If you or someone you love is struggling with bipolar disorder, it might be time to consider bipolar treatments. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong disease that doesn’t have a cure. Still, with the right bipolar disorder treatment, you can manage the symptoms and severity of your manic or depressive episodes.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depressive disorder, is a mental health disorder that results in unusual mood shifts and changes to energy and concentration and can affect your ability to conduct daily tasks.
The term Bipolar disorder refers to 3 types.
Bipolar Disorder I
This is a diagnosis you might get if you have manic episodes that last at least seven days or if the symptoms of your manic episodes are so severe that you must be hospitalized.
Your depressive episodes usually last at least two weeks, and you might even experience both manic and depressive episodes at the same time.
Bipolar Disorder II
This is similar to the first disorder, but you have a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, so the severity of your manic episodes is not nearly as intense.
Cyclothymic Disorder
This is a diagnosis where you have long periods of hypomanic and depressive symptoms that last at least two years.
Note: Some people experience the symptoms of bipolar disorder but don’t fall perfectly into these categories, and they can still get bipolar disorder treatment under a diagnosis of “unspecified bipolar” or “other bipolar.”
What are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
All three have very noticeable changes in activity levels, energy, and mood.
| Mood | ||||
| Called “manic episodes” | Usually extreme “up” periods of elated, energized, or irritable behavior. | People have a decreased need for sleep. | People experience a severe loss of appetite. | People engage in risky behaviors that reflect for judgment like eating or drinking excessively, giving away money or spending money, or having reckless sex. |
| Called “depressive episodes” | Usually “down” periods of hopelessness, indifference, or sadness. | People have trouble falling asleep, they sleep too much, or they wake up too early. | People have increased appetite and usually eat too much and experience weight gain. | People have little interest in any activity, they can’t experience pleasure in normal activities, and they usually have no sex drive or a severely decreased sex drive. |
| Called “hypomanic episodes” | Less severe manic periods, but still categorized by the same behaviors | People don’t sleep as often. | People have noticeable changes in appetite. | This is the same as a manic episode but less severe. |
Symptoms for all three types usually involve unusual activity levels, uncharacteristic behaviors, and intense emotional changes.
During a manic episode, the symptoms typically last every day for several weeks or longer.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you can find bipolar disorder treatment in your area.
What is the Most Effective Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?
Unfortunately, bipolar treatment or things you have to integrate into your daily routine. You won’t be able to find a single pill that immediately fixes everything. However, regular treatments for bipolar disorder can help you manage your condition, reduce the severity of the symptoms, and identify things like triggers.
Medications
Certain medications can help you manage the symptoms. But part of your bipolar disorder and treatment will include working with medical professionals to try different medications until you find the one that works best.
Treatment for bipolar disorder might include mood stabilizers or antipsychotics as well as medications to help with anxiety and sleep. You might try antidepressants as well.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a very effective bipolar disorder treatment. Psychotherapy encompasses a variety of therapy techniques that help you identify the emotions that are causing you trouble, destructive behaviors, or negative thoughts.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you identify these troubling emotions and change how you naturally respond to them so that you can, down the line, change your automatic thoughts and behavior.
Finding Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Utah
If you are ready to deal with your bipolar disorder and treatment needs, you can find bipolar disorder treatment in Utah.
With Spirit Mountain Recovery, you can participate in healing treatment programs like meditation and yoga alongside medication management for bipolar treatments. We customize our bipolar disorder treatment to each client.
We understand that you may have tried other bipolar treatments with little or no success. We also appreciate how challenging it can be to get the correct type of medication or to find a holistic therapy that works for you. Instead of forcing you to use a one-size-fits-all approach, our treatment for bipolar disorder is customized after your evaluation. Let Spirit Mountain get you started with bipolar treatments at our drug and alcohol rehab center in Utah.
