INTRODUCTION

Mental health is a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of mental illness. It is

the "psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and

behavioral adjustment". From the perspective of positive psychology or holism, mental health

may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and

efforts to achieve psychological resilience. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),

mental health includes subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence,

inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential,

among others.

Bipolar 1 disorder, once known as manic depression, is a mental illness that involves vast,

out-of-control mood swings from depressed to elevated moods. Bipolar 1 is the type most easily

diagnosed as it contains the most pronounced elevated mood, called mania. A person with bipolar

1 (also noted as bipolar i) has episodes of both mania and depression. The presence of these

episodes are the hallmark symptoms of bipolar I. (American Psychiatric Association)

If the client is under mania, the common signs and symptoms includes feeling that are

unusually high, optimistic and very irritable, unrealistic, grandiose belief about one’s abilities or

powers, sleeping less but feeling extremely energetic, talking so rapidly, racing thoughts, jumping

quickly from one idea to the next, highly distractible, impaired judgement and impulsiveness,

acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences and lastly in severe cases, delusions and

hallucinations may appear.

If the client is under depression, the common signs and symptoms are decreased energy,

easy fatigability, lethargic, has diminished activities, insomnia or even hypersomnia, usually loss

of interest in pleasurable activities and lastly social withdrawal.

 According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 6 million people, or 2.5% of the

U.S. population, suffers from bipolar disorder. About 1% of the people in the U.S. are thought to

have bipolar 1 disorder. As of the year 2013, about 120 every 100,000 people in the Philippines

has bipolar disorder and about 642 people in Davao City and the surrounding regions suffer the

illness as stated by the DOH. According to PhilStar, out of 10 people affected by this illness, 8 had

suicidal ideations and 3 successfully committed suicide.

With the data shown above, it is a must that the group should choose this particular case.

Bipolar disorder if left untreated can result to self-harm and ultimately death. And as part of the

group’s psychiatric exposure, this study will further broaden their knowledge on such an illness.

Patient X was found to be in the manic stage when the group interviewed him. Although showing

some mannerisms and hyperactivity, he was cooperative to the group. What makes Patient X more

interesting is that he was readmitted for 4 times. This allows the group to further examine the

history of Patient X and understand what might really cause and further worsen his condition.;