Date post: | 07-Aug-2015 |
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Manic DepressionRikha Brown
This a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For questions about this blog project or its content please email the teacher, Laura Astorian: [email protected]
History• Bipolar disorder was formerly called manic depression• Previously and still misdiagnosed• Schizophrenia• Borderline personality disorder• Clinical depression
What is it?• Stems from a combination of genetic and environmental
factors• Mood episodes associates with it involve clinical depression or
mania with periods of normal mood and energy in between episodes
• Patients with bipolar disorder may have disturbances in thinking
What Causes Bipolar Disorder• Like other mood disorders, cause is not known• Has genetic component and can run in families
Diagnoses• Disorder usually appears between ages of 15 and 24 and
persists throughout a lifetime• Relapses and remissions, bipolar disorder has a high rate of
recurrence if untreated.
Depression phase• During this phase people with bipolar disorder may stay in bed
all day, often feeling like they cannot get going. They may speak or think of suicide, making emergency care crucial for their safety. Just as in a manic episode psychotic symptoms may also occur during severe depressive episodes
Depressive Episode Signs• Feeling sad and
unhappy for an uninterrupted period of at least 2 weeks• Crying for no reason• Feeling worthless• Having very little
energy• Losing interest in
pleasurable activities• Loss of appetite
Mania phase• During this phase people have an elevated mood, or “high”
which includes feelings of increased self-esteem and uniqueness. They often overestimate how much they can do and the quality of their ideas. Judgement becomes impaired and patients may have little regret or concern for their actions. They have many ideas and much energy with which to carry them out.
Mania Symptoms
• Disconnected and fast thoughts• Gradiose beliefs• Inappropriate elation• Inappropriate irritability• Increased talking speed
or volume• Poor judgement• Decreased need for
sleep due to high energy
Psychotic symptoms• Sometimes a person with severe episodes of mania or
depression has psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. This is why people with bipolar disorder who have psychotic symptoms are sometimes misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.
Psychotic feelings• Tend to reflect persons extreme mood• Ex. during manic episode may believe they are a famous person,
have a lot of money or special powers• During depressive episode may believe they are ruined and
penniless or have committed a crime
Hypomanic Episode• Bipolar II Disorder• A less severe form of a manic episode• Not severe enough to cause serious impairment in social or
occupational functioning• No psychotic features• Similar, though less severe symptoms of mania
Mixed State phase• Bipolar disorder may also be present in a mixed state in which
people experience both mania and depression at the same time
Mixed state Feelings
• Sad• Energized• Agitates• Major changes in
appetite
Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS)• Diagnoses when symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet
diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II.• Symptoms clearly out of the person's normal range of
behavior
Cyclothymia• Mild form of bipolar disorder• Episodes of hypomania and mild depression for at least 2
years• Symptoms do not meet diagnostic requirements for any other
type of bipolar disorder
Rapid-cycling Bipolar Disorder• Severe form of the disorder• Occurs when a person has four or more episodes of major
depression, mania, hypomania, or mixed states. All within a year,
• More common in people who have first bipolar episode at a younger age
Treatments• Cannot be cured but can be treated effectively• Combination of medication and psychotherapy
Medications• Mood stabilizers• Anti psychotics• Antidepressants
Psychotherapy• Cognitive
behavioral therapy• Family focused
therapy• Psychoeducation• Social rhythm
therapy
Diet• Avoid “Western” style diets rich in red meats, saturated fats
and trans fats, and simple carbohydrates.• Linked to higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease
• East balance of nutrient-dense foods • Fresh fruits• Fresh vegetables• Lean meat
Self Help• Talk to your doctor about treatment options• Keep a routine regular, such as going to sleep at the same time
every night and eating meals at the same time every day• Try to get wnough sleep• Stay on your medication• Learn your warning signs for a shift into depression or mania• Expect symptoms to improve gradually, not immediately