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Bipolar and the Mind (1) The term bipolar disorder refers to the variety of psychological abnormalities that are defined by the irrational swings in patients mood, which sometimes are associated with anti-social behavior. It is only in recent times that this term was being adopted by psychiatric community, as such that has a neutral sounding and does not imply perceptional negativity. In fact, the term bipolar disorder is nothing by politically correct equivalent of the term manic depressive disorder. People with bipolar disorder tend to have a hard time rationalizing their behavior. The state of their mood has a much greater effect on the way they act, comparing to people who are not affected by the disorder. In his article Bipolar Affective Disorder, Stephen Soreff provides us with the insight on how this mental illness affects the mind of a patient: Bipolar disorder is characterized by periods of deep, prolonged, and profound depression that alternate with periods of an excessively elevated and / or irritable mood known as mania.
Between these highs and lows, patients usually experience periods of higher functionality and can lead a productive life (Soreff). Therefore, it would be wrong to refer to people with bipolar disorder as such that are incapable of leading a healthy lifestyle by definition. Once the triggers of their psychological inadequateness are being properly identified, it is quite possible for the psychiatrist to ease patients suffering with variety of medicinal treatments. As practice shows, the majority of patients affected by bipolar disorder are quite capable of understanding the fact that their behavior differs from behavior of mentally healthy people, but this does not help them, when it comes to adjusting their act. It is also known, among psychiatrists, that it is virtually impossible for the person with bipolar disorder to fully recover from the illness, as there is still no universal agreement, in psychiatric community, as to what causes it in the first place.
In recent years, the more and more evidence becomes available, which suggests that bipolar disorders correspond to the genetic makeup of a patient to far greater extent then it was being assumed before. (2) The diagnosing of bipolar disorder relies of external observations more then on anything else, because it is usually a self-reported experiences of a patient, as well as abnormalities in behavior, reported by family members or friends, that allow health care professionals to decide on whether there are valid reasons for the person to be prescribed with a treatment. The initial assessment usually begins with physical examination. At present time, people who complain about their own psychological inadequateness to the doctor, are not being required to undergo biological tests, as such that might contain a clue as to the essence of bipolar disorder. However, in order to exclude medicinal illnesses, as the true cause for the rapid swings in persons mood, patients are still being asked to undergo blood tests. In her article How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed? , Kimberly Read suggests that we are still far off from understanding the true mechanics of bipolar disorders: Unfortunately, diagnosing bipolar disorder is nowhere near this straightforward. While there are some promising breakthroughs on the horizon, there is currently no definitive medical test for this disorder (Read).
We can say that ruling out physical conditions, as the cause of mental inadequacy, represents the most reliable method of bipolar disorders diagnosing. If patient experiences the state depression being replaced with the state of exaltation, on continuous basis, which does not correspond to the objective reality and which does not relate to patients physical condition, psychiatrists have a valid reasons to diagnose him or her with bipolar disorder. Therefore, the positive diagnosing of this specific disorder requires some time. Doctor needs to observe patients behavior for a while, before he can come up with positive diagnosis. (3) Up, until recent times, there were only few studies conducted of the subject of how bipolar disorder correspond to the physical properties of patients brain and on whether this disorder can be associated with brains structural changes.
The data, obtained during the course of these studies, is largely inconclusive. However, with computerized tomography, being utilized as the tool of diagnosing mental disorders, psychiatrists now have no doubt as to the fact that bipolar disorder does affect structural properties of patients brain. Lori Altshuler's article Structural and Functional Brain Changes in Patients with Bipolar Disorder suggests that bipolar disorder result in enlargement of brains ventricular's: Lateral ventricular enlargement or increased ventricular to brain ratios have been most commonly reported. Enlarged ventricles in particular have been a common finding seen in unipolar, bipolar and schizophrenic patients (Altshuler). It has also been noticed that bipolar disorder usually affects people who are associated with humanitarian professions, which require a great imaginative ability, on their part. In fact, many psychiatrists believe that bipolar disorder directly correspond to persons creativeness, as something that defines his or her existential mode.
Statistics shows that it is artists and musicians that are being affected by rapid shifts in their mood, more than anybody else, which has to do with the fact that the right half of their brain is being overdeveloped. Creativeness corresponds to persons ability to operate with highly abstract categories, which why it is White people who are prone to bipolar disorder more then representatives of other races, simply because their average IQ rate is higher. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to refer to bipolar disorder as psychological rather then psychiatric illness. In the same article, Altshuler says: No racial predilection exists.
However, a point of historical interest is that clinicians often tend to consider populations of African Americans and Hispanics as more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than with affective disorders and bipolar disorder (Altshuler). This is nothing but a politically correct way of suggesting that bipolar disorders are more likely to affect people whose behavior is defined by their rationale. Thus, the understanding of the basics of evolutionary anthropology appears to be indispensable, when it comes to realizing what causes bipolar disorders in the first place. (4) Unfortunately, bipolar disorder cannot be cured, in classical context of this word, because of highly illusive nature of the illness. If manic episodes begin to occur on progressive scale, the hospitalization may be required. However, it is very rare that people, affected by the disorder, represent danger to themselves or to society.
The medications that are usually being prescribed to patients with bipolar disorder have a mood stabilizing effect. The individual who takes them is less likely to relapse into the state of depression, especially if drug treatment is extended in time. Lithium is one of the most popular prescription drugs, which is associated with very few side effects. If taken on continuous basis, it increases the amount of strain in the brain of an individual who undergoes a treatment. In its turn, this has an overall positive effect on the mental state of the patient, as it causes him to appreciate the surrounding reality the way it is.
The Carbamazepine is used when it comes to treatment of bipolar disorder associated with rapid cycling. It is being taken as anticonvulsant. Sodium Valproate and Lamotrigine were the first prescription medications to be used, during the course of bipolar treatment. However, it was discovered that the side effects, related to taking these drugs, often represent an immediate danger to patients physical health, which is why their production is now being discontinued. The treatment of the agitation in acute manic episodes often requires the use of antipsychotic medications, such as Quetiapine, Olanzapine and Chlorpromazine.
At the same time, the majority of psychiatrists agree that the extensive usage of drugs, mentioned above, results in patient becoming strongly addicted to them. In fact, some studies suggest that anti-depressants cause patients to actually become even more depressed, despite the fact that they were being designed to have an entirely opposite effect. Therefore, the usage of prescription drugs, within a context of bipolar treatment, remains the subject of heated debates, among psychiatrists. Since bipolar disorders do not appear as being genetically predetermined or as such that are related to the deterioration of physical health, many health care professionals believe that nothing can beat a series of push-ups, as the most effective method of dealing with depression and manic episodes. (5) As we have mentioned earlier, bipolar disorders seem to affect White people more then representatives of other races. This provides us with insight on the true nature of this mental illness.
Apparently, this can be explained by the fact that the living standards in Western countries have traditionally been higher then anywhere else in the world. Therefore, Caucasians subconsciously view their racial affiliation as the single most important factor that corresponds to the prospects of their social advancement. However, the realities of modern day living often prove them wrong, in this respect. This is the reason why bipolar disorder is usually being accompanied by the strong sense of self-loathing, on the part of people affected by it. Apparently, patients are unable to understand that it is a possession of prominent personal qualities, on their part, that prevents them from attaining social prominence in post-industrial world. In order for the individual to succeed nowadays, he needs to act as ultimate conformist.
Practice shows that people affected by bipolar disorders retain a great creative potential. It is because they are unable to exploit this potential fully that causes them to become depressed and to begin acting in irrational manner. Therefore, it would only be logical to conclude that prescribing anti-depressants, as the conventional method of dealing with bipolar disorder, can only have a moderate effect. It is important to understand that bipolar disorder is nothing but a feeling a psychological inadequateness.
Nevertheless, since this inadequateness does not have pathological properties, we can say that there are might be objective reasons for the people with bipolar disorders to feel in the way they do. In its turn, this implies that the roots of bipolar disorders might not be quite as irrational, in their essence, as it is being assumed now. Bibliography: Altshuler, L. Structural and Functional Brain Changes in Patients with Bipolar Disorder. 2000. Bipolar Focus. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Brain Holds Clues to Bipolar Disorder. 2007.
EurekAlert. Com. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. 2003. Healthy Place.
Com. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Getting Help For Bipolar Disorder. 2007. Help guide. Org. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Soreff, S. Bipolar Affective Disorder.
July 7, 2007. Emedicine. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Read, K. How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed? . 2006. About.
Com. Retrieved February 20, 2008 from web Abstract: This paper discusses various aspects of bipolar disorder, as the form of mental illness. Outline: Introduction Diagnostic criteria Brain mechanisms Treatment Conclusion
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Research essay sample on Health Care Professionals Bipolar Disorder
