Download Young Adults with Bipolar Disorder

Young Adults
with Bipolar Disorder
Biological Factors
 Strong genetic tie between bipolar and other mental
illnesses in a family
 No specific “causes”, however, certain triggers such as
stress or substance use could initiate an episode
 Prevalence among males and females are equal
 Individual can manage their episodes by learning the
triggers, dealing with the sleep disturbances, and
taking prescribed medications
 Stop taking their medication when they feel better
because they think they’re cured
 Some symptoms can be controlled through diet
and/or medication, such as vitamin deficiencies which
cause some chemical imbalances (Vitamins and
Minerals may be beneficial –
http://depression.about.com/cs/diet/a/vitamin.htm?
p=1 to read about the specific benefits)
Psychological Factors
 Often like how they feel and all they accomplish during a
manic episode
 Characterized by variations in mood, from elation and/or
irritability to depression causing major disruptions in
family, social, and occupational life (Grissold & Pessar,
2000),
 “Early-onset bipolar disorder (before age 18) carries more
comorbidity, suicidality, and substance abuse than lateronset bipolar disorder….The main issue is not whether the
… patient is a child or an adult but at what age and stage of
development he/she begins to display impairment due to
bipolar symptoms.” (Chang, 2007).
 “Three of the borderline characteristics emerged as
potentially useful in differentiating bipolar depression
from unipolar depression: ‘I’ve never threatened suicide
or injured myself on purpose’...; ‘I have tantrums or angry
outbursts’…; and ‘Giving in to some of my urges gets me
into trouble’…” (Smith, Muir, & Blackwood, 2005).
Social Factors
 Considered good workers during their manic
episodes, and often don’t want to take medications
because it reduces their “production”
 Often seen as school failures, occupational
problems, and poor relationship partners
 First episode of a male is typically mania, females
first episode is most often MDD (major depressive
disorder)
 Have a greater difficulty with job longevity often
losing a job during a depressive episode
 “People at risk for mania have also been found to
have high educational and occupational attainment”
(Kwapil, Miller, Zinser, Chapman, Chapman, &
Eckblad, 2000)
Cultural Factors
Risk of suicidal attempts and
completed suicides are higher than
in many other diagnoses by 10-15%
Often co-morbid with eating
disorders, panic disorder, substance
use disorders, and attention deficit
disorder
No indication that bipolar disorder is
more prevalent in a given racial or
ethnic group
African-Americans are diagnosed
more severe and usually treated
unfairly often receiving no access to
treatment or are incarcerated for
their impulsive activity
Frameworks
 The individual with bipolar disorder is looked down upon by society and often their family. Often this
occurs prior to the individual being diagnosed and society calls them “strange”. Once the diagnosis is
known, little changes except that society now believes their reason for shunning this individual is justified.
 Society assumes the following about individuals with bipolar: you don’t want to be married to them, they
don’t make good parents, they’re poor workers, and not very smart.
 By changing how providers (medical and other professionals) view individuals with bipolar we can change
how a person with bipolar views themselves.
 It is important to equip individuals with knowledge and a good understanding of how their diagnosis
may affect their everyday life. By changing how they respond, their family, community, and society may
learn that the stereotypical view of someone with bipolar is not the norm. By being open-minded, the
professional will be more accepting and understanding about their client’s SCR.
 Research on why some medications quit working after they’ve been successful for a period of time.
Behavioral options for managing uncontrolled, inappropriate behaviors, e.g., the urge to spend as a way of
feeling better and ways to help this population discover more appropriate behaviors which would give
them equal or near equal gratification.
 Encouraging this population to discover their strengths, building their support system, and don’t allow
them to get away with being “brats”. This comes from personal experience.
Experiences
 Professionally, my first client with Bipolar disorder said she doesn’t
take her medication when she is “manic” because she is able to get
a lot done that during her depressive stage she is unable to
accomplish at all.
 Individuals with Bipolar cycle from manic to depression at differing
rates. If the cycle is slower, they seem to have longer periods of
more normal mood. (Knowledge gained through direct client
contact and education.)
 Most often this population have few close friends and many have
mental illnesses. If the spouse of this population has prior
knowledge and education, they appear to have a better outlook on
what needs to be done. If they discover this after marriage, they
not prepared to deal with the problems associated and want out of
the marriage.
References
Chang, K. (M.D.). (2007). Adult bipolar disorder is continuous with pediatric bipolar
disorder. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52(7), 418-425, Retrieved September
13, 2008, from Academic Search (at EBSCOhost) database.
Griswold, K. S., & Pessar, L. F. (2000). Management of bipolar disorder. American
Family Physician, 62(6), 1343. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from ProQuest
database.
Kwapil, T. R., Miller, M. B., Zinser, M. C., Chapman, L. J., Chapman, J., & Eckblad, M.
(2000). A longitudinal study of high scorers on the Hypomanic Personality Scale.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 222-226.
Smith, D. J., Muir, W. J., & Blackwood, D. H. R. (2005). Borderline personality
disorder characteristics in young adults with recurrent mood disorders: A
comparison of bipolar and unipolar depression. Journal of Affective Disorders,
87(1), 17-23. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from Academic Search (at EBSCOhost)
database.