Compare and Contrast Two Mental Illnesses
Schizophrenia vs. Bipolar Disorder
Angela M. Powell
English Composition I
Kim Elliott-White
April 18, 2011
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Brain disorders are commonly misunderstood due to the actions of the person living with the disorder. Education about brain disorders should decrease the misunderstanding of the disorders, and increase the support for those suffering with the disorder. A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual and which is not part of normal …show more content…
Those challenges may include: communication, self care, work and
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relationships. Patients who receive regular psychosocial treatment are more likely to continue taking their medications and are less likely to relapse or become hospitalized for the illness. Treatments for people with bipolar disorder help the person gain better control of their mood changes or related symptoms.
Because bipolar disorder is chronic, the treatment plan is very similar to that of schizophrenia. It consists of medications and psychotherapy to prevent and reduce symptom severity.
Medications prescribed for bipolar disorder are separated into three categories. These three categories are mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medications and antidepressants. Mood stabilizing medications help control the abrupt mood changes in someone with bipolar disorder. Lithium, neurontin, and topamax are some examples. “Atypical” antipsychotic medications are given to relieve symptoms of severs mania or psychosis in a person with bipolar disorder. Risperdal, geodon, abilify and seroquel are all examples of the antipsychotic medications used to treat bipolar disorder and some of the same medications are used to treat schizophrenia. Antidepressant medications are also prescribes to treat symptoms of depression in bipolar disorder. Paired up with a