Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents Essays -- health, spectrum disorder

Case Study In this paper, I will present a case study in which I will describe the struggles of living with an adolescent diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I will discuss the case, the family relationships, the causes and diagnosis, and the treatment options currently available to those with bipolar disorder in general. The purpose of my paper is to make the reader aware of what goes on in the life of an adolescent with bipolar disorder type II. VR is a vibrant, beautiful, fun loving 17 year old. She is witty, creative and has a deep passion for dance. Over the last couple of years however, there are many times when she becomes so sad that it is difficult for her to function. She will go to sleep immediately after school and still have a hard time getting up in the morning. My parents have received numerous phone calls from her teachers advising us that she will fall asleep in class and this is after having slept 12 hours the prior night. During these times of sadness, VR refuses to talk with her friends. In fact, she refuses to talk to anyone or do any of the activities she so thoroughly enjoys. VR also has times when she is extremely full of energy and nothing stops her. Although this doesn’t happen as often, this excess energy is much more extreme than normal adolescent behavior. When she experiences these bouts of excess energy, VR talks non-stop. She talks so fast that people have a hard time comprehendin g what she is saying. It is during these episodes that she will go nights without any sleep and still function normally. In addition to days of complete sadness or excessive energy she also has to deal with erratic menstrual cycles. During these times, she gets extremely bad headaches, throws up, and bleeds qui... ...ents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1, 439-449. Lewinsohn, P.M., Seeley, J.R., & Klein, D.N. (2003). Bipolar disorders during adolescence. Acta Psychiatry Scan, 108(418), 47-50. Miklowitz, D.J. (2007). The role of the family in the course and treatment of bipolar disorder. Psychological Science, 16(4), 192-194. Morris, C.D., Miklowitz, D.J., & Waxmonsky, J.A. (2007). Family-focused treatment for bipolar disorder in adults and youth. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(5), 433-445. Sullivan, A.E., & Miklowitz, D.J. (2010). Family functioning among adolescents with bipolar disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(1), 60-67. Wilkinson, G.B., Taylor, P., & Holt, J.R. (2002). Bipolar disorder in adolescence: Diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 24(4), 348-357.