INFORMATION REPORT: BIPOLAR

DISORDER
A person who has good mental health has good emotional and social wellbeing as well as the
capacity to cope with challenges. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, mental
illnesses are the third leading cause of disability burden in Australia, accounting for around
20 billion dollars to help educate and giving them the daily need of life. Mental illness can be
defined as a persons condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.
There are many different types of mental illness. This report will identify and describe about
a well know illness called Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disorder is a very serious condition.
There are many Organisation which help people who have been diagnosed with Bipolar
Disorder. These include Black Dog Institute and Beyond blue.
Bipolar Disorder, as discussed before, Is a very serious health issue. Bipolar disorder is a
psychotic illness which means that if affects manly the mental side. This illness is a type of
mood disorder which makes people have major depression and sometimes there mood
elevates to hypomania. If a person is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, they are
predominately in a miserable and depressed mood which not only can affect with the
diagnosed person but his family, his relationships (peers, girlfriend, and friends). There are 2
main types of Bipolar disorder which includes Bipolar I (Bipolar One) and Bipolar II (Bipolar
two). According to Black Dog, Bipolar I disorder is defined as being present if the person
experiences one or more lifetime episodes of DESIRE and usually episodes of depression.
The severity and duration of episodes are often severe and may result in hospitalisation.
Bipolar II A person with bipolar II disorder will have had at least one episode of hypomania
as well as an episode of depression. Although bipolar II disorder is sometimes thought of as
'less serious' than bipolar I disorder, it probably affects more people and causes a great
amount of disruption to their lives, mainly because of the depressive part of the illness.
According to Head Space, It can be difficult to establish whether a person has Bipolar I or
Bipolar II, especially in the early stages of becoming unwell, and a person's diagnosis can
change over time as their symptoms change.
Signs and symptoms are useful for some illnesses for early detection but for Bipolar Disorder
they are sometimes unknown or are mistaken as just depression. According to WebMD, As
many as 20% of people complaining of depression to their doctor actually have bipolar
disorder. The key difference between depression and bipolar disorder is that bipolar disorder
is mania, or elevated mood that its sufferers also experience periodically. Bipolar disorder is
characterized by up-and-down episodes of mania and depression. During a manic phase,
some patients can have a total break from reality. The main different between signs and
symptoms is that symptoms can only be described by the person feeling them. As for signs
we assess in the medical field are the skin signs: colour, temperature and moisture. Some of
the signs and symptoms include; Good mood, Inability to complete tasks, Depression,
Irritability, Rapid speech, Trouble at work, alcohol and drug abuse, erratic
behaviour, sleep problems, flight of ideas.
GOOD MOOD-Hypomania, which is a symptom of Bipolar disorder, is a high-energy
state in which a person feels exuberant but hasnt lost their grip of reality. A persons mood
can be elevated, they may have a lot of energy and creativity, and they may experience
euphoria. "Hypomania can be a pretty enjoyable state, really," Dr. Bearden says.
INABILITY TO COMPLETE TASKS- People who can harness their energy when they are
in a hypomanic phase are predominantly really creative. Those who cant often go from task
to task, planning grand, unrealistic projects that are never finished before moving on to
something else.
DEPRESSION- A person who is in a bipolar depressive state is going to look just like
someone who has regular depression. Unfortunately, antidepressants don't work well in
patients who are bipolar. They can even make people cycle more frequently, worsening their
condition, or send someone into a break-with-reality episode.
IRRITABILITY-Some people with this condition suffer from "mixed mania," where
they experience symptoms of mania and depression at the same time. During this state, they
are often extremely irritable. Everyone has bad days, which is one reason this kind of
bipolarity is much harder to recognize.
RAPID SPEECH- Some people are naturally talkative. But "pressured speech" is one of
the most common symptoms of bipolar disorder. The person will talk rapidly and if you try to
speak, they will likely just talk over you. They will also sometimes jump around to different
topics.
TROUBLE AT WORK- People with this disorder often have difficulty in the workplace
because so many of their symptoms can interfere with their ability to show up for work, do their
job, and interact productively with others. In addition to having problems completing tasks, they
may have difficulty sleeping, irritability, and an inflated ego during a manic phase, and depression
at other times, which causes excessive sleeping and additional mood problems.
ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE- About 50% of people with bipolar disorder also have a
substance abuse problem, particularly alcohol use. Many people will drink when they are in a
manic phase to slow themselves down, and use alcohol to improve their mood when they are
depressed.
ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR- When they are in a manic phase, people with bipolar disorder can
have an inflated self-esteem. Two of the most common types of behaviour that can result from
this are spending sprees and unusual sexual behaviour.
SLEEP PROBLEMS- People with this condition often have sleep problems. During a
depression phase, they may sleep too much, and feel tired all the time. During a manic phase,
they may not sleep enoughbut still never feel tired. Even with just a few hours of sleep each
night, they may feel great and have lots of energy.
FLIGHT OF IDEAS- This symptom may be something that is hard to recognize, but it
occurs frequently when someone is in a manic phase. People feel like their mind is racing and that
they can't control or slow down their thoughts. This flight of ideas sometimes occurs with
pressured speech.
This illness can affect a person in his Physical, Emotional, Psychological, and Mental. This
illness can affect the person form minor disturbances to major disruption. The affect can vary
depending on the treatments the person receives and whether he receives accurate diagnosis
and what type of bipolar the person has. The effect that this illness can be divided in the
following:
EMOTIONAL EFFECTS
According to Brown University, persons with bipolar disorder are often depressed, irritable
and easily agitated. Intense feelings of guilt are common and individuals are generally
pessimistic and apathetic. Suicidal thoughts or ideations may occur as a result of feeling
helpless, worthless and abandoned.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS
Energy levels are commonly deficient except during manic states. Disorders of sleeping and
eating vary from one individual to the next. Sleep disorders are common as some persons
with bipolar disorder may sleep 14 hours per day. Increased appetite is frequent and
associated with dramatic weight gains for some. For others, insomnia and lack of appetite
may be the norm. During manic states, hyperactivity is predominate but most activities are
not completed as individuals will jump from one task to another prematurely.
MENTAL EFFECTS
Attentiveness is poor and many individuals appear to have a "flight of ideas." According to
Harvard Medical School, memory problems are not uncommon and may be heightened when
treated with some drug therapies and electric shock therapy. Speech is often affected as
patients may find it difficult to express themselves coherently. In some manic states,
individuals may experience hallucinations and delusions of thought. These mental
experiences combined with impulsive behaviour may be linked to suicidal tendencies for
some.