Beh 225 Week 8 Assignment Diagnosis and Treatment

Elizabeth Dugan

BEH 225

July 10, 2010

Diagnosis and Treatment

It is estimated that as many as 5.7 million Americans are affected by Bipolar disorder, but the good news is that Bipolar disorder is treatable, and individuals with this ailment can still lead complete, productive lives ("Bipolar Disorder (Mania), n.d.). H. If Bipolar disorders in an individual go untreated; the consequences can be quite devastating. In manic phases, affected individuals may turn hyperactive and act irresponsibly, whereas in depressive phases, they might find themselves incapacitated to perform any activity effectively at all.

Bipolar disorders are hard to diagnose there are no definite medical tests that diagnose bipolar disorder. There are a number of physical disorders as well as psychiatric disorders that bipolar can be mistaken for. The way to diagnose bipolar disorders is first recognizing the systems then the Dr's will take a complete medical history and physical examine, a compete psychiatric history, a family history of medical and psychiatric concerns, and an evaluation of current symptoms. After all this is taken and there is no medical condition and no other psychiatric disorder that better accounts for the symptoms then the patient could be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Once a doctor determines that an individual has Bipolar disorder, then the treatment and medication options will be explained. The doctor may also refer the individual to a psychologist, counselor, or a mental health professional who specializes in Bipolar disorder treatment. A personalized treatment plan will then be developed by the concerned healthcare providers. Through treatment, most people with Bipolar disorder receive significant relief from their suffering. The recurrence of mood cycles necessitates that the treatment plan should not just emphasize on the acute crisis associated with mania or depression, but also on long-term measures for preventive care.

In Bipolar disorder's acute treatment phase, primary treatment constitutes medications that stabilize mood. To treat acute mania, mood stabilizers, along with atypical antipsychotics are the drugs of choice ("Bipolar Disorder Treatment", 2007). To provide temporary relief from anxiety and insomnia, sedatives may be used. To treat acute depression, mood stabilizers, along with antidepressants are prescribed ("Bipolar Disorder Treatment", 2007). Different people react differently to drugs, so the right drug combination for the