Question 1
The mental disorder chosen is bipolar disorder. This is a condition that is characterized by the shifts in the moods as well as the major changes in the activity and energy levels. This disorder usually comes in shifts in the elevated moods accompanied by periods of depression. This elevation in the moods can come in the form of either mania or hypomania. The effective diagnosis of bipolar is essential to ensure proper early treatment. However, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is usually a complex process and can result in delays or inappropriate therapy (Hirschfeld, 2014). Even though the major symptoms for bipolar disorder is usually mania and hypomania episodes, patients mainly mention symptoms of depression and deny having signs of moods elevation.
The right diagnosis of bipolar can be conducted by asking questions about the presence of hypomania and mania signs in the patients who claim to have depression. There is a need to identify and differentiate between the bipolar depression and the usual unipolar depression while making a diagnosis for bipolar. The evaluation to determine if one has a bipolar may include the physical examination. The doctor can recommend a physical examination and lab tests to identify the existence of any medical problem that could be causing the symptoms (Grande et al., 2016). Also, the doctor can refer the patient to the psychiatric assessment where the talks about the thoughts, moods, feelings, and behavior patterns can be discussed. The psychiatric may also ask about the daily record of the moods and sleep pattern to identify the presence of mania or hypomania symptoms.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Question 2
According to Kosyluk et al. (2016), the most common myth about mental illness is that mentally ill people are violent. Many people tend to relate the mental illness with violence, a move that leads to prejudice and discrimination about people with a mental disorder. Because people have a prejudice that mentally ill people are violent, many tend to isolate and discriminate them with the fear that they can turn violent any time. However, studies have shown that people with mental health problems are less likely to be violent, with only 3% of people with serious mental illnesses demonstrating aggressive signs. Instead, they are more likely to be the victims of violent acts rather than themselves engaging in violence. The effects of such myths lead to low self-esteem and fear on the people suffering from mental illnesses. At the same time, stigmatizing beliefs about the competency and abilities of individuals with mental illness can lead to compromised individual financial autonomy and restricted opportunities. As a result, these individuals suffer on one side with the symptoms of the disease, and on the other hand, they are challenged with the stereotypes and prejudice resulting from the misconceptions.
Question 3
I was aware of the myths that people with mental illnesses are violent, unacceptable, and are less competent and limited abilities. In the past, I believed that people with mental illnesses are violent and less competent. I acquired the information from social interaction with other people who help a misconception and prejudice against individuals suffering from mental illnesses. Holding a misconception, prejudice, and stereotype against such people in the society have proved to have a detrimental effect on their lives. It is important that people understand the effects of such misconceptions and adopt the modern understanding of the mental illness. Labeling people with mental illness as being violent, incompetent, or socially unacceptable lowers the self-esteem and discriminate against such people in the community. While on one side, they are already struggling with the symptoms of the mental disorders which requires the community support, on the other hand, they struggle to manage the prejudice and misconceptions that people hold about them (Warman, Phalen & Martin, 2015). In the end, some fear seeking treatment due to stigmatization, and this leads to reduced quality of life.
References
Grande, I., Berk, M., Birmaher, B., & Vieta, E. (2016). Bipolar disorder. The Lancet , 387 (10027), 1561-1572.
Hirschfeld, R. M. (2014). Differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Journal of affective disorders , 169 , S12-S16.
Kosyluk, K. A., Al-Khouja, M., Bink, A., Buchholz, B., Ellefson, S., Fokuo, K., ... & Powell, K. (2016). Challenging the stigma of mental illness among college students. Journal of adolescent health , 59 (3), 325-331.
Warman, D. M., Phalen, P. L., & Martin, J. M. (2015). Impact of a brief education about mental illness on the stigma of OCD and violent thoughts. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders , 5 , 16-23.
