4-1 Discussion: Emotional Disorders
As a mental health condition, Bipolar Disorder (BP) causes extreme energy level and mood
shifts. Manic episodes, also known as mania, and depressive episodes are both common in people with
bipolar disorder. Manic episodes are times when a person's mood is abnormally high or irritable. The
mood changes that everyone experiences on a regular basis do not compare to the ones experienced by
individuals with BP in severity as they may result in slowed thinking and acting, which can make it
difficult for you to go about your daily activities. Bipolar disorder comes in a variety of forms with
varying signs and degrees of severity (Dunleavy, B. P., Métraux, J., Pugle, M., Vaughn, L., Young, A.,
Migala, J., & Patino, E.). “Bipolar I is marked by manic episodes, and the vast majority of people with
bipolar I also experience major depressive episodes. Bipolar II is characterized by major depressive
episodes as well as episodes of hypomania (which is less severe than full mania) and in-between periods
of a stable mood” (Dunleavy, B. P., Métraux, J., Pugle, M., Vaughn, L., Young, A., Migala, J., & Patino, E.).
Additionally, there is a milder form of bipolar disorder which is less severe and have alternating
depressive episodes for a period of at least one year in children and at least two years in adults called
cyclothymia (Dunleavy, B. P., Métraux, J., Pugle, M., Vaughn, L., Young, A., Migala, J., & Patino, E.). An
individual who experiences abnormal but significant elevations in mood, but does not meet the criteria
for a bipolar diagnosis, he or she “may be diagnosed with ‘other specified and unspecified bipolar and
related disorders’” (Dunleavy, B. P., Métraux, J., Pugle, M., Vaughn, L., Young, A., Migala, J., & Patino, E.).
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a mental health condition in which a child
frequently becomes furious and throws temper tantrums about issues that don't seem to be a major
deal. Children with DMDD struggle to regulate their emotions on the same level as other children their
age. Usually appearing before the age of ten, DMDD “is diagnosed when a child has temper tantrums
that happen three or more times a week on average, along with an angry mood between tantrums”
(Depression & Mood Disorders). Any shift in the symptoms lasts for a period of less than three months,
but overall, the above-mentioned symptoms last for at least a period of one year and the symptoms
must be exhibited to the individual’s friends, teachers, and family (Depression & Mood Disorders).
The DSM-5 has revised the criteria for childhood diagnosis for BP and added the diagnosis of
DMDD in an effort to hault overtreatment and overdiagnosis of children with BP as “one study showed
that out 100 children originally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, only one-third actually met the full
criteria for this mental illness” (Jarrold, J., 2018). DMDD is classified as a depressive disorder and “is
characterized by severe and recurrent temper outbursts. These outbursts may be verbal or physical and
are out of proportion to the situation” (Jarrold, J., 2018). DMDD can never be diagnosed in an individual
over the age of 18 or under the age of 6. While on the other hand, BP is classified as a mood disorder
and “typically involves cycling between periods of elevated mood (mania) and periods of significantly
lower mood (depression)” (Jarrold, J., 2018).
References:
Depression & Mood Disorders. Child Mind Institute. (2022, July 26). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from
https://childmind.org/topics/depression-mood-disorders/#disruptive-mood-dysregulation-
disorder-dmdd
Dunleavy, B. P., Métraux, J., Pugle, M., Vaughn, L., Young, A., Migala, J., & Patino, E. (n.d.). Bipolar
disorder: Symptoms, types, causes, treatment, and more. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved
September 19, 2022, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/
