Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression) is a mood disorder that causes intense mood changes, shifts in energy levels, and behaviors in affected people. Manic and hypomanic episodes are the main symptoms. People living with bipolar disorder can manage it with talk therapy and medications.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Someone living with bipolar disorder will experience intense emotional highs called mania (or hypomania, a less-intense form of mania) and extreme depression. The intense mood swings between depression and mania may occur multiple times per year or rarely, depending on the person. Each episode lasts several days. Between the mood swings, the person experiences a period of stable emotions.
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Causes of Bipolar Disorder
Researchers have not been able to determine a specific cause for bipolar disorder. These factors may play a role in who may develop the disorder:
- Genetics: Research has shown someone is more likely to develop bipolar disorder during their lifetime if they have a parent or a sibling who also has bipolar disorder. More than 66 percent of people living with bipolar disorder have at least one close family member who also has the condition.
- Brain Changes: Scientists have discovered slight changes in the average size or activation of some parts of the brain in people with bipolar disorder. Brain scans can’t diagnose bipolar disorder, though.
- Stressful Events: Certain life events, such as the death of a loved one, financial issues, a serious illness, or a divorce, can trigger either a manic or a depressive episode. Stress and trauma play a definite role in whether a person develops bipolar disorder.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I disorder is when someone has experienced one manic episode either before or after a hypomanic or a major depressive episode. In some cases, the person may become psychotic during the manic episode.
Bipolar II disorder is when a person has had one or more hypomanic episodes and one or more depressive episodes.
For this diagnosis, a person must never have experienced a manic episode.
Bipolar II isn’t a milder (or better form) of bipolar disorder than bipolar I. It is a separate diagnosis. The manic phases of bipolar I can be severe (and possibly dangerous). People living with bipolar II can experience depressive symptoms for a longer time.
Cyclothymia is when someone has experienced at least two years with several periods of hypomania symptoms and depressive symptoms. Their depressive symptoms are less severe than major depression.
Other types of bipolar disorder may be related to drug or alcohol use. It may be related to medical conditions, such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Cushing’s disease (a rare disorder when the body produces too much cortisol, the “stress response hormone”).
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Someone experiencing a manic or a hypomanic episode will experience three or more of these symptoms:
- An inflated sense of self-confidence or well-being
- Talking more than usual or talking faster than usual
- Experiencing racing thoughts or quickly jumping from one idea to another
- High distractibility
- Having more energy than usual or being more irritated than usual
- Being able to manage with less sleep than usual
- Reckless behaviors, such as using drugs and alcohol or having unprotected sex
- Psychotic episodes – experiencing delusions or hallucinations (occurs in the most severe manic episodes)
Signs of a depressive episode include:
- Low energy and fatigue
- Increased need for sleep
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Overwhelming feeling of sadness
- Uncontrollable crying
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Lack of motivation
- Loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities
- Irritability
- Changes in appetite (either little appetite or increased appetite)
- Thoughts of death or suicide (suicidal ideation)
How Bipolar Disorder is Treated
Treatment for bipolar disorder usually having a client participate in these strategies:
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, includes individual sessions with a therapist and group sessions. It is used to help the participants identify areas of their lives that are causing difficulties. These difficulties may be in the areas of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. A therapist can support clients in making positive changes in their lives.
Mental health professionals often treat bipolar disorder using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This short-term, goal-oriented therapy helps clients examine their thoughts and emotions closely. Through the therapeutic process, clients understand how their thoughts influence their feelings and actions. The goal is to develop strategies to replace negative thoughts and behaviors with healthier ones to adopt a calmer, more positive lifestyle.
A doctor may also prescribe medications for the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers manage manic or hypomanic episodes. These medications are: Lithium, Valproic acid, Carbamazepine, and Lamotrigine.
A doctor may also prescribe an antipsychotic medication along with a mood stabilizer for someone living with bipolar disorder. The Food and Drug Administration has approved these antipsychotic medications to treat bipolar disorder: Cariprazine, Lurasidone, Olanzapine-fluoxetine combination, and Quetiapine.
How Bipolar Disorder Overlaps with Other Mental Illnesses
Someone living with bipolar disorder is more likely to have an anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are also more likely to have a substance use disorder, which means they have a dual diagnosis.
Pacific Sky Recovery Center in Bellevue is ready to help clients with both types of bipolar disorder. Contact us today to learn our about services.