Bipolar 1 Disorder The Avery Grace File - 1991 Words

Bipolar 1 Disorder; The Avery Grace File Bipolar 1 disorder is a form of bipolar disorder, a major factor being that â€Å"†¦full symptoms of mania are experienced†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Abnormal Psychology, 6th Edition). This disorder may have depressive episodes, but they are likely to be infrequent or mild in their occurrences. This paper explores the life of one Avery Grace, a 25-year-old college student who has struggled with her diagnosis since she was a teen. She has agreed to discuss her life and diagnosis in the hopes of helping someone else in the future. Family History Ms. Grace was asked about her family history and gave this response, â€Å"Life was hell from start to finish.† When asked to elaborate, she began explaining exactly what†¦show more content†¦I found out later that she had spent over $8,000.00 on that trip. My dad was furious and took her purse away. She wasn’t allowed to have it anymore.† â€Å"My dad enjoyed alcohol; a lot. He never yelled at us, but when my mom was having her ‘episodes’, that was what we called them, he would leave us alone with her. He said he had trouble dealing with her when she was having problems. I think he was cheating on my mom, but I could never prove that and he would never admit to it either.† â€Å"After the shopping trip fiasco, my mom decided she wanted to learn to paint and ended up trying to purchase an entire art supply store over the phone. When my dad forced her to hang up, she went into a rage so fierce she pulled a knife on him. She kicked and screamed and yelled at him, called him the worst names I had ever heard, until she was crying on the floor again. Dad put her into the hospital after that.† â€Å"My sister left home as soon as she turned 18 and my brother left for the army a year later. They said they had to get out of the house. My brother ended up killing himself in boot camp. His note said he couldn’t handle the stress his drill instructors were putting him under. That sent my mom into a tailspin of depression and she had to be hospitalized again. I haven’t heard from my sister since she left home. She could be dead for all we know. She was a little messed up too.† Onset When asked when she first started to experience her own symptoms of the