Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Johnson, Gustavo J. Rey, Mark A. Blais, Ana Rivas-Vazquez (2002). What is really very alarming about this type of mental disorder is that a lot of people who are afflicted with bi-polar disorder are prone to suicidal thoughts. In fact, about 19% of those who suffer from this disease are exposed to lifetime risk of suicide (Rivas-Vazquez, Rafael A., Sheri L. Johnson, Gustavo J. Rey, Mark A. Blais, Ana Rivas-Vazquez (2002). You see, bi-polar is a chronic disorder meaning it keeps coming back to haunt the sufferer. Bi-poplar disorder is one of the most common chronic and severe mental disorders that often go undiagnosed and untreated for a long time. A lot of people who are suffering from this type of ailment do not even know that they bi-polar disorder and they go through life without even getting treatment for this type of disorder. In most cases, people who have bi-polar disorder are diagnosed with depression (Supplement to The Journal of Family Practice (November 2007). Because of misdiagnosis and poor treatment, many people who are suffering from this disorder has to suffer through severe bouts of mental disturbances without even getting the right type of treatment. This situation can be quite detrimental to the mental state of the patient and may lead the patient to take some drastic measures, such as suicide, to end his or her suffering. Fortunately, this situation can be prevented. Although bi-polar disorder is a complex medical illness that involves the human brain, with proper diagnosis and treatment, a person who is suffering from this type of ailment can eventually recover from a severe episode of bi-polar disorder and lead a normal life. Bi-polar disorder is more commonly known as manic depression. Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual that most psychiatrists use to diagnose mental disorders, the most reliable