Diagnosing manic depression is not as easy as diagnosing someone with fever or cancer. A definitive medical test is nowhere near the medical industry. What psychiatrists do now is to identify different physical conditions and a couple of psychological disorders which display signs that may be mistaken for manic depression (Maj, et. al. , 2002, p. 63). A psychiatrist will have to complete a physical exam and a medical history. He will also complete a patient’s psychiatric history since there may be other disorders, aside from bipolar disorder, which the patient may be suffering from.
The mood swings must be identified, including their duration and severity. All possible psychiatric concerns must be addressed, including the family’s psychiatric and medical issues, since bipolar disorder is highly genetic and biological in nature (Maj, et. al. , 2002, p. 63). The Causes of the Illness Scientists are still working on identifying all the possible risk factors or causes of manic depression. Most of them agree that there are many factors affecting the development of manic depression which act together to produce the illness. One factor cannot just be singled out (Maj, et. al. , 2002, p. 63).
Since this condition runs in the families, what scientists are doing right now is to look for specific genes that produce the illness. They also use identical twins as part of their studies because they share the same genes, which later on show that the same genes influence the development of the disorder (Maj, et. al. , 2002, p. 63). Gene research has been the focus of determining the causes and risk factors of manic depression. It is the same method that suggested that a single gene is not enough to cause the illness.
Different genes act together to form the condition, along with other factors around the patient’s environment, causing the development of the disease (Johnson and Leahy, 2005, p. 234). Brain-imaging studies also aid in the identification of the causes of manic depression. The images of the brain help scientists examine the activity and the structure of the brain without having to go through surgical procedures. Some of the brain-imaging techniques used these days are magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography.
The structure and activity of the brain of people with manic depression disorder are different from those of healthy individuals. These days, advanced tools are being produced to find genes and determine other risk factors of manic depression (Johnson and Leahy, 2005, p. 234). Available Treatments Since studies show that patients with this condition are at a risk of switching from one episode to another, they are usually given antidepressant medications. Drugs that stabilize the mood are prescribed, too, to protect them from the abrupt and drastic mood changes.
Mood stabilizers include valporate and lithium. Atypical antipsychotic drugs are also prescribed, and examples of which are ziprasidone, quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine and clozapine. Aripiprazole is also being prescribed since this is also effective in relieving the symptoms of other conditions like schizophrenia and psychosis. Other drugs include benzodiazepine and zolpidem (Johnson and Leahy, 2005, p. 234). The family should also help in the treatment, along with other therapies that should alleviate symptoms.
References
Bauer, M. , Kilbourne, A. , Ludman, E. , and Greenwald, D. (2008). Overcoming Bipolar Disorder: A Comprehensive Workbook for Managing Your Symptoms and Achieving Your Life Goals. New Harbinger Publications. Johnson, S. and Leahy, R. (2005). Psychological Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Guilford Press. Ketter, T. (2005). Advances in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. American Psychiatric Pub. Klein, D. and Wender, P. (2005). Understanding Depression: A Complete Guide to its Diagnosis and Treatment. United States: Oxford University Press. Maj, M. , Akiskal, H. , Lopez-Ibor, J. J. , and Sartorius, N. (2002). Bipolar Disorder. John Wiley and Sons.