Jessie Gestrin Hailey Montville

Can be traced back to 2nd century. A man named Aretaeus from Cappadocia

(an ancient city in Turkey) first recognized symptoms of mania and depression and recorded them.

These studies were brought up again in 1854 when Jules Falret was inspired to investigate links between depression and suicide.

Finally, in 1875, his findings were termed “manic-depressive psychosis”, later known as Bipolar Disorder.

A new study in Biological Psychology implies that a protein in the brain called Piccolo is a cause for Bipolar Disorder. Piccolo is located at the endings of nerve cells, where cells release their chemical messengers. This is why bipolar patients have unstable moods and emotions. When gene patterns were compared between a bipolar patient and a non-bipolar patient, it was apparent that their genes and protein structures were different.

There is a wide range of medication available to bipolar patients. These vary depending on whether the person is type I bipolar or type II.

Among these are medications for depression, insomnia, mood stabilizers, hallucinations, anxiety, high blood pressure, and seizures.

Many of these are also used to treat people who suffer from depression and schizophrenia.

Many bipolar patients visit psychotherapists. This allows them to discuss feelings, problems, behavior, and thoughts. Therapy allows them to release anxiety.

This is a unique treatment used on hospitalized patients who are suicidal or psychotic. It’s effective in 75% of patients.

It’s used as a “last resort” when medication and treatment do not work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDHNEyfLlQ&feature=topics

0 points - Not at all1 point - Just a little2 points - Somewhat3 points - Moderately4 points - Quite a lot5 points - Very much

1. At times I am much more talkative or speak much faster than usual.

2. There have been times when I was much more active or did many more things than usual.

3. I get into moods where I feel very sped up or irritable.

4. There have been times when I have felt both high (elated) and low (depressed) at the same time.

5. At times I become much more interested in taking risks.

6. My self-confidence ranges from great self-doubt to equally great overconfidence.

7. There have been GREAT variations in the quantity or quality of my work.

8. For no apparent reason I sometimes have been VERY angry or hostile.

9. I have periods of mental dullness and other periods of very creative thinking.

10. At times I am greatly interested in being with people and at other times I just want to be left alone with my thoughts.

11. I have had periods of great optimism and other periods of equally great pessimism.

12. I have had periods of tearfulness and crying and other times when I laugh and joke excessively.

NOW ADD UP YOUR TOTAL!Note: this quiz is scored assuming that a depressive episode has already occurred.

0-15: Major/unipolar depression16-24: Major Depression or a Disorder in the Bipolar Spectrum25 or Above: Bipolar Spectrum

Equal amount of men and women of any race

More than 2/3 of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness

Women with bipolar have more depressive episodes than men

There is a 9.2 life span reduction expectancy in people who suffer from bipolar disorder

As many as 1/5 patients with this disorder complete suicide