Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia Disorder - 1354 Words

An Unquiet mind was a fascinating book about the life of Kay Redfield Jamison and her battle with manic-depressive disorder, otherwise known as bipolar disorder. This memoir gave an intelligent perspective of the emotional battle people face when dealing with bipolar disorder, as well as an understanding on the reality and nature of this illness. This book follows very closely to the research based on bipolar disorder, which gave a good informational perspective as well as emotional insight. Through reading this book, articles on bipolar disorder, and research it gave a powerful analysis of how we as nurse should care for patients who have bipolar disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder is a†¦show more content†¦This supports the research that bipolar disorder can run in families and that there may be certain genes that correlate with this disorder. Bipolar disorder can be severe and long-term or it can be mild with infrequent episodes. People who suffer from this illness may experience symptoms in very different ways and on average will have 8-10 manic or depressive episodes over a lifetime (Simon, 2013). As Kay put it, â€Å"manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live† (Jamison, 1995). Kay experienced very severe symptoms of bipolar disorder, including extremes changes in energy, mood, activity, sleep, behavior, and a suicide attempt, which all can be defining characteristic of the disorder. These symptoms can causes alcohol or substance abuse, relationship problems, and/or difficulty to perform in school or work (Townsend, 2014). However, bipolar disorder can be treated and people with this illness can live a full, productive life. For Kay she was able to control her manic highs and depressive lows wi th medication and therapy so she could continue her education and career. Although bipolar disorder cannot be cured, it can be treated effectively. Even those with severe forms of the illness can gain