How is a Person’s Life Affected by Bipolar Disorder

How is a Person’s Life Affected by Bipolar Disorder?

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How is a Person’s Life Affected by Bipolar Disorder?

Introduction

The serious mental illness known as bipolar disorder generates mood fluctuations that are out of the ordinary highs or lows. Mania and depression are the terms used to describe these highs and lows, respectively. When someone has bipolar disorder, their enthusiasm, thinking, behavior, and sleeping habits also modify. Bipolar changes in mood make it difficult to complete everyday tasks, employment and studies, and form relationships. This paper discusses why I chose this topic as my topic of research. It also gives a broad description of the causes, signs and symptoms, types, treatment options, and how a person’s life is generally affected by being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

In America, bipolar disorder impacts 2.8% of adults. According to the World Health Organization, it affects around 45 million individuals globally and is the sixth most significant cause of disability. Living with bipolar disorder can be pretty challenging. Household, career, connections, economics, and overall well-being can all negatively impact (Carvalho et al., 2020). Twenty times more individuals with bipolar disorder will kill themselves than the overall demographic. Bipolar disorder patients are seven times more likely to skip work than the general population. When a female is 25 years old and diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she runs the danger of wasting nine years of life, 12 years of a healthy life, and 14 years of useful life. Regrettably, having bipolar disorder carries a significant stigma (Carvalho et al., 2020). Patients who experience these feelings may be less likely to seek treatment and make a full recovery because they may feel alone, embarrassed, or prejudiced against. Additionally, it hinders the patient’s family and neighborhood from offering practical support. It is crucial to increase knowledge about bipolar disorder to combat the stigma.

Review of Literature

Causes of Bipolar Disorder

Three primary triggers may lead to bipolar disorder. The main one is the genetic factor (Kato, 2019). This mainly arises when there has been a recent history of the disorder in a family member. It may, however, go unnoticed or misdiagnosed. When people have a previous disorder history, doctors look into the situation to see if the person has the disorder. Research also shows that genetic mutation may go wrong, resulting in the gene. The second factor is biological. According to researchers, the mind’s synapses or hormonal may be out of equilibrium (Kato, 2019). Lastly are the environmental factors. A vulnerable individual may go through their first episode due to stressful experiences, including maltreatment, psychological anguish, a massive loss, or another catastrophic incident.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Episodes of mania and depression are a feature of each form of bipolar illness. The severity and duration of the mood changes distinguish the various kinds of illness. There are times between high or low episodes when signs and symptoms subside, or individuals feel steady, regardless of the type. The three types of bipolar disorder include bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar I disorder includes persistent mood changes between euphoric high episodes and sad ones. Doctors must, however, rule out delusional disorder and schizophrenia to come up with the correct diagnosis. Mood changes from maniac to depression are a feature of bipolar II illness, but the highs are less severe and are referred to as hypomanic events. The severity of the depression episodes may be on par with that of Bipolar I disorder. The symptoms of bipolar II disorder may differ from person to person. Chronic mood fluctuations, which include highs and lows that are neither as long-lasting, intense, or regular as those seen in bipolar I or II illness, are cyclothymic disorders.

Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

When it comes to bipolar disorder, experiences differ from one individual to the next. The signs and symptoms are purely based on manic and depressive episodes (Takeshima et al., 2020). The manic episode signs and symptoms are characterized by extreme emotions of exhilaration, exuberance, or pleasure; appearing anomalously jittery or interconnected; having too much vitality; sleeplessness or anxiousness; babbling or being unexpectedly friendly and chatty; having racing or cluttered ideas; inattentiveness; low self-esteem; and finally, enhanced anger management issues (Takeshima et al., 2020). The depressive episodes are characterized by feelings of depression, sadness, worry, worthlessness, anxiety, guilt, emptiness, or hopelessness; lack of enthusiasm; extreme tiredness; impaired memory; indecision; poor concentration; poor sleeping habits; alterations in appetite; and, lastly, suicidal thoughts or dying.

Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

An individual must have experienced signs and symptoms for at least one week, or less if they required admission to the medical institution, to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. They might have also experienced a depressive episode existing for at least two weeks (Abdel-Basset et al., 2019). One series of manic and depressive episodes must have taken place for someone to be diagnosed with bipolar II. To help exclude other causes, a medical practitioner may perform a medical assessment and various diagnostic procedures, such as blood and urine testing. Since individuals are more inclined to find care for a depressive mood rather than a happy mood, diagnosing bipolar disorder ought to be challenging.

Since individuals are more into seeking solutions for depressive moods than happy moods, diagnosing bipolar disorder is challenging, especially in differentiating it from depression (Abdel-Basset et al., 2019). A physician might misdiagnose the patient’s condition as schizophrenia if they are experiencing psychosis. Use of alcohol or other substances to treat symptoms, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and ADHD are other bipolar illness problems that may arise. To avoid misdiagnosis, researchers advise medical professionals to check the patient’s history for indications of mania. Some medications can cause mania in vulnerable people (Abdel-Basset et al., 2019). A bipolar illness diagnosis is a permanent one for the patient. Although they may experience prolonged durations of stabilization, they will always have the disorder.

Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Being lifelong and persistent, bipolar disorder does not go entirely by itself. The first step to recovery is a prompt, correct diagnosis, even though it can initially feel burdensome and isolated. Individuals with bipolar disorder can lead healthy, meaningful lives with the help of effective medication, encouragement, and self-care. Treatment for bipolar disorder includes both medication and counseling (Kato, 2019). Psychiatric drugs, anticonvulsants, and lithium are just a few medicines that can help with symptoms like mood changes. It is key to recognize the benefits and limitations of prescription drugs. Before figuring out which drug suits them the best, individuals might need to test a few different ones. Patients are advised never to discontinue taking a drug without obtaining medical advice.

The second-best treatment, psychotherapy, should be used in conjunction with medicines. During psychotherapy, individuals can manage stress, embrace their illness, recognize the warning signs of manic or depressive episodes, and sustain a drug schedule. Additionally, therapy enhances family bonds and dialogue (Kato, 2019). The need for long-term, ongoing treatment cannot be overstated. Even though an individual may feel better in between episodes, a long-term, ongoing medication regimen can reduce the degree and consistency of mood changes.

How to Live with Bipolar Disorder

Along with receiving professional therapy, several healthy habits can help control the symptoms of bipolar disorder. First, the patient needs to maintain a regular schedule that includes going to bed and waking up at the exact times every day. People who lack sleep are more likely to experience manic or depressive episodes. An episode of depression may manifest as more sleep than usual (Jagfield et al., 2021). Avoid coffee, which might interfere with sleep. A balanced diet and constant physical exercises are also of huge benefits. The body will receive the nutrition from a balanced diet, and exercise may lift your spirits. They were taking medications exactly as directed by the doctors. Even when their mood is calm, they should still do this.

Another method of coping with bipolar disorder is to check in with the treating physician. This is advantageous before using any over-the-counter vitamins or medicines a doctor has prescribed (Jagfield et al., 2021). By recording their emotions, triggers can be more easily identified by noting how the patient feels daily, keeping track of the effectiveness of the medication, and identifying transitions in sleeping or eating habits. If the doctor decides that the medicine has to be modified, having this knowledge on paper might be highly beneficial. Even if the patient also sees a psychiatrist, it is crucial to keep the primary doctor informed because they play a crucial role in the lengthy treatment plan for bipolar illness (Jagfield et al., 2021). The patient should not use alcohol or illicit drugs as they could worsen their symptoms. Reducing stress by experimenting with practices like tai chi or yoga and, when practical, working out problems to lighten their life. Finally, it could be helpful to reach out to a support system. Knowing which loved ones and friends are available to support you during a problem or difficult moment. Informing loved ones about the bipolar disease will help them better support you, and you may also ask them for assistance in identifying the precursors to manic or depressive episodes.

Bipolar Disorder Awareness

From previous research, it is evident that there is a stigma around bipolar disorder. People do not understand the signs and symptoms, the diagnosis, the treatment, and living with the disorder (Bos et al., 2020). Since many individuals and their families do not fully describe the disease to their medical professionals, bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed. Since manic symptoms are typically dismissed as reckless, careless, and irresponsible behavior, they frequently only discuss the signs and symptoms of depression. However, if maniacs had been sane at the period, they would not have even taken part in those actions. With the rise in misdiagnoses, people are treated for conditions and illnesses other than a bipolar disorder (Bos et al., 2020). This makes the condition get worse. Eventually, the person has to deal with more expensive treatment costs, wasted years, and lost relationships and connections.

Conclusion

With increased awareness, there will be an earlier diagnosis. When a person is diagnosed early, they will likely manage the disorder better. The doctor, patient and immediate family must discuss the proper treatment plan. With the right support system, the patient will likely recover fast and not fail to adhere to his or her medication. Patients become more aware of themselves with the help of therapy and can work towards managing the disorder. Awareness will help the community speak freely about the disorder and identify the signs and symptoms at an early stage. The affected persons would never feel unwanted or less loved but would instead be supported.

References

Abdel-Basset, M., Mohamed, M., Elhoseny, M., Chiclana, F., & Zaied, A. E. N. H. (2019). Cosine similarity measures of the bipolar neutrosophic set for diagnosis of bipolar disorder diseases. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, 101, 101735. https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2086/18570/AIIM_2019_273_R2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yBos, F. M., Snippe, E., Bruggeman, R., Doornbos, B., Wichers, M., & van der Krieke, L. (2020). Recommendations for the use of long-term experience sampling in bipolar disorder care: a qualitative study of patient and clinician experiences. International journal of bipolar disorders, 8(1), 1-14. https://journalbipolardisorders.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40345-020-00201-5Carvalho, A. F., Firth, J., & Vieta, E. (2020). Bipolar disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(1), 58-66. https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMra1906193Jagfeld, G., Lobban, F., Marshall, P., & Jones, S. H. (2021). Personal recovery in bipolar disorder: Systematic review and “best fit” framework synthesis of qualitative evidence–a POETIC adaptation of CHIME. Journal of Affective Disorders, 292, 375-385. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/156478/1/SystematicReviewPRBDJAD_AcceptedManuscript.pdfKato, T. (2019). Current understanding of bipolar disorder: Toward an integration of biological basis and treatment strategies. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 73(9), 526-540. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pcn.12852Takeshima, M., Utsumi, T., Aoki, Y., Wang, Z., Suzuki, M., Okajima, I., … & Takaesu, Y. (2020). Efficacy and safety of bright light therapy for manic and depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 74(4), 247-256. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pcn.12976