 BIPOLAR DISORDER Group C

Introduction Bipolar disorder — sometimes called manic-depressive disorder —is a lifelong condition and is associated with mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania. When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts in the other direction, you may feel euphoric and full of energy. Mood shifts may occur only a few times a year, or as often as several times a day. In some cases, bipolar disorder causes symptoms of depression and mania at the same time. Most people with bipolar disorder when ill or when symptomatic experience more lows than highs. What is Bipolar Disorder?

Symptoms  Depressed mood most of the day; feeling sad or empty, tearful  Significant loss of interest or pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable  Significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain; decrease or increase in appetite  Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

Symptoms Continued  Agitation; or slowing down of thoughts and reduction of physical movements  Fatigue or loss of energy  Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt  Poor concentration or having difficulty making decisions  Thinking about death or suicide

Causes The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but several factors seem to be involved in causing and triggering bipolar episodes:  Biological differences. People with bipolar disorder appear to have physical changes in their brains. The significance of these changes is still uncertain but may eventually help pinpoint causes.  Neurotransmitters. An imbalance in naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters seems to play a significant role in bipolar disorder and other mood disorders.

Causes Continued  Hormones- Imbalanced hormones may be involved in causing or triggering bipolar disorder.  Inherited traits- Bipolar disorder is more common in people who have a blood relative (such as a sibling or parent) with the condition. Researchers are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing bipolar disorder.  Environment- Stress, abuse, significant loss or other traumatic experiences may play a role in bipolar disorder.

Statistics In American adults there are around 5.7 million people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. More than two thirds of people who are living with Bipolar disorder will have a history of bipolar disorder in their family.

Maria’s Interview  Q. How do you see Bipolar Disorder portrayed? A. One extreme emotion to another.  Q. How often do you see these extremes? A. Everyday for some people they are rarely neutral.  Q. What can cause the change in emotion? A. Anything and everything or nothing at all

Maria’s Interview  Q. What is a big misconception about Bipolar disorder? A. Its not always just depression, it can also mean extreme anger  Q. How often is medication used? A. Medicine is just a band aid, you can be trained to control it, you have to be taught how to control it before you can go off medication

Bipolar disorder  Living with a person with Bi Polar Effective Disorder is much like walking on egg shells until you get a routine and proper communication going.  I have been married to my wife for 6 years now, I have known her since high school, and she has changed dramatically for the good.  Through effective communication and team work we make the relationship work i.e. when I am told she needs to sleep in, I let her sleep as long as she needs and that means I am on daddy duty with my daughter until she is refreshed and ready to take on the day. BY CHRIS

Maura’s Reflection  Through this project I gained a greater sympathy for those who go through this, it is easy to write off differences as being within the individuals control, that clearly is not always the case  It is very hard to coordinate with a group we each are so busy and no one wants to feel controlling so it is hard to define roles in the group  We would have one person suggest an idea to the group then we would all discuss if it would work and continue from there

Jeremy Reflection  Bipolar disorder is a serious disorder. Before we started this project I didn't think it was that big of a problem. After doing the research and hearing from Chris I see that it is. People living with bipolar disorder have a hard time doing everyday task because of the emotional rollercoaster of bipolar disorder. Working with my group was a little difficult doing it over the internet, but the meetings helped get everything organized and working. The decision making process in the group was to assign tasks like videos and design; it all worked out in the end.

Kathryn’s Reflection  I have found some interesting facts that I was not aware of previously.  I took an online class because I do not have a lot of time. However I decided that was probably the best way to see if it would work out with conflicts in our time management.  We all agreed to meet, confer and the majority ruled.

Cited Resources  Bipolarsymptoms. (2008, February 13). Retrieved from  Slides 2-6 Dr. Ross VanVranken Sr. CEO Neuropsychiatric institute University of Utah  “Buligadaniel.” (2012, Oct. 3). Bart Simpson bi-polar girlfriend. Retrieved from Accessed Oct  “Healthguru.” (2011, Jan. 3). 5 Types of Bipolar Disorder (Mental Health Guru). Accessed from Retrieved Sep