Bipolar Disorder PDF

11/16/23, 10:34 AM Realizeit for Student Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder involves extreme mood swings from episodes of mania to episodes of depression. (Bipolar disorder was formerly known as manicdepressive illness.) During manic phases, clients are euphoric, grandiose, energetic, and sleepless...

11/16/23, 10:34 AM Realizeit for Student Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder involves extreme mood swings from episodes of mania to episodes of depression. (Bipolar disorder was formerly known as manicdepressive illness.) During manic phases, clients are euphoric, grandiose, energetic, and sleepless. They have poor judgment and rapid thoughts, actions, and speech. During depressed phases, mood, behavior, and thoughts are the same as in people diagnosed with major depression (see previous discussion). In fact, if a person’s first episode of bipolar illness is a depressed phase, he or she might be diagnosed with major depression; a diagnosis of bipolar disorder may not be made until the person experiences a manic episode. To increase awareness about bipolar disorder, health care professionals can use tools such as the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. This tool is available at http://www.sadag.org/images/pdf/mdq.pdf. Bipolar disorder ranks second only to major depression as a cause of worldwide disability. The lifetime risk for bipolar disorder is at least 1.2%, with a risk of completed suicide for 15%. Young men early in the course of the illness are at the highest risk for suicide, especially those with a history of suicide attempts or alcohol abuse as well as those recently discharged from the hospital (Akiskal, 2017). While a person with major depression slowly slides into depression that can last for 6 months to 2 years, the person with bipolar disorder cycles between depression and normal behavior (bipolar depressed) or mania and normal behavior (bipolar manic). A person with bipolar mixed episodes alternates between major depressive and manic episodes interspersed with periods of normal behavior. Each mood may last for weeks or months before the pattern begins to descend or ascend once again. Figure 17.1 shows the three categories of bipolar cycles. FIGURE 17.1. Graphic depiction of mood cycles. Bipolar disorder occurs almost equally among men and women. It is more common in highly educated people. Because some people with bipolar illness deny their mania, prevalence rates may actually be higher than reported. Onset and Clinical Course The first manic episode generally occurs in a person’s teens, 20s, or 30s. Currently, debate exists about whether or not some children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder actually have a very early onset of bipolar disorder. Manic episodes typically begin suddenly with rapid escalation of symptoms over a few days, and they last from a few weeks to several months. They tend to be briefer and end more suddenly than depressive episodes. Adolescents are more likely to have psychotic manifestations. The diagnosis of a manic episode or mania requires at least 1 week of unusual and incessantly heightened, grandiose, or agitated mood in addition to three or more of the following symptoms: exaggerated self-esteem, sleeplessness, pressured speech, flight of ideas, reduced ability to filter extraneous stimuli, distractibility, increased activities with increased energy, and multiple, grandiose, high-risk activities involving poor judgment and severe consequences, such as spending sprees, sex with strangers, and impulsive investments (Akiskal, 2017). Clients often do not understand how their illness affects others. They may stop taking medications because they like the euphoria and feel burdened by the side effects, blood tests, and physicians’ visits needed to maintain treatment. Family members are concerned and exhausted by their loved ones’ behaviors; they often stay up late at night for fear that the manic person may do something impulsive and dangerous. Treatment https://herzing.realizeithome.com/RealizeitApp/Student.aspx?Token=0Dn26kXyU%2f6F5gOCz4%2f2IUZWdjLO5UHpukqIHual8pZRZOPKGxj61nPC0Rzizzdwuu… 1/2 11/16/23, 10:34 AM Realizeit for Student DSM5-TR DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA: Bipolar I Disorder Manic Episode A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity and present most of the day, nearly every day (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary). B. During the period of mood disturbance and increased energy or activity, three (or more) of the following symptoms (four if the mood is only irritable) are represent a noticeable change from usual behavior: 1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity. 2. Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep). 3. More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking. 4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing. 5. Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli), as reported or observed. 6. Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexuality) or psychomotor agitation (i.e., purposeless non–goal-directed activity). 7. Excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretio investments). C. The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning or to necessitate hospitalization to preve are psychotic features. D. The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, other treatment) or to another medical c Note: A full manic episode that emerges during antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, ECT) but persists at a fully syndromal level beyond the physiol sufficient evidence for a manic episode and, therefore a bipolar I diagnosis. Note: Criteria A to D constitute a manic episode. At least one lifetime manic episode is required for the diagnosis of bipolar I disorder. Psychotherapy Psychotherapy can be useful in the mildly depressive or normal portion of the bipolar cycle. It is not useful during acute manic stages because the person’s attention span is brief and he or she can gain little insight during times of accelerated psychomotor activity. Psychotherapy combined with medication can reduce the risk for suicide and injury, provide support to the client and family, and help the client accept the diagnosis and treatment plan. https://herzing.realizeithome.com/RealizeitApp/Student.aspx?Token=0Dn26kXyU%2f6F5gOCz4%2f2IUZWdjLO5UHpukqIHual8pZRZOPKGxj61nPC0Rzizzdwuu… 2/2