the role of occupational therapy with bipolar

Bipolar Disorders and Occupational Therapy
Name of the Student
Professor’s Name
Institute
Bipolar Disorders and Occupational Therapy
Introduction
Bipolar disorder (also referred as Manic-depressive illness) is a chronic mental illness that is accompanied by relapsing episodes of mania and depression. An individual in the manic phase experience either a sustained elated or a sustained irritable mood along with symptoms such as hyperactivity, insomnia, inflated self-esteem, distractibility, and impaired judgment. On the contrary, an individual in that depressed phase exhibit low and depressed mood along with the classical neurovegetative symptoms of depression (Tse & Walsh, 2001). The lifetime prevalence of bipolar and bipolar spectrum disorders is estimated to be 0.4 to 1.6%. This article presents a case study on bipolar disorder and the role played by occupational therapists in managing patients with BPD.
Case Study
The individual presented with mood swings from being angry to oversensitive at times. She often tended to lose control and felt like breaking things. She exhibited palpitations and apprehensions without any noticeable stimuli. She also had constrained relationship with her husband and suffered from during the winter. Further, she complained of getting wakened by even slight noises and dreamt vividly. Moreover, her speech tends to be fast and rapid. The thoughts and dreams along with palpitations reveal she suffered from mania. On the contrary, her episodes of depression were reflected through low mood and fast speech.

Role of Occupational Therapists in Managing BPD
Occupational therapists have the necessary skills to evaluate the scholastic potential in different individuals and the workplace supports that can impact an individual’s ability to work (Tse & Walsh, 2001). Hence, OTs should help individuals by developing a sense of hope in them regarding their scholastic potential and aptitude to work over the long term. OTs could play a significant role by rehabilitating individuals with mental disorders through productive engagement and employment (Anthony, 1994, Krupa et al., 1998).
References
Anthony WA (1994). Characteristics of people with psychiatric disabilities that are predictive
of entry into the rehabilitation process and successful employment. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal 17, 3–13
Krupa T, Lagarde M, Carmichael K, Hougham B, & Stewart H (1998). Stress, coping and the job search process: The experience of people with psychiatric disabilities in supported employ-
ment. Work, Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation 11, 155–62
Tse, S & Walsh, A (2001). How does work work for peoplewith bipolar affective disorder?
Occupational Therapy International, 8(3), 210–222.