Manic Episode Sweethearts

Bipolar disorder is a very serious mental illness that can develop within an individual causing them a lot of social, emotional and physical stress. Bipolar disorder can be characterized by recurrent episodes of a change in mood. Each mood episode represents a drastic change from a person's usual mood and behavior as discussed by the National Institute of Mental Health (2014). In order to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder I an individual must have symptoms which would be defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care (NIMH 2014). Within the video Manic Episode-Sweethearts (1997) mania is introduced in the scene by the main female character. During this scene what resonated with me most was the fact that the …show more content…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2014) in bipolar disorder I depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks and in bipolar disorder II a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes are present. Within the video PBS Interview "Rapid Cycling" Short Film rapid cycling of manic and depressed moods are discussed. The speaker within the video expressed how difficult it is to balance the personalities that he feels during his cycling episodes. What resonated with me most throughout this video is the idea that an individual can lose their sense of identity when experiencing such drastic changes in mood. Losing a sense of self would be extremely socially challenging and I feel could cause many thoughts of confusion and self worth in an individual’s perceptions of themselves. Throughout the video the concept of feeling like an outcast and that the individual’s are spinning out of control in life is portrayed. I think that this disorder can cause a lot of stress in a person’s life affecting not only their individual self but their families and social life as