What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a group of mental health conditions that interfere with your moods and cause intense swings between mania and depression. There are several types of bipolar disorder, including bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder.
Bipolar I causes severe mood changes between mania and depression. Your manic episodes last seven days or more, and your behaviors may become dangerous or self-destructive. Your depressive episodes last at least two weeks. You may also have periods where you experience both depressive and manic symptoms at the same time. You have periods of normal mood between your extreme moods.
Bipolar II also causes severe mood swings. However, instead of full-blown mania, you have hypomanic episodes, which are still elevated but not as severe as the manic periods experienced with bipolar I.
Cyclothymic disorder is the mildest form of bipolar disorder. You have hypomanic and depressive episodes for at least two years, but your symptoms don’t meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar I or II.
What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder causes depressive, manic, and hypomanic symptoms.
Depressive symptoms include:
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or worthless
- Low energy and fatigue
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Feeling like you can’t enjoy anything
- Poor concentration
- Changes in your appetite
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Manic symptoms include:
- High energy levels
- Feeling energetic or euphoric
- Increased activity levels
- Insomnia
- Feeling jumpy or irritable
- Increased talkativeness
- Racing thoughts
- Doing too many things at once
- Reckless or self-destructive behaviors
Hypomanic symptoms are similar to signs of mania but are milder and less disruptive to your life.
How is bipolar disorder treated?
Revived Soul Medical P.C. provides customized treatment plans to treat bipolar disorder. Your treatment plan may include multiple therapies to address your condition from several angles. For example, your provider may combine medication with psychotherapy.
Medication can help regulate your brain chemistry to reduce your symptoms and provide mental clarity. You can then focus your energy on exploring and resolving the issues that contribute to your bipolar disorder in individual and group therapy sessions. You may also learn techniques to regulate your behaviors when you experience depressive or manic thoughts and feelings.
If you’re concerned about bipolar disorder, call Revived Soul Medical P.C. or make an appointment online today.
