Abstract:
Bipolar disorder is a malicious mental illness in which ordinary emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly switch from emotions of happiness, sadness, fatigue, and confusion. The scientific community has concluded many physiological theories that explain the cause of said mood swings. Simple treatments can relieve a patient of their symptoms, but never entirely cure the disorder. The underlying cause of this detrimental illness has not been fully explored or understood even in our day of modern medicine.
Bipolar Disorder: History, Causes, and Treatment
Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a malevolent brain disorder that causes eccentric shifts in person’s behavior. Bipolar disorder is sporadic and even sometimes violent; the effects are anything but ordinary. All aspects of a person's life such as education, occupations, relationships, and quality of life, can fall victim to this illness. However, there is good news; bipolar disorder is treatable. Various treatments help reduce the unrestrained effects.
History:
The history of bipolar disorder is extensive. The earliest known information about bipolar disorder dates to post-biblical times through a Greek physician named Aretaeus of Cappadocia. Through his and many others researchers' works, we have derived English vocabulary such as the words "manic" and "depressive". Aretaeus of Cappadocia eventually published two books about his work with chronic illnesses. His work was unnoticed until the mid-seventeenth century when a scientist named Richard Burton wrote The Anatomy of Melancholia, which specialized on bipolar disorder. Health professionals that are seeking medical solutions still use Burton's findings as guidelines for mental health research.
Just two centuries later, Jean-Pierre Falret, a French psychiatrist, analyzed Burton's description of circular insanity. Through the combination of simple depression and heightened mood, a manic-depressive state can form in the victims of bipolar disorder. Falret reported the following:
This irregularity in the state their feelings and the degree of their intelligence is necessarily reflected in their talk and in their acts. Hence the excessive variability of their behavior towards those about them for a certain period of their lives they are laborious, punctual, attentive to the duties of their profession, obedient, and docile, and those who live with them, or employ them, find their intercourse agreeable, or are pleased with their services. But at other times their conduct becomes suddenly modified, and presents the greatest irregularities. They are then incapable of fulfilling their duties, become negligent, lazy, and indolent. (Boncharte 2012)
Falret believed that there were two elements in a living person: the body and the soul. He concluded that when the soul interacts with an illness, an occurrence called Novum Organum appears. However, another scientist, Jules Baillarger, accused Falret as a plagiarist. In 1854, Baillarger was the first to provide a full description of bipolar disorder. His work concluded that both manic and depressive states can work simultaneously in the same individual; he called this condition folie à double forme. To compare their works, Baillarger believed that manic and depressive conditions were one disease while Falret believed they were two separate diseases.
By the time the 1930s began, the disorder was accepted and meticulously studied. An article published in 1953 said that the cause of bipolar disorder was through genetic error. However, the illness was still not completely understood, even several decades after the publication of this article. Victims of bipolar disorder stayed in asylums or institutions for most of their lives; researchers and physicians had no clue how to conquer the suffering minds of bipolar patients. By 1979, the National Association of Mental Health formed and the patients finally received help. Just a year later, researchers discovered a difference between adolescent bipolar disorder and adult bipolar disorder. To this day, scientists are researching what causes this disorder and also seeking other forms of medical treatment.
Causes:
Bipolar disorder affects around two million Americans each year; which is about one percent of people across the United States. Although the typical diagnosis is during early adolescence, it is not uncommon to find victims displaying symptoms later in their life. This disorder can affect everyone and anyone; there is no specific age, sex, race, or group of people who fall victim to this disorder. Many signs appear in an individual who is suffering from this illness, but most people overlook those signs in their peers as ordinary behavior.
Scientists have concluded that there is no official cause of bipolar disorder. However, there is a common belief it is a multifactorial disease; this means that both natural and unnatural occurrences play a role in inheriting or developing bipolar disorder. Genetics is considered the reason for an individual's development of most mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder. To elaborate on that statement, individuals who come from a background of certain diseases, such as alcoholism, Alzheimer's, and cancer, are more likely to develop said disease. However, that does not mean a child born into a family that suffers from bipolar disorder will develop it in the future; that is very unlikely. As previously mentioned, bipolar disorder is a multifactorial disease; genetics are not the only contribution to contracting this illness. For example, identical twins typically do not display the same diseases or illness in their lifetime, even though they have corresponding genes. Just like their physical and mental adaptations through growth, personal health relies on environmental factors, too. Once again, however, this illness will likely never be understood to its full content.
There are many types of bipolar disorder, with some being more catastrophic than others. The three primary types of bipolar disorder are bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymia. Episodes and reactions are different with each victim, but the most commonly known episodes are manic episodes, major depressive episodes, hypomanic episodes, mixed episodes, and rapid cycling. Treatment varies depending on the victim and their history with bipolar disorder.
Treatment:
Mayo Clinic, which treats around 3,000 bipolar patients annually, is accessing various information like DNA and pedigrees to determine the biomarkers of bipolar disorder. By finding the cause of the disease in each patient, it can lead to earlier diagnoses and specialized treatments (Tanner L, 2010). Dr. Edward Sherman from Mayo Clinic stated, “Bipolar disorder robs you of that which is you. It can take from you the very core of your being and replace it with something that is completely opposite of who and what you truly are.”
Bipolar disorder is treatable but not curable. Mood swings and other symptoms are preventable if the patient treats their illness accordingly. Medications and psychotherapy are the most helpful forms of treatment. There are many different types of medication to treat bipolar disorder, but the two main types of medication are mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Mood stabilizers, the less extreme option, are usually the first choice for bipolar disorder treatment. Whether the patient has bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder, they typically need mood stabilizers to control their episodes. Physicians use antipsychotic medication for unique, psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. Since each case is entirely different, trial and error is the best method of finding what works for the patient. It is a tedious process; some medications require months to take full effect. Along with medication, psychotherapy is also part of bipolar disorder treatment. There are three types of psychotherapy: psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal or social rhythm therapy. Psychoeducation educates people with bipolar disorder about their illness and how to treat it; this leads to earlier diagnoses and treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy challenges the patient to replace the unhealthy, negative behaviors with healthy, positive ones. This approach can help identify what triggers an individual's bipolar episodes. Lastly, interpersonal or social rhythm therapy helps the patients improve aspects of their lives like personal relationships and daily routines.
Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a malevolent brain disorder that causes eccentric shifts in person’s behavior. Although researchers have scrupulously analyzed this illness, the exact, singular cause of bipolar disorder remains a mystery. It is the time for the public becomes aware of bipolar disorder. The sooner more people become aware of the illness, the sooner it can be treated and perhaps, one day, even be cured.