Bipolar Disorder Case Study

Three foundational aspects of Bi-Polar Disorder that I feel are important and will help in my exhibit are: mood swings and the behaviors associated with them, the challenges of living with bipolar disorder, and treatment. Bi-Polar Disorder, commonly referred to as BPD or Manic Depression, has a two-phase cycle. The first cycle is the Depression stage. When someone with BPD is experiencing the Depression stage they are dealing with extreme lows. Some of those symptoms and behaviors may include feeling hopeless, sad, or empty, irritability, inability to experience pleasure, fatigue or loss of energy, physical and mental sluggishness, appetite or weight changes, sleep problems, concentration or memory problems, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and even thoughts of suicide or death (Melinda Smith 2016). The second cycle is the Mania stage. When someone with BPD is experiencing an episode of Mania, they are dealing with extreme highs. The feeling of mania is often described as a euphoric state. Some of these symptoms and behaviors may include: feeling incredibly high, optimistic, or extremely irritable, unrealistic and grandiose beliefs about one’s own abilities or powers, sleeping very little but feeling extremely energetic, talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up, racing thoughts or jumping quickly from one idea to another, inability to concentrate, impaired judgment and impulsiveness,

Some of the treatments include medications and psychotherapy. Medications used to treat BPD are called mood stabilizers. Melinda Smith stated in an article for helpguide.org, “Medication is the cornerstone for bipolar disorder treatment” (Melinda Smith 2016). Psychotherapy is a type of treatment that involves cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and family focused therapy. Although there are many debilitating factors when living with BPD, with the proper treatment this disorder is