Bipolar Disorder

Living with bipolar disorder involves managing dizzying shifts from depression to mania and back again. If you struggle to cope with bipolar disorder symptoms, visit Emily Russ, PA-C, at Prevail Behavioral Health in Appleton, Wisconsin. You will receive expert treatment and ongoing support that patients find invaluable for better bipolar disorder management. Contact Prevail Behavioral Health by phone or book online today to get relief from bipolar disorder’s extreme highs and lows.

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental illness that typically starts causing problems between adolescence and early adulthood. It causes two opposing states of mind — depression and mania — that you continually cycle between.

Depression

When you have depression, you become continually sad and overwhelmed by self-loathing, hopelessness, and other negative emotions. Your movement and thinking slow down; you can’t interpret anything positively and may feel life’s not worth living. With severe depression, you might struggle to get up and care for yourself properly.

Mania

When mania strikes, your depression symptoms alter dramatically. You become overly confident and hyperactive, and feel you can take on any challenge. You might behave differently than usual, engaging in risk-taking behaviors and overspending. You feel little need for sleep and may experience euphoria — intense, highly pleasurable excitement.

How these symptoms affect you varies depending on which type of bipolar disorder you have.

Which is the most common form of bipolar disorder?

Many people with this condition have cyclothymia, the mildest form of bipolar disorder. Mood swings are typically more predictable and manageable, and you’re more likely to experience hypomania, a less extreme form of mania.

People with bipolar II disorder tend to have hypomania, too, but suffer from more severe depression. Those with bipolar I disorder — the most severe form — experience full mania and disabling depression, often sinking to such a low they become suicidal.

Psychosis, where you see, hear, and believe things that aren’t real (hallucinations and delusions), can also affect those with bipolar II disorder.

To determine whether you have bipolar disorder and which form affects you, your Prevail Behavioral Health provider completes a thorough evaluation and medical history review. Although incurable, you can manage bipolar disorder effectively with the proper support.

How do I manage bipolar disorder?

After your evaluation at Prevail Behavioral Health, your provider will recommend the most appropriate combination of psychotherapy and medication.

Medications include antidepressants to reduce depression severity and mood stabilizers to prevent such severe swings between depression and mania. If you suffer from psychosis, your provider might prescribe an antipsychotic drug as well.

It can sometimes take a while to find the drug combination that works best for you, but it’s worth sticking with it because the benefits are immeasurable. Talk therapies are also invaluable, helping you deal with life’s problems and minimize the effects bipolar disorder has on you.

Call Prevail Behavioral Health if you’re worried about bipolar disorder or schedule a consultation online today.