Volume : 10, Issue : 10, OCT 2024

BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER: MANIC SYMPTOMS

ANAM PARVEZ

Abstract

The subject of this case study is Mrs. P, a woman in her 57th year who has been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), primarily experiencing manic symptoms. BPAD is a long-term mental health condition that impairs social, professional, and interpersonal functioning. It is marked by periods of mood elevation (mania or hypomania) and depression. With a history of episodic mood disorders spanning the previous four years, Mrs. P's clinical presentation is distinctive for her irritability, excessive talking, compulsive material collecting, emotional labiality, and decreased need for sleep. Her medical history has been characterized by intervals of clinical relief interspersed with relapses, frequently brought on by irregular medication compliance. Significant psychosocial stressors, such as her husband's long-standing alcoholism and the devastating loss of her daughter soon after her divorce, have further exacerbated Mrs. P's condition. She has a family history of schizophrenia, so these pressures have probably added to the complexity and persistence of her symptoms.

The purpose of the case study is to investigate the relationship between Mrs. P's psychosocial environment and her mental health symptoms, specifically focusing on how pressures in life might both cause and prolong manic episodes. It emphasises the value of all-encompassing and ongoing care, which includes supportive therapies in addition to pharmaceutical interventions like antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Her ability to better stick to her treatment plan and take care of her symptoms at home was greatly enhanced by family support and instruction. The study highlights the difficulties in treating BPAD in an older adult who also has chronic stressors and coexisting medical illnesses. This highlights the necessity for a multifaceted approach to treatment that takes into account the biological and psychosocial aspects of the patient's disease. In order to ensure that relapses are avoided, it also highlights the necessity of ongoing monitoring and care. Our goal in presenting this case is to advance knowledge about the management of BPAD, especially in situations when social and familial dynamics are critical to the patient's health.

Keywords

BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER (BPAD), MANIA, MOOD DISORDERS, PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS- MEDICATION ADHERENCE, FAMILY HISTORY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA, ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, OLDER ADULT PSYCHIATRY, PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT,SUPPORTIVE THERAPY

Article : Download PDF

Cite This Article

-

Article No : 6

Number of Downloads : 12

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

2. Geddes, J. R., & Miklowitz, D. J. (2013). Treatment of bipolar disorder. The Lancet, 381(9878), 1672-1682.

3. Grande, I., Berk, M., Birmaher, B., & Vieta, E. (2016). Bipolar disorder. The Lancet, 387(10027), 1561-1572.

4. Perlis, R. H., & Ostacher, M. J. (2016). Bipolar disorder in the elderly: what’s different? Current Psychiatry, 15(1), 11-17.

5. Vázquez, G. H., & Lolich, M. (2020). Long-term outcomes of bipolar disorder. World Psychiatry, 19(2), 228-229.