Case Study: Bipolar I Disorder

The client for this case analysis is a 33-year-old Caucasian female. She is married and has three young children. She is unemployed and stays in the home caring for her children. The patient has a history of manic and mixed episodes of mania and depression; she has been hospitalized for manic episodes that led to marked impairment in her functioning. She currently presents symptoms of a mixed episode. She alternates between mania and depression. Mania is characterized by elevated and irritable mood with feelings of inflated self-esteem, decreased sleep needs, racing thoughts, and extreme talkativeness. This is followed by symptoms of depressed mood with a loss of appetite, fatigue, lack of interest in caring for herself or her children, inability to sleep, and marked feelings of worthlessness. She has been prescribed lithium in the past but fails to comply with her treatment and reports that it doesn't help her much. She was able to function while taking her medication but stopped compliance three weeks ago. In addition she is faced with a current life-stressor, her mother being diagnosed with cancer.

The client was brought to therapy by her husband who is fear

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ked diminished interest, significant weight loss or appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, worthlessness or guilty feelings, etc.. Symptoms and Course The mean age of onset of this disorder is mid-teens to early 20s, with most showing symptoms by age 25 years; early onset is associated with a more sever course of illness. Symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode include: tearfulness, irritability, brooding, anxiety, and rumination, with somatic complaints. These symptoms tend to develop over days to weeks with a varied duration; untreated episodes last 6 months or longer. Anxiety may be found during a prodromal period. The depressive episode usually ends with a remission of symptoms and premorbid functioning; additional depressive symptoms may last many years. Manic Episodes include symptoms such as: resistance to treatment, impulsive travel with loss of contact with caretakers, changed appearance, unethical behavior, and poor judgement. Mood may shift rapidly to anger or depression. Mania may start in adolescence but the mean onset age is early 20s. Mania usually begins suddenly with rapid escalation over a few days. Episodes tend to occur following psychosocial stressors and
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Approximate Word count = 2020
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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