While it is known that bipolar disorder has a genetic basis the cause for the disease remains unknown and it remains difficult to identify individuals who have a high risk of bipolar disorder. Research into the causation of bipolar disorder is underway and appears to have a strong neurological basis. Childhood trauma has also been identified as a causation for bipolar disorder (Aas, 2016).
Due to the duality of bipolar disorder identifying the symptoms of this disorder is difficult due to the variety of symptoms and its tendency to overlap with other mental diseases. bipolar disorders general symptoms include distinct periods of emotion and energy. These periods often alternate between extremes in emotion, energy and sleep. The extreme periods that people with bipolar disorder suffer from are called the mania phase and the depressive phase. Because of its distinct alternating periods symptoms of bipolar disorder are often sorted into two categories, One for symptoms of the mania phase, and one for the symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. The mania phase is often identified as a prolonged period of high energy, increased mood, increased excitability and …show more content…
Treatment often varies between individuals because of the variability that comes with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Medications provided in the treatment of bipolar disorder often involve antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics (Aangst, 2013). These medications are given to lessen the intensity of either or both the mania or the depressive state. Assigning the correct medication for bipolar disorder is also difficult due to the irregularity of the periods and cycles between the mania and depressive state. This leads to issues in diagnosing medication because a medication that is potentially helpful in treating one state of bipolar disorder might prove to be harmful to the treatment of the other state of bipolar disorder, and can intensify the symptoms of that state (Severus, 2013). Psychotherapy treatment for bipolar disorder often accompanies the medicinal treatment, and is used to help patients by supporting them and providing them knowledge about their condition. It is often difficult to provide appropriate treatment for bipolar disorder because it is often misdiagnosed and treated as other mental disorders. This along with those diagnosed with bipolar disorders tendency to be afflicted with other mental disorders makes it difficult to properly identify and treat bipolar disorder. To increase the efficiency of treatment for bipolar disorder research is being