My Experience with Mental Illness

The prime cause of bipolar disorder is based on abnormalities on various brain chemicals and circuits. For example, the brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters that consist of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine are the active chemicals that are in charge of both bodily functions and brain activities (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, 2016). More ever, abnormalities amounting to serotonin and noradrenaline level have been associated with psychiatric issues like mood disorders that influence bipolar disorder and depression. The nerve vessels around the brain that control emotional reward and pleasure are facilitated with dopamine. Therefore, any disruption of dopamine can influence mental disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis. This can cause distortion in irrational and reality thought behaviors and patterns.
Finally, serotonin is linked with various body activities like sleep, eating, wakefulness, sexual activity, memory, and impulsivity (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, 2016). Therefore, abnormal production of serotonin in the brain can induce mood disorders like bipolar disorder and depression. Alternatively, bipolar disorder is also genetically influenced since individuals who have a first-degree relative can inherit the traits. In addition to that, environmental factors such as substance abuse, excessive caffeine, stress, excessive medications, divorce, antidepressant medication, hormonal imbalances, and other devastating personal life impact can contribute to bipolar disorder.

Keywords: bipolar, disorders, medication, therapy, mood, and depression
My Experience with Mental Illness
The journey of caring and treating patients with mental illness is not that easy. Personally, my close cousin called Mark developed depression when he was at the age of ten years. I remember him looking at the sky, and he immediately began feeling deeper emotions that later ended up in intense sadness. He missed several high school exams due to panic attacks that happened on a regular basis. Hence, his mother was forced to take him to a primary doctor in the hope of getting his anxiety and depression under control. After several checks up, the doctor confirmed that my cousin Mark was suffering from bipolar disorder. This was terrifying news for the entire family. Furthermore, living with him was not an easy task because it required understanding and humility. For instance, he was suffering from various visual hallucinations, ADHD, restless, depression, and regular mood swings. He immediately started to show antisocial behaviors that made it hard for him to establish or maintain friendships.
Consequently, the prime cause of bipolar disorder is associated with particular brain chemicals and circuits abnormalities. For example, the brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters that consist of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine are the active chemicals in charge of both bodily functions and brain activities. For instance, Mark checks up results highlighted that he had abnormal serotonin content in his brain. In summary, serotonin is linked with various body activities like sleep, eating, wakefulness, sexual activity, memory, and impulsivity. Therefore, abnormal production of serotonin in Mark`s brain induced mood disorders like bipolar disorder and depression.
Contrarily, Mark`s bipolar disorder condition was suspected to have been as a result of an inherited genetic trait. This is because his late father suffered from that condition. Additionally, Mark`s bipolar disorder condition was triggered by the devastating death of his father ten years ago. At first, Mark`s sadness during the entire grieving episode was a non-issue since the funeral was in place and everyone was in a sad mood. However, after one year, Mark`s sadness upgraded to a depression and abnormal personalities started to resurface such as missing classes, lack of concentration, antisocial behaviors, restlessness, and mood swings.
Simultaneously, he was given lithium medication that assists in mood stabilization and, in the end, it reduced his depression. The medication is not entirely effective since it did not work when Mark was experiencing rapid cycling forms and mixed episodes of bipolar disorder. This is because lithium usually takes two weeks for it to be fully effective (Mind for Better Mental Health, 2016). Secondly, antidepressant medication also assisted Mark to control his mood. Even though this medication can assist in the treatment of bipolar disorder, many experts think it can influence mood destabilizing effect to the patient (Mind for Better Mental Health, 2016). Therefore, it is not effective enough. Lastly, Mark was also subjected in various antipsychotic medications when he started to hallucinate, and it assisted him in mood stabilization.
In conclusion, Mark was incorporated in a series of psychotherapy that included interpersonal, behavioral, social rhythm and cognitive therapy (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). These series of therapies were aimed at improving Mark`s relationship building, mood regulation, sustain normal sleeping patterns, and reducing his stress. Additionally, he was incorporated in support groups that assist him to cope with his bipolar disorder condition. The therapy sections were effective since Mark was able to learn some coping skills and he can now establish or maintain relationship easily (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Finally, due to encouragement from the support groups, he has enrolled for college education in a special school, and we hope he succeeds in his future dream.
References
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.(2016).Guide to Depression and Bipolar Disorder.
Retrieved from. http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/guide1.pdf
Mind for Better Mental Health.(2016). Understanding Bipolar Disorder.
Retrieved from. https://www.mind.org.uk/media/2699032/mind_bipolar_web.pdf
National Institute of Mental Health.(2016). Bipolar Disorder.
Retrieved from. http://ipsi.uprrp.edu/opp/pdf/materiales/bipolar_easy.pdf