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By: Samah Ayana Kabir
The world revolves around issues surrounding mankind. Mental
health is one of such issues which does not fail to make its appearance at every interval it gets. Statistics say that one in every four people are victims of mental health issues. A lot of research and effort has been put into breaking the boundary for people confined into such problems, however, mental illness is a disease as deadly as Malaria, and its vector, negativity, is always on the stand. Mental Health issues are characterized into several sub-diseases, most common being depression, bipolar disorder, and social anxiety. Our topic of discussion for today would be, Bipolar Disorder.
Bipolar disorder is an abnormal change in the mood and behaviour of a person. If a person is not treated, episodes of bipolar-related mania can last for between 3 and 6 months. There are mainly four identified types of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar I (Manic episodes, no depression symptoms)
Bipolar II (Has both manic and depressive episodes)
Cyclothymic disorder (Has both manic and depressive episodes for two or longer years)
Other types (Does not fit into the usual category but has other signs)
This mental illness does not fall out of the sky but rather approaches slowly with signs being visible over time. A person suffering from such illness often shows common signs like:
Displaying emotions of extreme happiness or sadness
Acting extremely restless
Speaking with a lot of paces or skimming over thoughts excessively
Not being able to concentrate
Having a fluctuating sleeping pattern
Now that we talk about the signs, the question that comes into the picture is, what are the causes of such issues? One reason may be, hereditary. A first-degree family member or relative who has suffered from such illness may pass it onto the rest of the family members or maybe some of them. Periods of high-level stress often disrupt a person's mental balance, resulting in them having shifts in mood and thus, behaviour. Traumatic events such as the death of a loved one or some unfortunate incident such as being abused or demeaned may also trigger such a horrendous illness to pop up into a person's system, making them bipolar.
Bipolar disorder has conquered over 46 million of the world population, which may not seem like a lot but fatal enough to be concerned about. It accounts for about 0.6% of the disorder ratio as of 2017, and the country which holds the highest percentage of such people is the United States of America with 2.4%. The average age of onset is 25 years old. (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2017). So it is not a small problem anymore.
However, fortunately, everything in this world has a solution and bipolar disorder is not devoid of such phenomena. One of the most common methods is medication to prevent the arrival of regular intervals of mania and depression, mood stabilizers such as lithium (Lithobid) being most commonly used. Learning to recognize the symptoms of mania does play a significant role too as it can save a person’s life if psychiatrist treatment is sought beforehand. Provision of lifestyle advice such as doing daily activities that give a sense of achievement has also shown its effects. Most people can receive treatment without having to see the hospital walls. Thus, as socially responsible individuals, we must help out someone who seems to be going through such times. Just a step forward is all it takes.