Background: Dr. Calabrese
1. What are the two categories of Mood Disorders (List)?
2. What is the main category of drug used to treat Bipolar Disorder?
The main category of drugs which is used to treat Bipolar Disorder is a group of mood stabilizers
3. List 4 symptoms of Major Depression.
The known symptoms of Major Depression are feeling sad, changes in a person’s ration (eating more or less),decreased interest in doing regular activities and low energy or fatique.
4. What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder?
In case of Bipolar Disorder people have depression, and only then they have mood swings.
5. List 3 symptoms of a Manic Episode.
Racing thoughts, impulse or risky behavior, irritability.
Denise
1. What comorbid disorder did Denise experience?
It was bipolar disorder.
2. What happened to Denise’s children when she sought out treatment?
She saw that she couldn’t handle with the kids anymore, so she took them to center for children.
3. What happened after she was given valium? How did she react?
It didn’t do much. She just earned herself a valium dependece.
4. What would happen when she stopped taking medication?
She thought that it would be worse and she wouldn’t make it out alive.
5. What evidence do we have that her disorder was most likely genetic?
She had seen her mother scrubbing the floor or washing the wall in the middle of the night. Also her brother and son died because of suicide.
Melissa (skip the second individual and go to 22:42 minutes)
1. When did Melissa first find out that she had Bipolar Disorder?
She discovered that in 2007 first.
2. How did she feel about the drug lithium?
She wasn’t too sure about that because people have been treated with lithium for a long time.
3. Describe her homicidal thoughts and what did her doctor suggest?
She wanted to hurt people she saw on TV. But later she wanted to hurt people she knew. At that moment she realized that she needed help. Doctor suggested ECT.
4. What is ECT? (As described by the doctor)
Its full name is elecroconvulsive therapy. The sense of this therapy lies in inducing the seizures elecrtically. This way the seizures work as antidepressant.
5. How did Melissa respond to ECT?
She said it had been wonderful. She considers it as her life saviour. She thinks she has a happy life now.
