Bipolar Disorder Analysis

Bipolar Disorder is a potential life wrecker that drags your emotions to many unbearable extremes. It was deemed Bipolar Disorder in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Being Bipolar means to be depressed, but to also go through periods of moods such as elation or Mania. Depression is in our genes as a natural response to life’s everyday let downs and is a completely normal feeling set into action by our brains chemical and electrical messages. Being depressed may be a natural emotion, but when those chemical messages aren’t normally set into action depression can take a turn for the worse. Heritability of this mental illness is very strong about 60%, and puts many of us at risk. A genetic predisposition

During a hypomanic episode, symptoms appear to not be so bad, excessive happiness, increased energy; less sleep required, and high sex drive, all don’t raise alarm. As the condition turns into full-blown mania signs begin to show with drug abuse, poor concentration, bad judgment calls, and impulsive behaviors. (Web MD, Goldberg J.)(2013) Mood can change from happiness to irritable and hostile in an instant. This type of severe mania occurs in the first of the two types of Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar1 manic episodes are dangerous, last a week, and sometimes will end up in hospitalization. Mania at this high degree turns bipolar patients psychotic at times and will even combine with depression to create a feeling of being up and down simultaneously. If you can lead a somewhat normal life through stages of depression and periods of mania then the less harmful Bipolar2 is the result. (Psych Central.) (2013) Emotion control is certainly the biggest factor with this disorder. Mania is very destructive, but there is also negative mood behavior that can lead to evident suicide. Depression, anxiety, irritability, and hostility, are all negative moods that are uncontrollable with Bipolar Disorder. Problems with cognition also arise as being disorganized, inattentive, easily distracted, and having racing thoughts. All of these issues are a result of abnormalities in the brain. (Psych Central.)

Other issues such as a smaller density of grey matter within portions of the prefrontal cortex can lead to nasty social behavior and cognitive impairment. A multitude of abnormalities in emotion regulating areas of the brain is what characterizes someone with Bipolar Disorder. During a depression neuroimaging has shown reduced blood flow and lessened activity in the prefrontal regions. As someone with Bipolar Disorder attempts to intentionally control his or her emotion during a state of neither mania nor depression there is a drastic abnormal rise in activity within the emotion managing regions of the brain. Voluntary control of emotions is extremely handicapped in people with Bipolar disorder. Depending on their state of emotion, activity in their emotional brain is either too much (mania) or too little (depression). Molecular Psychiatry