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1 Features of Bipolar Disorder and How They can Affect an Individual’s Life Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course code Professor’s Name Assignment’s Due Date

2 Features of Bipolar Disorder and How They can Affect an Individual’s Life Bipolar is a serious mental health condition characterized by unusual changes in mood that range from high to low depression episodes. Early diagnosis and treatment are recommended due to the high risk of suicidal ideation and its effect on an individual's academic performance, relationship quality, and drug abuse. According to McIntyre & Calabres (2019), 30% of people develop bipolar episodes once in their lifetime. However, when these episodes are not treated early, they have the potential to develop into chronic conditions. The genesis of bipolar disorder is triggered by childhood trauma and internal factors that directly affect an individual's quality of life. People with bipolar disorder experience an increased risk of committing suicide. Despite the severity of the mental condition, little has been done to address the situation. According to Wittenberg et al. (2021), one main challenge for diagnosing a treatment plan for bipolar disorder is that people with bipolar only tend to seek treatment during hypomanic episodes. During hypomanic episodes, strong symptoms of bipolar disorder may remain undetected by a clinician due to a lack of memory of the patient's mania episode. Therefore, instead of diagnosing the patient with bipolar disorder, the patient might be diagnosed with unipolar depression. Bipolar is a chronic mental health condition that affects an individual's quality of life. Features of Bipolar Disorder Additionally, bipolar disorder has various types, which manifest themselves in different categories. Bipolar disorder is characterized by manic episodes and hospitalization requirements. Although the medical conditions do not require diagnosis, treatment of bipolar 1 disorders is critical because the condition is critical. On the other hand, bipolar 11 involves having recurrent episodes of hypomanic episodes and major depressions. However, bipolar disorder II does not come with significant impairment in functionality.

3 Bipolar Disorder Causes and Types The causes of bipolar disorder are extremely complex and involve a wide variety of biological, environmental, and genetic factors. The genesis of bipolar disorder is triggered by childhood traumahat and internal factrs, which directly affect an individual's quality of life. People with bipolar disorder experience an increased risk of committing suicide. Despite the severity of the mental condition, little has been done to address the situation. A shift in emotional instability makes individuals with bipolar unpredictable. People tend to shy away from individuals with extreme mood swings because of their irritable behavior. During manic episodes, bipolar individuals are easily irritable and may feel euphoric, which might lead to impulsive behavior. Genetic Factors Bipolar disease tends to be genetically inherited through family genes. According to the genetic predisposition of parents, this results in an increased probability of children developing bipolar conditions. Studies show there is no specific gene associated with bipolar disorder. However, medical statistics show that patients with bipolar disorder had parents with a history of bipolar disorder. Neurochemical Imbalance Imbalances in neurological dopamine and serotonin have a huge impact on the occurrence of bipolar disorder. According to Kori et al.al dopamine and serotonin have a huge impact on the occurrence of bipolar disorder. According to Kori et al. (2020), neurochemicals regulate the emotions and moods of an individual. When neurotransmitters are impaired, it becomes a challenge to regulate an individual's mood. Consequently, this significantly contributes to more cases of bipolar disorder.

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4 Environmental Triggers The kind of environment in which an individual grows up has a huge impact on the development of bipolar disorder. For example, students who are raised in abusive, toxic families experience heightened stress. Consequently, environmental triggers plagued an individual with extreme mood swings and substance abuse. As a result, they develop symptoms of bipolar disorder, which show up in disruption of sleep and irritable behavior. Mania Episodes Manic episodes are characterized by a feeling of abnormally elevated self-esteem, increased energy levels, irritable moods, racing thoughts, and heightened goal orientation. Although others might register high levels of irritability, manic episodes are highly characterized by heightened happiness and goal orientation. According to Jauhar et al. (2019), manic is a top- level behavior that is desirable for everyone. However, manic patients express an extreme level of excitement, which is abnormal. For example, manic individuals have an abnormal feeling of becoming millionaires, but they lack the skills needed to write a plan and the money to finance a business. However, they will spend a great deal of time on social media and sleepless nights thinking about their project. Consequently, these symptoms lead to challenges in concentration, strained relationships, reckless behavior, and poor decision-making. The episodes might occur repeatedly over the years, causing the individual to neglect the most important aspects of life. Thus, individuals will start experiencing delayed seasons of repaying their debts and allocating time for their family and friends. Thus, they will be completely isolated and out of touch with activities outside of their jurisdiction.

5 Depressive Episodes Depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are expressed by increased sadness, a loss of interest in most activities, a feeling of self-worthlessness, decreased energy levels, and suicidal thoughts. These characters have a devastating effect on an individual’s efforts to maintain a relationship, attend daily activities, and perform academically. Depressive episodes cause negative physical health effects, causing pain and fatigue. Students tend to disapprove of reading and doing homework because they feel inadequate or not worthy of seeking their life goals. Additionally, athletes might express disapproving comments on their physics and metal strength in winning a competition. Repeated patterns of persistent sadness might limit the athlete's ability to maintain a regular training schedule (Durand & Barlow, 2015). The resulting impact of living a life without motivation might compel an individual to consider themselves failures in life. Consequently, this leads to low self-esteem whenever the individual cannot achieve their life goals. As a result, people with depressive episodes have an increased level of suicidal thoughts. Although depressive thoughts are the leading cause of death among youths, government initiatives to alleviate the situation are still very low. The measure to tackle the challenge is hampered by an individual’s character traits of pulling away from families, losing interest in activities, and abusing drugs. Thus, it is a huge challenge for clinical and government programs to have a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorder. Extreme mood swings Individuals with bipolar disorder express two extremes of alternating characters: depression and mania. Although the frequency and duration of the characters are widely alternating, they are expressed differently among different people. Some people may express rapid cycling from moods, while others may express a longer period of stay within the two

6 variables. Individuals with varying moods have emotional instability. A shift in emotional instability makes individuals with bipolar unpredictable. People tend to shy away from individuals with extreme mood swings because of their irritable behavior. During manic episodes, bipolar individuals are easily irritable and may feel euphoric, which might lead to impulsive behavior. On the other hand, people with depressive episodes increase their feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of emotion. Expressing two extremes of mood swings has a significant effect on an individual's ability to make good life choices and decisions. Additionally, mood swings have a huge impact on the individual's ability to cope with stress, handle daily challenges, and maintain a constant state of emotion. People tend to shy away from such individuals because their emotional instability is an impediment to other people's ability to work together due to negative sentiment and low morale. Thus, in most cases, bipolar individuals lose valuable friends and patterns in life. Impairment in social Extreme mood swings among bipolar individuals are associated with occupational functioning and social impairment. Individuals find it a challenge to maintain healthy relationships and seek occupational growth in their lives. Individuals might find it difficult to relate to other people during their manic episodes. At the same time, people find it a challenge to give them emotional support, especially when a bipolar patient does not express their ailment or show any inclination towards seeking treatment. Additionally, in employment, extreme mode swings lead to social impairment in the workplace and the pursuit of career goals. Love and work are two emotional domains that inform satisfaction in the workplace. However, changes in economic and political factors affect the dynamics of doing business and carrying out business activities. Consequently, this results in heightened stress and unpopular decisions, such as cuts

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7 and reforms. In order to successfully navigate murky economic times and political turmoil, individuals are required to work together as a unit under extreme pressure with a large work load. However, individuals with bipolar impairment do not have the capacity to handle extreme pressure, especially during mania situations. Therefore, deadlines and stress to deliver create a negative psychological impact on the individual's outcome. Co-occurring Conditions People with bipolar disorder experience high levels of drug and substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and attention deficits. These comorbid conditions complicate an individual's life and treatment programs. According to Azzopardi-Laros and Galanter (2019), approximately 14 percent of people in the United States experience anxiety disorder. The study notes that these people are more likely to have major depressive disorder and an expressive consumption of alcohol. In 2010, the total estimated amount of alcohol consumed in the United States was $250 billion. In the last decade, the figure is estimated to have more than doubled. The impact of abusing drugs has significantly affected the lives of alcohol abusers, forcing them into default on credit payments and deteriorating their medical health. According to Radua et al. (2023), excessive consumption of alcohol leads to liver corrosiveness. He notes that the treatment plan for liver corrosive is extremely expensive and complicated. Research shows that bipolar disorder greatly influences the consumption of alcohol. Individuals with bipolar disorder have a high frequency of abusing drugs as coping mechanisms for low self-esteem. Consequently, this leads to involvement in risky sexual behaviors. As a result, this significantly adds to the ever- increasing number of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. During mania episodes, people are more inclined to adopt risky lifestyles. Thus, bipolar diseases lead to co-

8 occurring conditions, which directly affect the quality of life of an individual. Care must be taken into consideration to ensure a diagnosis and appropriate medication are applied. Impact of Bipolar Disorder Individual′s Daily Life Manic episodes are characterized by high energy, talkativeness, euphoria, and poor decision- making abilities, which can lead to significant impairment in social functioning. During manic episodes, individuals experience a heightened sense of creativity, are all-powerful, and are destined for greatness. The feeling of increased productivity has the potential to swiftly turn into overcommitment and impulsivity, which can result in subpar work, missed deadlines, and strained relationships with coworkers and superiors ( Yatham et al., 2018) . Furthermore, the risky behavior frequently linked to manic episodes can result in impaired judgment, compromised decision-making, and hazardous activities that can endanger one's employment and career prospects. When living with bipolar disorder, the feeling of being largely disinterested or extremely productive can make it challenging to focus on a career path or maintain a full-time job. Moreover, manic episodes can cause emotions of irritation, agitation, and anxiety leading to confusion, disorientation, and emotions, which can be challenging to handle. Bipolar disorder can affect an individual's social life since it is impossible to determine their moods pattern or predict their stand. Manic episode-associated enhanced mood and energy can make people seem more gregarious and outgoing than usual, which others interpret as good. However, as the episode continues, people may get angry, irritated, and argumentative, which can sour interpersonal ties and cause disputes with family members. From romantic to friendship relationships, bipolar individuals can struggle to sustain long-term relationships or form new ones as their moods fluctuate. In addition, manic episodes can result in impulsive buying, drug or alcohol abuse, and other destructive behaviors that can harm interpersonal relationships as well

9 as financial insecurity. The intense emotional experiences and the racing thought can lead to overconfidence, causing individuals to overestimate their abilities and make impulsive decisions without considering the consequences of their actions. Bipolar disorder is characterized by depressive episodes involving persistent feelings of tearfulness, sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness, which affect an individual's daily life in all aspects. The ability of a person to operate at work or school can be negatively affected by depressive episodes since the symptoms occur nearly every day. People with depressive episodes generally feel miserable without a reason which can affect their relationships with others. For instance, they may find it challenging to focus, feel unmotivated, or become exhausted, making it difficult to interact with others or perform work effectively. Additionally, depressed episodes can make individuals unproductive at work due to a lack of concentration leading to missed deadlines, increased absenteeism, and poor productivity ( Avasthi & Grover, 2018) . Depressive episodes can make people feel cut off from other people and stop participating in activities they used to find enjoyable in social settings leading to loneliness and isolation. Depressive episodes are frequently connected with low self-esteem, harming social connections. They may feel alone and burdened because they believe they are a burden to others or have nothing to contribute. In addition, depressive episodes can be overwhelming and challenging to cope with the deep sadness, hopelessness, and despair. Thus, such individuals feel guilty or worthless, lowering their self-worth and affecting their overall well-being. Depressive disorder increases the feeling of hopelessness, frustration, and loss of interest in normal activities once enjoyed. As such, they may develop suicidal thoughts or find it challenging to achieve crucial goals. Also, depressive episodes affect an individual ability to reason rationally and make vital decisions. A person's ability to finish projects or accomplish a set goal may be significantly impacted at work and

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10 school due to a lack of concentration, memory, and motivation. Such intense emotion makes it difficult for individuals to engage in productive activities and rather they create a vicious cycle of negative emotions. Depressive episode affects how people think and behave, making it difficult doing day-to-day activities and affecting individual overall well-being. Rapid cycling is a form of bipolar disorder characterized by frequent mood swings which are random and unpredictable that mostly appear among young adults. Drugs and alcohol are chemicals that modify the mood. This leads to overdependence on drugs and addiction, as they find it difficult to survive without certain drugs. At the same time, certain people have been known to experience manic or depressed periods in response to alcohol and drugs. Drugs and alcohol might have adverse side effects when used with a prescription regimen for bipolar disorder. When bipolar individuals depend on substance abuse, it affects their abilities to perform daily and also leads to addiction. People may overuse drugs or alcohol to increase their euphoria when experiencing mania or manage their symptoms affecting their lifestyle, including job opportunities. Rapid cycling increases the risk of substance abuse and alcohol and the likelihood of self-harm, affecting individuals' overall well-being. Most individuals with bipolar disorder use alcohol or substances to cope with their symptoms and eliminate the depressive symptoms. Employed individuals with bipolar disorder find it challenging to maintain their job positions due to a lack of productivity and creativity. Individuals experiencing mania or hypomania experience a heightened sense of creativity; however, they find it difficult to achieve their goals due to a lack of concentration or depression. Furthermore, depressed individuals may feel lethargic, have trouble focusing, and lack desire, making it difficult to be productive and maintain their job positions. Bipolar disorder also increases stress levels which may make it difficult to operate at work ( Durand & Barlow, 2015) . Furthermore, people with bipolar disorder

11 may experience stigma or discrimination due to their condition affecting their productivity level at work. Every business aims to employ productive employees to establish a competitive advantage and maintain the top position in the business market. Since bipolar individuals find it difficult to maintain workplace productivity, most employers may not consider them due to fear of reduced productivity and loss. Due to focus, motivation, and attendance issues, they risk losing their employment ( McIntyre & Calabrese, 2019) . Due to the stigma attached to bipolar disease or the requirement for time off for treatment, they could also have trouble finding new employment. Bipolar disorder can lead to financial insecurity. Individuals who experience mania or hypomania may indulge in impulsive spending, gambling, or investing, which can cause financial difficulties. Individuals may lose their jobs during depressive or dysphoric episodes, resulting in financial difficulties. In addition, the price of medical care and prescription drugs may be high, placing a burden on finances as they must access medication to live a productive and healthy lifestyle. For instance, bipolar disorder patients might experience pleasure and a sensation of invincibility, which could influence their financial judgment hence blowing their funds or incurring debt by spending money they do not have, such as impulsive shopping binges where people buy stuff they do not need or cannot afford. Also, people with bipolar disorder may encounter financial difficulty during depressive or dysphoric episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized by a persistent risk of switching between remission and relapse, as well as recurrent depressive episodes and pathologically high moods characterized by increased energy and activity. As such, patients may have sleep loss, overconfidence, impaired focus, extreme talkativeness, and reckless behavior during these episodes ( McIntyre et al., 2022) . As a result, carrying out routine tasks and upholding interpersonal relationships may become

12 difficult, affecting all aspects of their life, including increased risk of suicide, which may rise during fast changes in the depressive state and mainly occur at the start and conclusion of episodes. For instance, during manic episodes, people may have heightened moods and more confidence but may also become agitated and angry. Manic episodes can cause powerful emotions that can cause impulsive conduct, including irresponsible spending, drug usage, unsafe sexual activity, and suicidal thoughts. Due to impulsive behavior's subsequent guilt, shame, and regret, an individual's mental well-being may be significantly affected. Furthermore, a person's emotional health can be affected by bipolar disorder, upsetting and making it difficult for a person to control their emotions. Bipolar disorder can make people feel distractibility and difficulty focusing during manic or hypomanic episodes, which affect their thinking ability. Additionally, they could have delusional thoughts, which affect their judgment and decision-making, and they may be unable to make critical life decisions. People who are depressed or dysphoric experience cognitive slowness, memory issues, and attention issues, which can affect their cognitive performance making it difficult to carry out daily duties, maintain relationships, and hold down a career. While experiencing thymic stability, bipolar patients struggle with cognitive issues ( Morton & Murray, 2020) . Individuals may go through severe bouts of melancholy, hopelessness, and despair during depressive periods and find it challenging to enjoy normal, enjoyable activities due to these powerful emotions, which might lower their motivation, energy, and involvement in life. A vicious cycle of unfavorable emotions might result from lacking motivation and enjoyment, which can worsen depressive and hopeless sentiments. Instability in a person's emotional state can also result from cycling between manic and depressed episodes.

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13 Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that can significantly affect individual daily life. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling episodes of manic and depressive moods, extreme mood swings, and societal impairment, affecting individuals' ability to regulate their everyday lives. Bipolar disorder can be caused by environmental triggers, neurochemical imbalances, and genetic factors leading to impulse behavior such as substance abuse, reckless spending, or self-harm behavior. Bipolar disorder can impact physical health as individuals experience changes in appetite, including sleep disturbances whereby individuals either sleep too much or too little. Individual social relationships are significantly affected because the individuals majorly suffer from low self-esteem and feel like a burden to others or have nothing to offer, leading to isolation and loneliness. Furthermore, bipolar disorder can result in intense sadness, hopelessness, and despair, which can be overwhelming and challenging to manage, leading to a decreased sense of self-worth. As such, individuals with bipolar disorder must seek treatment to manage depressive episodes and prevent the long-term negative impact of the disease.

14 References Avasthi, A., & Grover, S. (2018). Clinical practice guidelines for management of depression in elderly. Indian Journal of Psychiatry , 60 (Suppl 3), S341. https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0019-5545.224474 Azzopardi-Larios, D., & Galanter, C. A. (2019). Management of Common Co-occurring Conditions in Pediatric Mood Disorders. Clinical Handbook for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Mood Disorders, 423. Durand, V. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2015). Essentials of abnormal psychology . Cengage Learning. Jauhar, S., Ratheesh, A., Davey, C., Yatham, L. N., McGorry, P. D., McGuire, P., ... & Young, A. H. (2019). The case for improved care and provision of treatment for people with first- episode mania. The Lancet Psychiatry , 6 (10), 869-876. Kori, R. K., Mandrah, K., Hasan, W., Patel, D. K., Roy, S. K., & Yadav, R. S. (2020). Identification of markers of depression and neurotoxicity in pesticide exposed agriculture workers. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology , 34 (6), e22477. McIntyre, R. S., & Calabrese, J. R. (2019). Bipolar depression: the clinical characteristics and unmet needs of a complex disorder. Current medical research and opinion , 35 (11), 1993- 2005. McIntyre, R. S., & Calabrese, J. R. (2019). Bipolar depression: the clinical characteristics and unmet needs of a complex disorder. Current medical research and opinion , 35 (11), 1993- 2005. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2019.1636017 McIntyre, R. S., Alda, M., Baldessarini, R. J., Bauer, M., Berk, M., Correll, C. U., ... & Maj, M. (2022). The clinical characterization of the adult patient with bipolar disorder is aimed at

15 personalization of management. World Psychiatry , 21 (3), 364-387. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20997 Morton, E., & Murray, G. (2020). Assessment and treatment of sleep problems in bipolar disorder—A guide for psychologists and clinically focused review. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy , 27 (3), 364-377. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2433 Radua, J., Fortea, L., Goikolea, J. M., Zorrilla, I., Bernardo, M., Arrojo, M., ... & González- Pinto, A. (2023). Meta-analysis of the effects of adjuvant drugs in co-occurring bipolar and substance use disorder. Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental . Wittenberg, E., Barbosa, C., Hein, R., Hudson, E., Thornburg, B., & Bray, J. W. (2021). Health- related quality of life of alcohol use disorder with co-occurring conditions in the US population. Drug and alcohol dependence , 221 , 108558. Yatham, L. N., Kennedy, S. H., Parikh, S. V., Schaffer, A., Bond, D. J., Frey, B. N., ... & Berk, M. (2018). Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders , 20 (2), 97-170. https://doi.org/10.1111/bdi.12609

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