Bipolar Disorder Research Paper

Bipolar disorder which is also known as manic depression causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior; from the highs of mania, to the lows of depression. Some cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months. Unlike common mood swings, the mood changes of bipolar disorder are so severe that they hinder with your ability to function daily. The first manic or depressive incident usually occurs in the teenage years or early adulthood. The symptoms can be faint and baffling; many people with bipolar disorder are disregarded or misdiagnosed; resulting in unnecessary suffering. A person suffering with bipolar disorder may experience a multitude of effects over the years such as, psychosis, worsening of mood swings and …show more content…
What is psychosis, one might ask? “Psychosis is the term for a state of detachment from reality, which may be either momentary or lingering.” (Tracy) Psychosis also means the presence of hallucinations and/or delusions. Hallucinations, often means having thoughts of seeing things that aren't there. Delusions, alternatively, are false beliefs that are held in spite of verification to the contrary. They may think something is real, but in all actuality it's not, still there is so much belief held in that one proclamation, It is held just as strongly as someone who believes the sky is blue. Which, long term wise could unquestionably be a problem. “Even after treatment, when reality has been asserted, it’s still hard for the person who suffered from psychosis to tell the difference between what happened to them via psychosis and what reality was” …show more content…
This actually happens more often than not. People with bipolar disorder run a higher risk of having an anxiety disorder like panic disorders, phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, or OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), eating disorders, BPD (borderline personality disorder), etc. Surprisingly that list could go on for quite some time; it’s actually horrendous to think about. Also, “people with bipolar disorder are at increased risk of committing suicide, particularly after engaging in previous episodes of cutting or other self-harm.” (Dryden-Edwards) Another issue with co-existing illnesses/disorders is medications, which ironically plays a huge part in treating bipolar disorder. “Treatment of bipolar disorder with medications tends to address two aspects: relieving already existing symptoms of mania or depression and preventing symptoms from returning.” (Dryden-Edwards) You wouldn't wanna mix the wrong medications together, because that could be pretty bad. That would mean a high risk of worsening or heightening the illnesses and disorders. Medications can also lead to medical side effects from the extended abuse of drugs, alcohol and/or

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