Bipolar Disorder

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that bipolar disorder is characterized by mood swings from the manic phase when the patient experiences euphoria, excessive energy, aggressive behavior, hyper-sexuality and poor judgment to the depression phase when the patient experiences feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest, guilt and suicidal thoughts. The author points out that medication is the first line of defense in treating bipolar disorder; traditionally, lithium was the drug of choice for bipolar patients, but today many drugs are valuable in managing symptoms. The paper relates that medications are tested for their efficacy through clinical trials in which patients receive free care and free medication for extended periods.

Table of Contents
Symptomology
Diagnosis
Treatment Options
Research

From the Paper:

"MDD is thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Neurotransmitters act as messengers to our neurons, or nerve cells. Because there is no biological test for this disorder, a physician cannot access risk or diagnose patients easily. Human genome studies have yet to discover a specific gene which causes this disorder, but those who suffer from this illness generally have relatives with some form of depression, showing a clear genetic link."

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