Abstract
Bipolar disorder is a mental issue that is accompanied by stress, anxiety and mood shifts. There are three main kinds of mood episodes helping to recognize this disorder. They include manic episodes, hypomanic episodes, and depressive episodes. The episodes vary in terms of the duration or severity. In addition, some causes of this disorder include interaction of the genes and environmental factors among others. The disorder can be diagnosed within the first 15 years. St. Augustine in Florida is a town known for many organizations that offer treatment of bipolar disorder.
Introduction
Bipolar disorder is also referred to as Bipolar Affective Disorder. Manic-depressive illness is another common name of this disorder. This mental disorder comes along with depression. The disease occurs when one is depressed or feels agitated in life. The patients that suffer from this disorder often feel apathetic to participate in distracting activities, so the depressive feeling affect their relationships, family life, and career. However, once the depressive stage is over the patients feel energetic and revitalized. This disorder is very serious and in the most severe cases may lead to death of the patients. Nevertheless, the disease can be controlled medically or through psychological counselling.
Psychological disorder and the local organization
St. Augustine, Florida is one of the oldest cities of the United States. This is a city with outstanding history due to which it serves as a place of attraction for many students every year.
This paper explores the complex issue of bipolar disorder and the organizations specialized on providing professional treatment of bipolar disorder located in St. Augustine.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Manic Episodes
In terms of bipolar disorder, mania refers to a period of more than seven days when a patient experiences rather unexpected and radical mood shifts. The condition may be accompanied with the feeling of euphoria. In particular, on the initial stages of mania a person may be very talkative, active, over-stimulated, internally undergo emotional torture, and have irrational thoughts. In addition, one behaves in a very expressive manner and ends up engaging in impulsive behaviours such as hyperactive and exaggerated sexuality (Goodwin & Sachs, 2010).
The research shows that a patient with bipolar disorder tends to spend money irresponsibly, commit other impulsive actions, and attack a close person lacking a reasonable social motive. Bipolar individual may suffer from forgetfulness and frustration, which is likely to affect their professional performance. Further, mania often causes problems with sleep based on anxieties and nervousness, and frequently results in substance abuse which happens because the exaggerated emotional and hypersensitivity force the individual to look for ways to calm down and relax.
Hypomanic Episodes
This kind of episode refers to a period of 4 days when a bipolar individual tends to show certain behaviours such as boycotting hospitalization, unreasonable stubbornness, and suspiciousness among others. It is a state that occurs before manic episodes within bipolar disorder. The hypomanic individual does not experience mood swings and feelings that are as severe as the ones of a manic person. This allows the bipolar individual to socialize with friends and family, and even perform their professional duties. Denial is a typical behaviour for this stage of bipolar disorder episode, the patients may reject the fact that they suffer from a psychological problem.
Professional Opinions
Medical professionals believe that bipolar disorder is caused by several behaviours. Firstly, substance abuse can be one way of creating room for the bipolar disorder. Secondly, this disorder is genetically inherited from the parents and passed to the next generation. Finally, there is an opinion that the surroundings of an individual may cause bipolar disorder.
Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder and Interpretation by Different Cultures
Comorbid Conditions
The treatment of bipolar disorder may become difficult because of the conditions such as substance abuse, eating disorders, social phobias, and panic attacks among others. Consequently, it is advisable that the family members or close friends of the patients report the disorder when still in manic stages.
Cause of Comorbid conditions
Genetic inheritance
It is genetically proved that various locations of the chromosomes and candidate genes are the carriers of bipolar disorder and its probability. Once inherited, the disorder spreads out from one generation to another. For this reason, a fraternity may end up suffering from the same problem.
Environment
Environment also expedites the development of bipolar disorder in the society. Environmental factors underscore in the spread of this disorder. The life events of a person may expose the individual to this disorder. For instance, a child from an environment prone to suicidal cases is likely to develop bipolar disorder in the adult life.
Physiological
Certain brain malfunctions may be able to cause bipolar disorder. Scientific research shows that when there is an increase in lateral ventricles or Globus pallidus plus the increase in the concentration of white matter hyper intensities, then the parson is likely to develop complications related to bipolar disorder. The data collected based on MRI results shows that irregular cadence between the ventral prefrontal and limbic areas such as amygdale contributes to the rapid and radical mood signs (Hornbacher, 2008). Apparently, stress makes people who are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder moody and irritable. In addition, activities of Mitochondrion and ATPase pump increase the chances of developing bipolar disorder.
Impacts of Organizational Cultures on the Interpretation of Symptoms of the Disorder
Different approaches have influenced the interpretation of the symptoms and diagnosis of the disorder. For example, the belief that the disorder is genetically inherited poses a major diagnosis of the disorder. The disorder is addressed in the most successful way when it is diagnosed during teen age or early to mid twenties of the patients. Preferably, the diagnosis should be underway when the condition goes on for over a decade. The treatment of the disorder considers certain factors such as abnormal behaviours of the person and observable symptoms among others. American Psychiatric Association is one of the most well-known organizations that perform the treatment of bipolar disorder (Yusoff, 2008).
St. Augustine, Florida
This is a city known for its fascinating features. St. Augustine, Florida has many local organizations that treat and manage the development of bipolar disorder. The success occurs due to a large number of professionals in the sphere of psychiatry who manage the large population of the area.
Support Groups
Apart from a number of individual counsellors and other medical professionals, there is a number of non-professional organizations in St. Augustine. These groups have a purpose to provide responsive care to the patients with mental disorders (bipolar namely) in addition to the treatment they receive pharmaceutically. Among such groups there are Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Group Florida (DBSA) and Catholic Moral Theology Group. These organizations develop communities for the patients with mental issues and provide understanding, togetherness and support for the patients who feel lonely and lost.
Recommendation
The services offered by these organizations increase the efficiency of pharmaceutical treatment of bipolar disorder. More of such support groups are needed. Besides, they should be oriented at individuals with different inclinations and personalities. The feeling of belonging, mutual help and understanding on the human level is what frustrated and deeply sensitive bipolar individuals require.
Reference List
Goodwin, G., & Sachs, G. (2010). Bipolar Disorder (2nd ed.). Abingdon: HEALTH Press. Web.
Hornbacher, M. (2008). Madness: A bipolar life. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Web.
Yusoff, K. (2008). Bipolar. London: Arts Catalyst. Web.