Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
In the context of the modern world’s rapid development, US residents struggle with high levels of stress caused by both financial and emotional hardships. Thus, the notions of various mental disorders become familiar to people at a relatively early age. Such a variety, however, may often confuse terms of disease differentiation due to the lack of proper education. The case of such confusion is especially vivid in the example of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. To distinguish these disorders, major symptoms, and treatment for each of them should be introduced.
First of all, schizophrenia has been known to humanity for a long time, with people being sure that it is a synonym for madness. However, schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder followed by hallucinations and delusions. Moreover, the disease is characterized by a person having both positive and negative symptoms (Ajiboye, 2019). Positive symptoms are the ones that a person acquires in the course of the disorder, such as hallucinations. Negative symptoms, on the other hand, remove such behavioral aspects as socializing (Legg, 2017). Schizophrenia, once diagnosed, is usually treated with the help of antipsychotic medications.
Speaking of bipolar disorder, is it a disease characterized by major mood swings, shifting from mania to depressive episodes. While having mania, a person can feel extremely energetic and impulsive. The major threat of such a disorder is the polarity of both states that can lead to self-harm or even suicide. To treat bipolar disorder, physiatrists use medications aimed at mood-stabilizing so that people would not feel a drastic contrast between both states.
Considering both states, it can be concluded that although both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are characterized by significant behavioral modification, these disorders have little in common. While people with schizophrenia usually experience hallucinations on a relatively regular basis, the ones with bipolar disorder go through extreme episodes concerning major depression and mania. Hence, it is important to distinguish these states to define proper treatment and behavior towards the patient in both interpersonal and professional aspects.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants have become an integral part of Americans’ daily routine. Both external and internal factors cause adolescents and adults to experience stress and, thus, depression. There are three major generations of antidepressants that mostly vary in the ways they help people cope with depressive episodes. First-generation antidepressants promote inhibiting the enzyme to the human brain. The second and third-generation antidepressants, being more common today, influence the release of serotonin in the brain (Levinthal, 2014). Although these medications are proved to be extremely beneficial in terms of depression treatment, people still suffer from a variety of side effects the drugs cause.
Regardless of what kind of second or third-generation antidepressants people use, they struggle with a series of drawbacks the medications have. Some of the most widespread side effects are insomnia, fatigue, inattentiveness, and even sexual dysfunction (“What are the real risks of antidepressants?” 2019). For these reasons, many people try to cope with depression on their own to escape the hazardous impact of antidepressants.
However, it is not the way to solve the problem, as the medication is used for a certain period to make people feel better. Hence, its side effects are also temporary, and the patients will experience major mental health improvement at the end of the treatment course. On the contrary, if the treatment is ignored, a person is at risk of experiencing similar symptoms regularly due to depression.
References
Ajiboye, T. (2019). Schizophrenia vs. bipolar: Why the two mental health conditions are actually very different. Web.
Levinthal, C. F. (2014). Drugs, behavior, and modern society. London, UK: Pearson Education.
Legg, T. J. (2017). Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: What are the differences? Web.
What are the real risks of antidepressants? (2019). Web.