patterns; severe fatigue and lack of energy; disinterest in things someone typically enjoys; emotions of restlessness or anxiety; feelings of guilt or futility; poor concentration and poor decision making; and thoughts of death and suicide. Persons thinking they may have bipolar disorder need to disclose all their symptoms to their doctors and hypomanic signs like raised moods (Maddux & Winstead, 2015).
Cyclothymic disorder diagnosis criteria are often more difficult than bipolar I and bipolar II disorders (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). Patients must experience the following symptoms before being diagnosed with the cyclothymic disorder; multiple experiences of hypomanic symptoms at the minimum a couple of years in adults and a year in adolescents that fail to satisfy the basis for hypomanic occurrences; countless periods of depressive signs that do not to meet the grounds for depression symptoms, the person must have experienced both numerous depressive and hypomanic symptoms at least half the time and in the recent two months before the doctor's visit; doctors must assert that symptoms displayed by the patient are not due to any other mental disorders or chemical abuse; and the patient's signs and symptoms must affect their capability to interact, perform tasks, or deliver in any other parts of their lives (Maddux & Winstead, 2015).
A bipolar...