Assessing and Treating Patients with Bipolar Disorder Master of Science, Walden University NURS 6630N Psychopharmacological Approaches to Treat Psychopathology
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Assessing and Treating Patients with Bipolar Disorder
A brain illness called bipolar disorder alters a patient's energy, attitude, and capacity for
operation. Bipolar disorder patients go through severe sentimental bouts, or mood disturbances,
that generally last a few days to a few weeks (McIntyre et al., 2020). These mood swings might
be classified as mania or depression, an unusually cheerful or irritated mood. Most individuals
with bipolar disorder also have times of neutral mood. The treatment of Bipolar I and
schizophrenia spectrum disorders as bipolar disorder-related disorders will be the main topics of
this essay.
Prevalence and Neurobiology of Bipolar I Disorder
The etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) is complicated, with environmental pressures and
genetic and epigenetic factors all contributing to the disease's development. The current
understanding of this condition is that it impacts multiple systems and causes physical
morbidities such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, immune system problems, and endocrine
abnormalities, in addition to affecting neural activity. There is growing proof that manic and
severe melancholy relapses have a neurotoxic influence on the brain, harming both the neurons
and the glial cells. According to preclinical and human research, organ destruction, both in the
core and exterior, accumulates as a disease progresses (Baldessarini, Vázquez, & Tondo, 2020).
Clinical manifestations of the progressive neuro aspect of BD include growing event
intensity, the frequency of increased suicide risk, and functional and cognitive damage. There is
no sickness recovery, inter-episode transient emotional disturbances persist, and ultimately loss
of independence in the later phases of the condition. Bipolar I disorder can affect almost anyone.
Approximately 7 million Americans suffer from BD, or 2.6% of the country’s total demographic.
Most people experience their initial bipolar symptoms of illness in their adolescence or early
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