Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Running Head: Bipolar Disorder through the Lens of Psychodynamic And Behavior Theories     Shaulova 1            

                                Bipolar Disorder through the Lens of Psychodynamic
                                                        And Behavior Theories

            Leah Shaulova
Touro College
Machon L'Parnassa

Bipolar Disorder through the Lens of Psychodynamic And Behavior Theories       Shaulova 2

Bipolar disorders are a category of mood disorders characterized by unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. These unusual shifts are different from the ordinary ups and downs that everyone goes through. Bipolar disorder has long been considered as an exclusively adult disorder of which the symptoms usually appear between twenty and forty. Bipolar disease beginning in childhood can now be recognized and treated by doctors( Ghaemi & Martin, 2007).
The symptoms of bipolar disorder in children involve marked changes in mood and energy. Persistent states of extreme elation or agitation accompanied by high energy are called mania. Persistent states of extreme sadness or irritability accompanied by low energy are called depression. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic   irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes (Henin,2007).
Behaviors reported by parents in children diagnosed with bipolar disorder may include an expansive or irritable mood, extreme sadness or lack of interest in play, and rapidly changing moods that last a few hours to a few days. Some children have rages, separation anxiety, and/ or defiance of authority. Some experience hyperactivity, agitation and distractibility, bedwetting and night terrors, and strong and frequent cravings mostly for carbohydrates and sweets. Other children have impaired judgment, impulsivity, racing...