Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms and Treatment in Palm City, FL

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes manic and depressive episodes. It is considered a mood disorder because the condition primarily causes dramatic shifts in moods. According to the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorder affects 4.4% of U.S. adults.[1]

If you have bipolar disorder, you might experience periods where you feel incredibly down, depressed, and have low energy. This could last for a couple of weeks to several months. Eventually, your mood will shift into a manic episode, where you experience high levels of energy, insomnia, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, and more.

While bipolar disorder can negatively impact your day-to-day life, it is possible to manage your symptoms. Bipolar disorder treatment involves a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Treatment centers like Palm City Wellness can offer the tools and support you need to manage your condition and improve your overall quality of life.

In this article, you will learn:

• What bipolar disorder is
• The risk factors for developing bipolar disorder
• The signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder
• How treatment for bipolar disorder in Palm City works

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes you to experience unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. These changes can make it difficult for you to complete daily tasks. You will experience periods of depression and mania when you have this condition, which can last for several days to months at a time.

There are four types of bipolar disorder, including:[2]

• Bipolar I Disorder – includes episodes of mania that last for at least 7 days or cause symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization. Also includes depressive episodes that last for at least 2 weeks and may include mixed episodes (both depressive and manic episodes at the same time.) If you have 4 or more episodes in one year, you have rapid-cycling bipolar.

• Bipolar II Disorder – involves hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than mania. Depressive episodes might be more frequent if you have bipolar 2 disorder.

• Cyclothymic Disorder – experiencing recurrent hypomanic and depressive episodes that are not severe enough or long-lasting enough to qualify as bipolar 1 or 2.

The risk factors for bipolar disorder involve genetics and environment.[3] If any of your immediate family members have the condition, you are more likely to develop it. Additionally, experiencing high levels of stress in your environment can cause symptoms to emerge.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

People with bipolar disorder experience periods of mania and depression. Sometimes they will have incredibly high moods, increased energy levels, and insomnia, while other times they experience depression, fatigue, and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts.

Understanding the symptoms of mania, hypomania, and depressive episodes can help you determine whether you or a loved one is struggling with bipolar disorder.

The symptoms of depressive episodes include:[4]

• Feeling down, sad, or anxious
• Slowed activity or restlessness
• Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much
• Talking slowly or forgetting things frequently
• Concentration or decision-making issues
• Being unable to complete simple tasks
• Feeling hopeless or worthless
• Experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm

The symptoms and side effects of manic episodes include:[4]

• Feeling euphoric or high
• Increased feelings of self-importance
• High levels of creativity and energy
• Insomnia or sleeping less and still feeling energized
• Poor appetite and weight loss
• Racing thoughts, interrupting others, and having new ideas
• Being highly irritable, impatient, or experiencing inappropriate anger
• Engaging in risky behaviors like promiscuity or drug and alcohol abuse
• Having grand and unrealistic plans
• Trouble concentrating and being easily distracted
• Experiencing psychosis (i.e. delusions, hallucinations, and detachment from reality)

Hypomania is a less severe version of a manic episode. These episodes might only last for a few days to a week and do not include psychosis. The symptoms of hypomania may include:[4]

• Feelings of happiness or euphoria
• High level of energy
• Racing thoughts or experiencing a flight of ideas
• Difficulty focusing or concentrating
• Decreased need for sleep
• Talkativeness or fast patterns of speech
• Increased self-esteem or feelings of importance
• Impulsive behaviors
• Irritability and episodes of anger

Understanding Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Palm City

If you or a loved one struggles with bipolar disorder, professional treatment can help you regain control over your moods, behaviors, and overall life. At Palm City Wellness, we offer treatment plans that include a combination of medication, therapy, and implementing lifestyle changes. These services are necessary for the process of learning how to manage bipolar disorder.

The treatment for bipolar disorder in Palm City includes:

Medication

The first step in recovery from bipolar disorder is getting stabilized on medication. This condition causes your brain chemistry to become imbalanced. Because of this, daily medication is often required for long-term success.

Medications used to treat bipolar disorder include:

• Antipsychotics to reduce manic episodes and psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or delusions
• Mood stabilizers to lessen depressive and manic episodes

Therapy

While medication can significantly improve your symptoms, bipolar disorder still requires therapy to fully recover. Most people with this condition experience success with a type of therapy referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This technique helps you learn how to change negative patterns of thought and behavior, learn emotional regulation, and reduce the severity of your episodes.[5]

Lifestyle Changes

Lastly, some lifestyle changes might be necessary to improve the symptoms of bipolar disorder. At Palm City Wellness, we will help you implement lifestyle changes into your daily life to make it easier for you to manage your recovery outside of a treatment facility.

Examples of lifestyle changes that can aid the recovery of bipolar disorder include:

• Having routines for eating, sleeping, and exercising
• Make sure you get enough sleep every night to prevent manic episodes
• Avoiding excessive stimulation, like parties, long periods of using electronic devices, or too much exercising
• Avoiding alcohol or drug use, as substances can trigger manic and depressive episodes
• Sticking to taking daily medication even when you feel like you are doing better
• Adhering to a therapy schedule to stay connected to your recovery plan

Find Help for Bipolar Disorder in Palm City, FL

If you or a loved one suffers from bipolar disorder, it’s time to seek help. Without treatment, bipolar disorder can rule your life, making it difficult to perform daily tasks or keep a steady job. Thankfully, mental health treatment programs like Palm City Wellness can offer the tools and services you need to recover.

Contact us today for more information on our bipolar disorder treatment center in Palm City.

References:

1. The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH): Bipolar Disorder
2. Journalbipolardisorders.springeropen.com: Differences between bipolar disorder types 1 and 2 support the DSM two-syndrome concept
3. Journals.sagepub.com: Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder
4. Sciencedirect.com: Bipolar Disorder
5. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder