Nurs 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches To Treat Psychopathology

Assessing and Treating Patients With Bipolar Disorder 1NURS 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches to Treat PsychopathologyAssignment Wk.5- Assessing and Treating Patients With Bipolar Disorder01/03/2021Assessing and Treating Patients With Bipolar DisorderAssessing and Treating Patients With Bipolar Disorder 2Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that causes periodic shifts in mood through episodes of dysthymia, depression, hypomania, and mania (Stern, Fava, Wilens, & Rosenbaum, 2016). BPD is characterized by periods of depressed or elevated/irritable mood that last for weeks to years. There are different types of BPD, which includes and not limited to; Bipolar 1 disorder characterized by the presence of at least one acute manic episode that lasts at least 7days, Bipolar II disorder, characterized by hypomania and longer depressive episodes, Cyclothymic disorder is defined by periods of hypomanic symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms lasting for at least two years (1 year in children and adolescents). Patients with BPD typically present with mood episodes that include periods of unusually intense emotion, changes in sleep patterns and activity levels, and uncharacteristic behaviors, often without recognizing their likely harmful or undesirable effects (National Institute of MentalHealth, 2020).Treatment strategies for patients with BPD are divided into two stages; the Acute phase focusing on minimizing