...BIPOLAR DISORDER PSY/340 Today there are many different illnesses that affect the structure and function of the brain. Learning Team B decided to do their research on bipolar Disorder. Team B will evaluate the teams’ presentation and be able to describe the illness. Explain the neurological damage or changes to the brain as a result of the illness. Explain the behavioral functional changes that can occur as a result. Describe the suspected known causes of the illness. Discuss the treatments and explain the role of genetics of the illness. Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder or manic depression is a serious mental illness that can lead to risky behavior, damaged relationships and careers, and even suicidal tendencies if not treated (Healthline, 2014). Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning. Bipolar disorder has two phases which are manic phase and depressed phase. Manic phase symptoms is increased energy, unusual talkativeness, racing thoughts, little need for sleep, inflated self-esteem, and spending sprees. The depressed phase is sadness, uncontrollable crying, anxiety, loss of interest or enjoyment in activities, withdrawal from family and friends and excessive guilt (Healthline, 2014). Bipolar disorder is a relatively common and chronic psychiatric condition in which patient’s episodes of mania and depression, usually with intervening periods of relative mood stability. Three brain...
Words: 1571 - Pages: 7
...Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Janelle Gunnels Psy/340 April 25, 2013 Ioannis Papazafiropoulos Genetics, Brain Structure, and Behavior Presentation Team B presented a presentation explaining the genetics, brain structure, and behavior of individuals suffering Bipolar illness. This paper will evaluate their presentation and explain bipolar illness, explain the neurological damage or changes to the brain as a result of the illness, and also an explanation of the behavioral or functional changes that can occur as a result of the illness. I will touch bases on the following: • A description of the suspected or known causes of the illness • A discussion of current treatments or therapies and future research for the prevention or cure of the illness • The role of genetics on the onset of the illness • The visual appeal of the presentation • The overall organization of the information presented What is Bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is a mental illness which is also commonly known as manic-depressive illness. It is a brain disorder which causes abnormal changes in mood, energy and activity. This disorder interferes with one’s ability to handle everyday task. The symptoms and effects are extreme as this is considered a long term illness. Bipolar Disorder normally appears in an individual...
Words: 1791 - Pages: 8
...marijuana is the root cause of many mental disorders. In spite of government warnings about health risks, many people see it as a harmless substance that helps you to relax and ‘chill’ – a drug that, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, might even be good for your physical and mental health. On the other hand, recent research has suggested that it can be a major cause of psychotic illnesses in those who are genetically vulnerable. This paper looks at the research on mood disorders and the use of cannabis for its treatment. It will brief on the types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and treatment and finally discuss both positive and negative effects of using marijuana as a ‘cure’ for mood disorders. WHAT ARE MOOD DISORDERS? Mood disorders, or affective disorders, are mental health problems such as all types of depression, bipolar disorder, and mania (Klasco, 2011). The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood; in other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, which are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center). Life events (such as unwanted changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood. WHAT IS MARIJUANA? Marijuana is a psychoactive...
Words: 1858 - Pages: 8
...A Reflective Paper On Bipolar Disorder Bipolar is a condition known as manic-depressive disorder, which referred to as bipolar or manic depression, a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more abnormal episodes. An estimated 15-20% of patients who suffer from bipolar disorder and who do not receive medical attention commit suicide. Bipolar disorder is a very dangerous illness that is often over looked. Although many people may assume that bipolar disorder is just a person's personality fluctuating between highs and lows, there is much more to this disease. Bipolar disorder is a complex physiological and psychological disorder that can influence and manipulate a person's thoughts and actions in their daily life. Bipolar elevated moods are symptoms of mania or milder hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes have both mania and depression present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal "mood; but, in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, which is known as rapid cycling. Feldman, R.S 2009. In addition, extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Depression phase of bipolar disorder include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger isolation, or hopelessness; disturbances in sleep and loss of appetite and interest in usually enjoyable activities; problems concentrating; loneliness...
Words: 2256 - Pages: 10
...Bipolar I Disorder is defined by manic or mixed episodes that can last up to seven days; extreme manic episodes can become so severe that the person needs immediate care. Depressive episodes may occur as well, these episodes can last at least 2 weeks. Usually a manic stage can occur first and when you come down off of these manic episodes, you typically spiral into a depression over what you may have done. Bipolar I Disorder usually will develop in a person's later teenage years or early adult years. Also, a minimum of half of the cases diagnosed occurs before the individual ages at 25 years. Symptoms may vary in age while some individuals show at an early age in childhood, while some individuals do not show signs until later in their lives....
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...Mood Disorders someone BEH/225 12/18/2011 JS Mood Disorders Mood disorders are characterized by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state, sometimes referred to as affect. Mood disorders are characterized by depression and/or mania. While "mood" is extremely subjective and often used interchangeably with "feeling" or "emotion," the psychiatric profession classifies mood disorders as a group of defined mental disorders. In some people with mood disorders, this range is greatly restricted. They seem stuck at one or the other end of the emotional spectrum either consistently excited or euphoric or consistently sad whatever the circumstances of their lives. There are several types of disorders that can be defined as emotional or mental disorders that fall in the same category. Depression is the most common type of mood disorder that can be found in people ranging from preteens to adults, and in some cases senior citizens. Psychologists have identified the teenage years as one of the most difficult phases of human life. Although they are often seen as a time for enjoying friendship and engaging in activities that adults would not usually do, the teenage period can be difficult. Many changes in the human mind take place during puberty . Apart from the onset of sexual maturity, teenagers must also make key decisions about their future, develop their identities, change schools and meet new sets of friends, find out about their family's past, and cope with a wide range...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...It has been estimated that about 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorders. Symptoms usually appear in adolescence or early adulthood and continue throughout life. The disorder occurs in males and females equally and is found more frequently in close relatives of people already known to have it.. It has been very noticeable among creative individuals, affecting such artists as Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Woolf. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Bipolar disorder is a long-term psychological condition known to create extreme changes in mood, which range from extreme lows of depression to extreme manic highs. The rate of mood swings varies from many times a day to a handful of episodes in a year. The condition can be controlled with the use of medication and counseling. The disorder is defined in a hierarchy of severity. There are different levels of bipolar disorder which will be discussed. Bipolar I involve intense and potentially dangerous manic episodes, and often negatively impacts work, education, and personal relationships. Bipolar II is not as severe as Bipolar I, but still includes heightened mood and agitation. It is possible to live a more normal everyday life with this level of the disorder. Lastly, Bipolar III, a fairly recently discovered form, comes about as the result...
Words: 1514 - Pages: 7
...Bipolar disorder used to be known as manic depressive disorder or manic depression. It's a serious mental illness, one that can lead to risky behavior, damaged relationships and careers, and even suicidal tendencies if it's not treated. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme changes in mood, from mania to depression. Between these mood episodes, a person with bipolar disorder may experience normal moods. "Manic" describes an increasingly restless, energetic, talkative, reckless, powerful, euphoric period. Lavish spending sprees or impulsive risky sex can occur. Then, at some point, this high-flying mood can spiral into something darker -- irritation, confusion, anger, feeling trapped. "Depression" describes the opposite mood -- sadness, crying, sense of worthlessness, loss of energy, loss of pleasure, sleep problems. But because the pattern of highs and lows varies for each person, bipolar disorder is a complex disease to diagnose. For some people, mania or depression can last for weeks or months, (and rarely, even years). For other people, bipolar disorder takes the form of frequent and dramatic mood episodes. (WebMD, 2013) "There's a whole spectrum of symptoms and mood changes that have been found in bipolar disorder," says Michael Aronson, MD, a clinical psychiatrist. "It's not always dramatic mood swings. In fact, some people seem to get along just fine. The manic periods can be very, very productive. They think things are going great." The danger comes, he says, when...
Words: 1487 - Pages: 6
...As many as 19 million Americans million are affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives. According to Dinsmoor, R. S. &ump; Odle, T. G. (2009), bipolar depression refers to a condition in which people experience two extremes in mood. The bipolar spectrum includes; bipolar I, bipolar 2, bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and cyclothymia and all are related to disturbances in mood but differ in severity of symptoms. They are differentiated by the...
Words: 1704 - Pages: 7
...Bipolar Disorder University of Phoenix Psy 103 September 7, 2009 Bipolar Disorder How would a person know if they had bipolar disorder? Would they just assume that their extreme feelings were normal? Most people would indeed assume that their extreme happiness was normal. However, those people might begin to suspect a problem after they have lain in bed for days not wanting to do anything. These extreme feelings define bipolar disorder. The person is extremely happy or sad with no middle area. Even doctors have a difficult time diagnosing this disorder. The doctor must consider hereditary factors, biological influences, states of consciousness, and the person’s personality. All these factors play a part in the diagnoses and treatment of bipolar disorder. General Behavior Diagnosing bipolar people is difficult because of their general behavior. Bipolar people do show outward signs that a problem exist. However, most people have no idea what bipolar is, let alone the symptoms. Especially since the bipolar disorder has four stages or episodes. Each stage of this disorder can be dangerous. The manic part of the disorder has the person feeling good. They might do risky activities because they think they are invincible. The manic stage can make the person irritable or angry. During the depression episode they will feel very sad for a long period. They do not want to eat, get out of bed, or their normal activities. The depression stage can last for months, making this the...
Words: 1600 - Pages: 7
...Disorders of Mood and Addiction Stephanie MacPherson PSY/275 June 15, 2015 Barry Brooks Disorders of Mood and Addiction Everyone experiences, from time to time, periods of sadness, fatigue, or unhappy thoughts. Among the United States population, around eight to ten percent suffer from a pattern of depression known as unipolar depression. Depressive and bipolar disorders show to be a leading cause of disability, without treatment a person can have a difficult experience with relationships, work, and social activities. Substance abuse disorders are becoming an epidemic. The need for instant gratification has become more and more prevalent in the world. The DSM-5 shows the symptoms checklist for diagnosis of substance abuse disorder (see table 1.3 in appendix a), and according to Comer, (2014) “the substances people misuse fall into several categories: depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and cannabis” (p. 295). The different combinations of treatment methods that allows a person diagnosed with these disorders to carry out normal life and perform daily activities as the rest of the population. The potential causes of these disorders can change based on many different factors such as stress, genetics, lifestyle. In addition, the multicultural perspective enlightens the different gender and culture influences, and of males seeking treatment there is a higher percentage in females diagnosed. (McCullough, J. P., Jr., Klien, D. N., Keller, M. B., Holzer,Charles E...
Words: 1800 - Pages: 8
...varieties of mood disorders however this paper is focused on cyclothymic and dysthymic disorders. Dysthymic mood disorder has long term effects where cyclothymic has short term effects. Mood disorders can happen to anyone at any time. It can be hereditary or simply caused by chronic stress. This paper will look at what each of these disorders are, how the come about, symptoms, and treatment. This paper will also talk about some case studies involved in each disorder to give examples of what it is like to live with a mood disorder. The entire scholarly journal authors used in this paper has a degree in phycology or education. Key Words: Dysthymic, Cyclothymic Tina is a 25 year old that lives a very happy productive life most of the time. She goes through highs where she is super happy and excited but that doesn’t last forever, she then goes into a depression where all she wants to do is stay at home and sleep. Tina doesn’t know what to do, she wants to be able to live her life to the fullest but unable to do so due to her constant misunderstood emotions. Bill is an average male on the outside but inside he suffers some serious problems he is happy but in a few days he won’t be. He will become severely depressed everyday of his life for nearly two years. If bill doesn’t get help for his depression he is at high risk for suicide. Significantly, cyclothymic and dysthymic mood disorders are affecting people from all parts of the world. Cyclothymic disorder is a milder mood disorder...
Words: 824 - Pages: 4
...College of the University of Phoenix Mood Disorders are characterized by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state (Morris and Maisto, 2005). These disorders, also referred to as affective disorders, involve continual feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. Humans by nature have a wide emotional range. One moment a person can be “up” and then “down” the next depending on circumstances. For those with a mood disorder, this range of emotion is significantly constrained. Both Biological and Psychological Factors play a role in the development of mood disorders. There is evidence that exist that proves that this disorder can be passed down through genetics and are caused by certain chemical imbalances in the brain (Morris and Maisto, 2005). The most common mood disorders are depression, and bipolar disorder. When a person is persistently dealing with feelings of sadness beyond a time span of a few weeks, he or she may have depression. The mechanisms that trigger depression are still unknown to researchers. However, two natural substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another-are also known as neurotransmitters are implicated in depression: serotonin and norepinephrine. Mood disorders are thought to be caused by nature and nurture. Biological factors that may lead to a bipolar episode are chemical imbalances in the brain, hormonal imbalances, and inherited traits...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...Psy/270 Abnormal Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders WHAT THEY ARE NOT Most people by this day and age have already heard a little about, Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar disorder, as they seem to be more common in recent years. I am sure we have all heard many stories and rumors about what they are such as crazy, Sybil (which is another disorder all together), suicidal and many more, so with that in mind… I feel we will need to first discuss what Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders are not. Notice the comparison in the symptoms. In the description of the disorders discussed below. They have been commonly confused with”depression” or some might say having “the blues”. People who are depressed often are tired, have feelings of hopelessness, unable to concentrate, their weight fluctuates and many have changes in their sleep pattern. These symptoms typically last up to two weeks. ("Brain Physics .com", 2011) MOOD DISORDERS Depression, Unipolar and Bipolar disorder are all mood disorders ("University Of Maryland Medical Center (ummc)", 2011), and are closely related they are not the same. Unipolar Disorder also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or more commonly known as Clinical Depression and one of the most serious cases of depression. The symptoms typically, last more than 2 or 3 weeks, and interfere with normal life. The symptoms include but are not limited to difficulty socializing, , going to work, or feeling happy at all, loss...
Words: 899 - Pages: 4
...Course Name and Number Date Submitted Bipolar disorder Description Bipolar disorder is a major health concern that has drawn interest from the general public, media and the scientific community over the past decade. Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic-depressive illness is a neurological disorder that causes anomalous changes in energy, mood and ability to function in an individual. The disorder distorts moods and thoughts, interferes with rational thought and incites dreadful behaviors in an individual. Bipolar disorder symptoms often lead to deteriorating results at school and work, damaged relationships and sometimes suicide (Treatment Advocacy Centre 1). Bipolar patients experience moods swings ranging from the lows of depression; extreme sadness, hopelessness and loss of interest in most activities to the highs of mania when one feels full of energy and euphoric. Bipolar disorder is neither a viral, fungal, parasitic nor bacterial disease the disorder is not caused by any pathogen. The disorder is not infectious and cannot be spread from one person to another. Bipolar comordities are classified as either medical or psychiatric. Some of the common comordities of bipolar disorder include Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Anxiety disorders, substance disorder, obesity and metabolic syndrome (Furham and Anthony 254). Epidemiology National Institute of Mental Health (1) estimates that Bipolar disorder affects 5.7 million American adults; this translates...
Words: 1827 - Pages: 8
