Taylor, Megs, & CaitlynBIPOLAR

Bipolar disorder are known as mood disorders, people with bipolar disorder go through episodes of extreme mood swings. They have high highs and low lows that are mixed with depression. People with this disorder will appear energetic, excited and will be highly productive one day and extremely un-motivated and depressed the next. More severe cases will consist of a person acting erratically and impulsively, often making poor choices and may struggle with sleep. At the most severe cases, individuals can experience very distorted beliefs about the world around them.

WHAT IS IT?

The time between episodes of patients with bipolar disorder was recognized to be consisting of relatively normal and average behavior. People with this disorder wil l wake up and immediately take medication at least three times a day to keep themselves under control. They may or may not get much sleep during the night and be tired or depressed at work or they might be energetic and happy, while changing moods throughout the day. The medications are expensive and the side aff ects of it could quite possibly aff ect their quality of l ife. A person could suff er from weight gain, drowsiness, tremors, feel weak, always be thirsty, have stomach pains, loss of memory and diarrhea, which could be a constant battle everyday for someone. But if their episodes are left unattended to, they become dangerous and self-harming throughout the day.

HOW IT EFFECTS DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.

Generally bipolar disorder is most often diagnosed in more mature ages such as early teens and late childhood, but it is also a known fact that children can suff er from bipolar disorder at any age, age doesn’t matter but the younger it starts, the slower it develops. As young children it goes more un-noticed until the earlier or later teen years. It becomes more and more apparent as the individual gets older and suff ers from more severe symptoms.

HOW YOUNG CAN IT APPEAR IN A PERSON?

The belief that bipolar disorder is a mood disorder is half true, it is also cognition and mental task preforming disorder.

A false belief is medication wil l cure this disorder, but the best ways are to have healthy l ifestyles with a planned diet, exercise, sleep and less stress. Therapy and religious/spiritual practice are also a great way to lessen the disorders aff ects.

Three times as many women as men experience rapid episodes. Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disabil ity in the

world. Bipolar disorder results in 9.2 years reduction in expected l ife

span for an individual. 20% of adults with major depression develop bipolar disorder

within fi ve years of becoming depressed.

FUN? FACTS/STATS

Bipolar disorder is not genetic; although there are some things that can contribute to an individual in getting it from genetics. The cause of bipolar disorder is a malfunction in chemical messages to the brain and can be caused by extreme stress in people like a traumatic event that acts like a trigger for it or even abuse of alcohol. If a person has a family member with this disorder they are 15-25% more likely to eventually get the disorder, but your not necessarily going to get it. Drugs are also a primary cause of this disorder, cocaine, ecstasy, over the counter drugs in unhealthy doses and even too much caff eine can lead to this disorder.

IS IT GENETIC?

Management o f th i s d i sorder i s pr imar i l y re l iant on medicat ion ; one o f the medicat ions wi th the best resu l ts tends to be ‘L i th ium’ , wh ich inc reases ac t iv i ty w i th chemica l messages in the bra in to counter ba lance menta l d i sorders . I t s s ide eff ects cons i s t o f d i zz iness , musc le weakness , fa t igue and dazed fee l ings . Carbamazep ine i s pr imar i l y used to contro l ce r ta in types o f se i zure pat ients . I t works by reduc ing abnormal e lec t r i ca l ac t iv i ty in the bra in and has s ide eff ects o f drows iness , vomi t ing , anx ie ty , hear t burn , confus ion , and v i s ion prob lems. Lamotr ig ine i s a l so used to t reat se i zure pat ients and i s bas ica l l y a s t ronger vers ion o f Carbamazepine and decreases abnormal e lec t r i ca l ac t iv i ty in the bra in . I t s s ide eff ects cons i s t o f double v i s ion , l oss o f coord inat ion , d iffi cu l ty speak ing, d iffi cul ty th ink ing , l oss o f consc iousness , and sever sens i t i v i ty to l i ght . Ant ipsychot i cs , and omega 3 fat ty ac ids are a l so benefi c ia l .

ARE THERE MEDICATIONS FOR IT?

On a daily basis, if medication is taken to subside the symptoms temporarily in the individual. The person suff ering from bipolar disorder is generally not known to people around them to have this disorder until they experience an episode. People generally don’t know how to react to this disorder but it is l ike anything else, people don’t want anything to do with the patient, people are worried the patient might lash out, they are cautious around them and the individual is socially rejected. Unless the case of bipolar disorder is not severe at all, people usually keep away. Generally the initial response is concern they might get this disorder, fear of getting it, thinking people are crazy that have it, or the desire to have nothing to do with it.

HOW DO PEOPLE REACT TO IT?

GRAPHS

Studies have shown that 2.6% of the US adult population have this disorder currently.

Only 48.8% of those with the disorder are receiving treatment. 38.8% of those receiving treatment are receiving minimally

adequate treatment. It is estimated that the total number of adults with this

disorder world wide is around 5.7 million. 5% of the TOTAL population.

77% of all people with this disorder are using Lithium to cure it.

70% of people with this disorder will receive 1 misdiagnosis.

FUN? FACTS/STATS

http://www.thebalancedmind.org/?gcl id=CKbM_6il8boCFUlyQgodeRIAKw

http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/ just-diagnosed-779-143.html

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1065-LITHIUM.aspx?activeIngredientId=1065&activeIngredientName=LITHIUM

http://www.statisticbrain.com/

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

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

CITATIONS