Unipolar and Bipolar

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Unipolar and Bipolar
PSY/270
06/10/2014

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Unipolar and Bipolar

There are a variety of underlying issues that cause unipolar and bipolar disorder. Even though there is several treatment options for both conditions, Doctors don't completely understand what causes them. It is believed that these mood disorders are hereditary and that lifestyles and environmental factors play an important role determining the severity.

Scientists have discovered a link between chemicals in the brain and depression.   It’s suggested that if you have a lower serotonin and or norepinephrine level it can be an underlying cause for a mood disorder (Nauert, R. (2006). To understand and diagnose unipolar and bipolar disorder correctly you must first understand what they are and what their symptoms are.  

Unipolar is defined as a mental illness causing depressive episodes that can be both severe and debilitating.   There is a huge difference between someone who is having a rough time and someone who is clinically depressed.   To be diagnosed with unipolar disorder doctors must look at the symptoms that person displays, their risk factors and family history.   The symptoms of unipolar include but are not limited to: inability to concentrate, apathetic behavior, irritability, withdrawal from social activities, suicidal

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thoughts and or disturbance in eating or sleeping patterns.   Some people suffering from unipolar also experience masked depression.   This is where the person appears to be fine on the outside.   They might have a great deposition on the outside but really feeling depressed internally, or they might constantly complain of ailments, fatigue or aches and pains.

Bipolar disorder on the other hand is a different kind of mental disorder but still in the same depression family. People who...