Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is the third most common mood disorder after major depression and dysthymic disorder. The disorder (a.k.a Manic-Depression) effects an estimated three million (or 1%) of people in the United States with severe manic-depression and 5-6 million with milder forms of the disorder. Which is approximately one out of every seven people. Women are twice as likely as a man to experience major depression, but men and women are equally likely to be affected by this illness. The onset of this disorder usually occurs between twenty and thirty years of age, with a second peak in the mid-forty's for women. The majority of patients with bipolar disorder will experience significant symptoms before the age of twenty-five years (Suppes, Dennehy, Gibbons, 2000). The disorder is complicated by co-occurring alcohol or substance abuse. Without effective treatment, it leads to suicide in nearly 20% of cases, which is 30 times higher than the general population. 20-50% attempt suicid!e at least once. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, also may be common in people with bipolar disorder. There are two types of this disorder: bipolar I and bipolar II. "Bipolar I is diagnosed when
"The average length of time for a bipolar person to go without the proper diagnosis while under some sort of care is 10 years." (FyrenIyce, 2001). Research indicates that only one third of those with major depression will get proper treatment, and two thirds of those with any kind of affective disorder who do receive treatment will be misdiagnosed. These statistics reflect the insidiousness of the illness and the importance of education. A lag in diagnosis and treatment could prove deadly; people with severe, untreated depression have a suicide rate as high as 15 percent. In fact, the number one cause of suicide in the U.S. is untreated depression. It has been suspected that there is a strong genetic component to bipolar disorder, so it tends to run in families. For example, if one identical twin has the disorder there is an 80% chance of the other having it, but if a fraternal twin has it the other has only about a 20% chance of having it. When adopted persons had the disorder more than 30% of their biological parents had bipolar disorder, but only 2% of their adoptive parents did. Faulty Neurotransmitters, the molecules that enable the transmission of nerve impulses from one nerve to the next, are also thought to be a cause of bipolar disorder. Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior F. Scott Fitzgerald were both hospitalized for the illness. Vincent van Gogh also was hospitalized for the disorder and eventually committed suicide. Some famous people living with the disorder are Ted Turner, Peter Gabriel, Axl Rose, and Kristy McNichols. Now, a small handful of modern studies indicates there may be something to it. In particular, they indicate a striking association between creativity and manic depression, or bipolar illness. The phenomenon appears especially pronounced among writers, particularly poets. "Twentieth-century American poets have supplied poignant evidence for this. Some of the best known -- Robert Lowell, Delmore Schwartz, Randall Jarrell and Theodore Roethke -- were diagnosed as manic- depressive or had histories of such behavior. Quite a few, including John Berryman, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, committed suicide." (Holden). Feelings of inappropriate guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness Abuse of Drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
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Approximate Word count = 2138
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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