Roller Coaster Ride Research Paper

3/31/14

Roller Coaster Ride

Every single person on this earth has experienced their emotions fluctuate throughout the day. This mood change can be very disruptive and difficult on oneself. So imagine if for the rest of your life your emotions were like a roller coaster of ups and downs. A few years ago at a family gathering I found out that my cousin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At first this came as quite a shock. Mainly because I was not very knowledgeable on just exactly what was bipolar disorder. However I also knew that in at lest my opinion my cousin did not seem crazy or had anger issues. So because of this, I wanted to find out exactly what is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a very serious disorder that has a dramatic
Well according to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is a severe lifelong cyclical illness that is often misdiagnosed and can affect work, family and social relationships, and causes massive mood swings (NIMH). So this means that it is something that is never just going to go away. Which for some people who are afflicted by this disease, can be very depressing thought. However that doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do to makes things better. Many people are also inflicted with this disease. In fact over 2.6% Americans have bipolar disorder, and it is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world (World). Also more than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness or with unipolar major depression, indicating that the disease has a heritable component. (NIMH) This means that it is often unavoidable. Because there’s really nothing you can do if you’re born with it. So its something you are always going to have to live with, and deal
The first one called Bipolar 1 Disorder is defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at lest seven days. (WebMD) A person who has an episode that last more then several days will often have to go to the hospital and seek medical attention. Which is why Cleveland medical states “People with bipolar disorder will spend as much as one-fourth of their adult lives in the hospital, and they will live one-fourth of their adult lives disabled. This can result in the person 's losing as much as 14 years of cumulative productivity.” (Cleveland) Another form is called Bipolar II disorder, which is defined as a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes. (WebMD) The difference between the two is in Type II, the upward swings are milder, but the frequency and intensity of the depressive phase is often severe. Since the elevated mood states of Type II are relatively mild, they are often missed and the bipolar nature of the illness goes undiagnosed. Which is another reason why many people often do not even know that they have this disorder. Another form is called Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. (WebMD) This type is basically diagnosed when symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II. People with bipolar disorder are at high risk for thyroid disease, migraines, heart disease,