Special Needs Educiation - Research Paper Example

Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder that causes excessive mood swings, varying from deep depressions to fits of euphoria. When a person has bipolar disorder, they can experience shifts in their mood many times throughout the day, though it is more common that the mood changes only a few times throughout a single year. Some cases have been reported in which a person has experienced symptoms of both depression and mania at the exact same time (Yatham & Maj, 2010), causing them to feel energized but also depressed and worn out.

However, this has been extremely rare. There are three types of bipolar disorder: bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia. Bipolar I is the most extreme case of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I mood swings are more difficult and serious and, in the case of the manic phase, dangerous. Bipolar I can cause serious implications for work or school. Bipolar II is less severe, bringing about changes in mood but not causing major disruptions in normal, every day life. Cyclothymia is the least severe of the bipolar family, the depression and mania can be disruptive, but they are not as severe as they are in the other two bipolar types (Grieco & Edwards, 2010).

A person can develop bipolar disorder as a result of an imbalance of neurotransmitters or hormones. Neurotransmitters play a big role in the production of moods in a person; an imbalance of neurotransmitters can disrupt the organization of moods. The same holds true for an imbalance of hormones, which also play a part in moods. Other causes of the disorder include inheriting the disorder from a family member. The genes that pass on bipolar disorder have yet to be found by scientists, but it is more common for a person to develop bipolar disorder if a blood relative also has the disorder.

Finally, the environment of the individual can cause the person to develop bipolar disorder. If they have experienced abuse or a traumatic event, they put themselves at risk for many mood disorders. Bipolar disorder, like many other mood disorders, can not be easily prevented. It is suggested that people be aware of potential warning signs that they may be developing the disorder, such as monitoring how often their mood shifts, or how intense their moods are (Kiesbye, 2010). If people are on medication for existing mood or psychological conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, then it is vital that they take their medication to avoid increasing the intensity of their current disorder.

As previously mentioned, the most common symptoms of bipolar disorder are excessive mood swings alternating between deep depression and mania. The symptoms associated with the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include suicidal thoughts or behavior, trouble with sleeping or eating, anxiety, and chronic pain with no apparent cause. The symptoms associated with the manic phase of bipolar disorder include risky behavior, delusions, a lack of a need to sleep, and poor judgment. Though there is no set cure for bipolar disorder, many treatments and medications have been discovered to make management of the disorder easier.

The most common treatment is therapy, which helps bipolar sufferers learn to cope with their disorder. Medications, such as those used to treat anxiety or depression, are prescribed to the person in an attempt to control their mood swings as soon as possible. Follow-up therapy is then undergone to make sure that the medication is doing its job. In the most severe cases, such a when a person is dangerous to themselves or others, hospitalization is the most sought-after treatment, at least until the person becomes less of a threat to themselves and people around them.

References Grieco, R., & Edwards, L. (2010). The other depression: Bipolar disorder (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. Kiesbye, S. (2010). Bipolar disorder. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Yatham, L. N., & Maj, M. (2010). Bipolar disorder: Clinical and neurobiological foundations. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.