Running Head: MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS Mental health illness Student Name Institutional affiliation Mental health illness 2 Abstract This paper shall discuss mental illness, specifically the bipolar 1 disorder and it shall deal in depth with the causes, sign and symptoms and how to treat bipolar 1 disorder whether in children or young adults. Mental illness may strike anyone despite the race, color, race, age limits or economic status of the person. There are millions of people who are affected by either one or more types of mental health disorders annually. There is no known exact cause of the mental illness, but it is research reveals that these diseases are caused by a combination of biological, environmental, psychological or genetic factors. If there is a mental illness which is known to run in the family lineage thus means that this type of sickness can be passed to a child from the parents through genes (Beck & Alford, 2014). A mental illness is defined as a condition of the brain that originates from severe or mild disturbances in the behavior and thoughts, which leads into an incapacity to deal with ordinary life's routines and demands. Mental disorder may be caused by either a combination of changes in emotion or thinking or only one factor might cause it. Mental illness is related to problems dealing with work, social or family activities or distress. There are numerous types of mental health illness. Some of the most known mental health disorders are; dementia, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia and clinical depression. Some of the symptoms of mental health disorder are; changes in personal habits, personality, moods and social withdrawal. This research paper shall only discuss bipolar 1 disorder (Norcross, Simon & Machina, 2012). Bipolar 1 disorder Bipolar 1 Disorder is a form of mental illness that is associated with many effects on the mindand body of humankind. It is also referred to as manic depressive disorder. Bipolar 1 Mental health illness 3 disorder is mainly common among children and young adults. Statistic by National institute of Mental Health (NIMH) shows that bipolar 1 disorder is becoming a major disease which is causing disabilities in US today. According to researchers, bipolar 1 disorder is a type of disease that is affecting one person in every five Americans. It is mainly characterized by two extreme changes in emotion states. Bipolar disorder is not just a mental disorder but is a medical disease that involves the brain. A person hoc is suffering from bipolar 1 disorder alternates between depressive and manic episodes. According to Waltz (2000), the main cause of bipolar 1 disorder is not yet known, even if the disease is treatable. It is evident that the genes of bipolar disorder can be inherited, though not all those carry these genes develops the disorder. Most people experiences the occasional mood swings. People who suffer from this disorder usually have lower self esteem and keep dropping until that person loses the worthiness if living. On the other hand there are times when the mood swings are too high until they start behaving out of norm. Most of the times it is when they seem to have lost touch with reality in life and they are not capable of functioning well. All people who are affected by bipolar disorder experience two particular mood swings; mania and depression. This paper shall mainly discuss about bipolar 1 disorder as well as a brief history of the mental disorder, symptoms, causes and treatments. History Bipolar 1 disorder was detected during the period of ancient Greeks. During that time the Greeks had a believe that this type of manic depression was caused by choler, blood, black bile or phlegm, which are all types of body fluid which is found in the body. These four forms of body fluids were known to cause the bipolar 1 disorder because they caused the chemical Mental health illness 4 imbalances of the victim’s body. In addition, the Greeks believed that in order to balance the chemicals, some amount of these fluids was supposed to be released. They released the fluids by purging themselves. However, on the other hand, Plato believed that bipolar 1 disorder was caused by inspirations such as writings, God and Love. Greeks also had the idea that bipolar disorder occurred due to environmental factors such as poverty, Satan, God, stress and education. Researchers have argued for many years that bipolar disorder occurred as a result of spiritual factors though; they narrowed the bipolar causes to emotion verses intellect. They argued that rational/ behavioral thinking (intellect) was the main cause of bipolar 1 disorder as compared to fluctuations in emotions. In the recent past bipolar 1 disorder has been recognized to be occurring as a result of chemical imbalance in the brain. This disorder makes the mind to undergo different transformation of thought which is also referred to as mood swings. Depression and mania are the two forms of moods swings which a person who is suffering from bipolar 1 disorder endures. A person who is suffering from bipolar 1 disorder will either be alternating from mania and depression or shall be experiencing the two symptoms in different episodes. Mood swings enhance in severity either in a few days or in other cases, over a period of couples of years. There are several symptoms as well as causes of bipolar 1 disorder that can be easily recognized. Causes of bipolar 1 disorder Scientists and researchers have been carrying out different experiments so that they may understand the possible causes of bipolar 1 disorder. Most of the scientists and researchers have come to an agreement that there is no a specific cause of bipolar 1 disorder rather than that it is Mental health illness 5 caused by combination of several factors. It is very evident that there are so many people who are suffering from bipolar disorder in our societies. Researchers believe that bipolar disorder is mainly caused by neurotransmitters, differences in the brain, circadian rhythms and genetic differences. Bipolar 1 disorder mainly runs through family’s lineage and thus why the researchers are conducting research looking for the specific genes which are associated with the cause. Due to the fact that in a case where we have two identical twins and one has a bipolar 1 disorder and the other one has no bipolar disorder proves that this medical is not only caused by a single factor but a combination. Symptoms The main symptom of bipolar 1 disorder is an increased manic moods swings, it affects a person’s daily activities such as school, family or work. The main effects which are caused by manic mood swings are; aggressive behavior, extreme optimism, irritation/agitation, abuse of alcohol or drugs and loss of sleep. There are few ways in which bipolar 1 disorder can be managed and make them less severe. The first form of treatment is medication. Medication and treatment Bipolar 1 Disorder, even if they are in which state are treatable. If treatment is started early, the more efficient the outcomes shall be. The first step which a person who has the symptoms of depression should take into consideration is that of getting the right treatment. A person needs to visit a mental health professional or a health care facility. The health care provider in the facility shall do an interview, exam and lab tests which shall rule out that the symptoms are not of any other health condition which usually has the same signs as those of Mental health illness 6 bipolar 1 disorder. Once a person is diagnosed with Bipolar 1 disorder, he or she may be treated by the use of psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. Medication is known to assist in balancing of the mood swings and also lessening anxiety and depression. The great challenge with medication is that in order to get the right medication is a difficult task because a person can try different medication before they can get the one which has no effects and does not increase the symptoms they already have. Lithium carbonate is a type of bipolar1 disorder medication which has a positive effect on about 50-60 percent of the bipolar patients. Lithium carbonate is a type of mood stabilizer which is commonly used in treating Bipolar 1 disorder. Summary During ancient Greek times, it was believed that the main cause of bipolar 1 disorder was inspirations, spiritual factors, environment and emotions. All the above mentioned factors are not the major cause of bipolar disorder, but the chemical imbalance which takes place in the brain. For that reason, bipolar 1 disorder is a type of mental health illness that has several effects on the mind and body. In conclusion this type of mental illness has been diagnosed in both the young adults and children. Mania and depression are two mood swings which are the major signs of bipolar 1 disorder. Bipolar 1 disorder has many symptoms’ and causes which includes irritability, depression, weight gain, loss of sleep and anxiety. There are several forms of treatment for this mental illness though in this paper we have just considered just two; Medication (lithium carbonate) and Physiotherapy (CBT). Even if Bipolar 1 disorder is a long term mental health disorder, there those treatments that are used to suppress the severity of the disorder that in turn shall help the patient in living a more stable mental life. Mental health illness 7 References Barondes, S. (1998). Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company. Bernstein, D., & Nash, P. (2002). Essentials of Psychology. (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Waltz, M. (2000). Bipolar Disorders: A Guide to Helping Children & Adolescents. California: O’Reilly & Associates. Burns, D. (1999). The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Penguin Group. Acocella, J., Alloy, L., Bootzin, R. (1993). Abnormal Psychology: Norcross, J., Simon, R. & Machina, V. (2012). Customizing mental health treatment. : Washington, DC : Psychotherapy Networker. Womble, D. (2015). Introductory mental health nursing. Philadelphia : Wolters Kluwer
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