“The great hope of society is in individual character “ (Channing) According to the dictionary, “Individualism” is a social theory that advocates the liberty, rights, or independence of an action of an a specific person.(Dictionary) Individualism is being your own person and making your own choices that set you apart from the world. I did research on the individuality of a specific mental illness. I was curious how much of the world is made up of people who suffer from bipolar disorder, since it is something that affects me directly, and how much it affects our roles in society. I predict that it effects every aspect of our lives and that it may be hereditary or caused by trauma. I predict that it is more common to have mental illnesses than I realize.
One of the studies that I found stated that people who suffer from early childhood trauma are more prone to grow up with some form of psychiatric disorder. (Hatva, 2010) Trauma can cause bipolar symptoms to flair. Bipolar disorder is distinguished by crippling occurrences of hopelessness and higher elevated moods (mania or hypomania). For most sick people, depressive signs and symptoms are more widespread than the elevation of moods or jumbled symptoms, and therefore have been announced in a person of a specific kind research to force or inflict a much larger heavy load on affected specific people, caregivers, and society.(Miller et al. 2014)
Through research, I have found out that Bipolar disorder affects around 5.7 million adult Americans, or approximately 2.6% of the United States citizens 18 years of age and up on a yearly basis. (National Institute of Mental Health) The illness can begin as early as childhood or as late as your 40’s, though it typically has a median of age 25. Bipolar disorder can be found in people of all age, race, and nationality. (5)
According to the National Institute of Mental health, “Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading disability in the world.” That number was much higher than I had originally anticipated. Children whose parents are affected by bipolar disorder are more likely to have it themselves. Though it is hereditary, that is not the sole way that it can happen. Bipolar disorder can be hard to live with due to the erratic emotions flowing through. It can be hard for someone with bipolar disorder to maintain a job and function in society in the same way that someone without the disease can. Around one in five people with bipolar disorder commits suicide. (5) According to my phycologist, bipolar disorder can be hard to diagnose.
Though bipolar is treatable, there is no cure. Bipolar disorder is made up of Mania or hypomania and depression. There are two types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder type 1 consists of Mania, whereas type two experiences hypo-mania. Signs of mania can include promiscuity, extreme highs, addiction, increase in energy levels, money spending issues, and much more. Signs of depression include fatigue, sadness, emptiness, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and more.(6)
From what I have found, my analysis was correct. Bipolar disorder can be hard in society. More people commit suicide that have the disorder than I had realized. I feel that with treatment and possible medication, people who suffer from bipolar disorder can lead a somewhat normal life. I fear that the depressive part of bipolar disorder is just as dangerous as the manic side of bipolar.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was in the fifth grade. I was put on a mood stabilizer in order to help control the mood swings which has helped me tremendously. Most people do not know that I have bipolar disorder unless I tell them so. Growing up with bipolar disorder, I had to understand that my emotions are simply higher than the average person’s. It was really rough to try to learn to separate my feelings from casual discussions.
Having bipolar disorder not only effects those who have bipolar disorder, but it also directly effects those who love an individual that has bipolar disorder. It effects my family because they have to witness the struggles with the disability to concentrate on simple tasks. They also have to witness the pain that I go through when I lose someone I love, since my emotions have a higher scale than the average person. Though there is a lot that makes having bipolar disorder challenging, it is not all bad. Having bipolar disorder also makes the good emotions that much stronger. I am able to love deeper than the average person due to the hypo-mania that I experience. Hypo-mania is like being in a room filled with cute little puppies while eating an ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles.
References
William Ellery Channing from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_ellery_channing_378661
www.Dictionary.com/browse/individualism
Hatva, E. (2010, February 1). Childhood Trauma and Depression. Retrieved February 18, 2019, from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/childhood-trauma-and-depression
Miller, S., Dell'Osso, B., & Ketter, T. (2014, December). The prevalence and burden of Bipolar Depression. Retrieved from https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1016/S0165-0327(14)70003-5
Bipolar Disorder Statistics - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. (n.d.). from https://secure2.convio.net/dabsa/site/SPageServer/?pagename=education_statistics_bipolar_disorder
Mental Health America from: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/bipolar-disorder