Bipolar Disorder Treatment

If you have bipolar disorder, there is no shame in seeking treatment: bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition that can not be “cured”, and goes through unpredictable periods of both ups and downs. If your bipolar disorder is left without treatment, these periods can be devastating and can make it difficult to live a stable life. Early diagnosis and early treatment both can help alleviate the symptoms of bipolar disorder and help you find relief. Treatment of bipolar disorder relies on a number of factors — usually, medication alone will not be enough treatment. To get the most out of your treatment, you must educate yourself about the illness and trust the treatment plan your doctor, therapist, or healthcare provider has set out for you. A person can not simply be cured of bipolar disorder overnight. Just as the mood swings of this order go up and down, so too does treatment. It takes time to find treatments that work for you, and setbacks may occur along the way. But if you take the right steps to manage your symptoms and commit to your treatment, you can help maintain your symptoms and live the best life possible.

What can I do at home for treatment of my bipolar disorder?

Understand the distinction between your symptoms and yourself — Doctors, therapists, or your healthcare provider can help you learn to separate your true identity from the way your symptoms may cause you to behave. You can set realistic goals about the behaviors you want to change and find treatment that works for you. Get your family involved in treatment — Your family (or close friends and other loved ones) can be educated to help spot symptoms, gain perspective on bipolar disorder, and manage symptoms. They can be important sources of feedback and support during your treatment. Make healthy lifestyle choices — This includes staying physically active, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced and healthy diet, and avoiding risky behavior like alcohol or drug abuse. How do I get diagnosed with bipolar disorder? The first step towards treatment is an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, bipolar disorder shares common symptoms with other disorders such as clinical depression, ADHD, or borderline personality disorder. Because of this overlap in symptoms, it can be difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder and may take numerous doctor visits for some.

What are the types of bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder can be divided into a few different types, each identified by a pattern of episodes of both mania and depression. Treatment and symptoms may differ based on which version of bipolar disorder you suffer from.

Bipolar I Disorder — Mania or Depression

The most typical form of bipolar disorder, Bipolar I disorder is also the most severe. Characterized by at least one manic episode, but the majority of people with this type of bipolar disorder also have had at least one major depressive episode.

Bipolar II Disorder — Hypomania or Depression

With bipolar II disorder, you will experience recurring episodes of major depression and hypomania, which is a milder form of mania. In order to get a bipolar II disorder diagnosis, you must have had at least one hypomanic and one major depressive episode each throughout your life. If you go on to have a manic episode, you can then be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.

Cyclothymia – Hypomania and Mild Depression

A milder form of bipolar disorder that also consists of cyclical mood swings. The difference here is that the highs and lows of these mood swings are not severe enough to be classified as either mania or major depression. To be officially diagnosed with cyclothymia, you must have numerous periods of hypomania and mild depression over a time period of at least two years. People with cyclothymia have an increased risk of developing full-blown bipolar disorder.

What are mania and hypomania?

Mania is more severe than hypomania, but they feature mostly the same symptoms. They both can create problems in your everyday life, at work or in school, or in personal relationships. In the most severe cases, mania can trigger a break from reality – known as psychosis – and may require hospitalization. Manic and hypomanic episodes include three or more of the following symptoms:

• Being abnormally upbeat or wired
• Increased energy or agitation
• Euphoria (a sense of exaggerated sense of well-being or self-confidence)
• Change in sleep patterns
• Unusual talkativeness
• Being easily distracted
• Poor decision-making

What is a major depressive episode?

An episode of major depression features symptoms severe enough to create difficulty in your everyday life. You may have trouble maintaining everyday responsibilities. A major depressive episode has five or more of the following symptoms:

• Feelings of sadness or emptiness
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Changes in appetite (either weight loss or weight gain)
• Changes in sleep patterns (either sleeping too little or too much)
• Restlessness
• Fatigue
• Feelings of guilt or shame
• Trouble concentrating
• Suicidal thoughts or actions

Do I have bipolar disorder or depression?

Unfortunately, bipolar disorder can often be misdiagnosed as depression. Most people suffering from bipolar disorder only reach out and seek help during a depressive episode – during a manic episode, they likely will not recognize the problem. To make matters more complicated, people with bipolar disorder tend to be depressed much more of the time than they are manic or hypomanic. It is important to have the right condition diagnosed: treatments of bipolar depression and regular depression vary greatly. Antidepressant medication can actually make bipolar disorder even worse.

How to tell if your depression is bipolar disorder

• If you have had repeated major depressive episodes
• If your first major depressive episode was before the age of 25
• If you have blood relatives with bipolar disorder
• If you have high mood or energy levels when you are not depressed
• If you oversleep or overeat when you are depressed
• If your depressive episodes are short
• If you have lost contact with reality during a depressive episode
• If you developed mania or hypomania when taking antidepressants

What bipolar disorder treatment options are available?

Bipolar disorder can not be “cured”, but a comprehensive treatment plan including some or all of the following can help relieve symptoms and restore your ability to function:

Ketamine Infusions for Bipolar Disorder

One of the innovative new treatment options available for bipolar disorder, Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic that research shows can bring relief in up to 80% of patients.

Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

Therapy is an important step in dealing with your bipolar disorder and finding a Bipolar Disorder treatment in Cleveland that works for you. A therapist can help you find coping methods for difficult feelings, repair relationships strained by your condition, and regulate your mood.

Lifestyle Changes to help Bipolar Disorder

You may find success through regulating your lifestyle. Try maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding alcohol and drug abuse, eating a well-balanced diet, staying physically active, and getting outside for sunlight exposure. If you or someone you know is showing signs of Bipolar Disorder, contact Cleveland Medical Institute to schedule your consultation and find out if Ketamine Treatment for Bipolar Disorder is right for you.