Bipolar disorder is a serious ailment that is painful for both the person who suffers and the family who cares. When you are struggling with bipolar disorder, life can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions.
It can be tempting to self-medicate bipolar symptoms, or it may be difficult to tell the difference between bipolar disorder and other issues like depression or mania. Learn more about bipolar disorder, and speak with someone about treatment today.
Identifying Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Bipolar disorder is characterized by a few key symptoms:
- Unpredictable or uncontrollable mood swings
- Mania that may include restlessness, excessive happiness or rage, reckless behavior, high sex drive, racing thoughts and making grand plans for life
- Depression that may include exhaustion, sadness, crying, appetite changes, suicidal thoughts, anxiety or irritability
- Mixed states that may include a mixture of depression and mania with uncontrollable laughing and crying, fast mood changes, violent agitation or depressed moods with angry tendencies
New Bipolar Treatment Options
If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there are some newer treatment options you may want to consider. Bipolar treatment has made great advances in the last few years, and recovery options now include the following:
- Talk therapy.
Talk therapy provides a safe place to share your anxieties and experiences with an objective listener. New methods in talk therapy such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy or trauma-focused therapy allow you to experience the latest methods of overcoming mood swings and trauma related to bipolar disorder. - Medication management.
New medications and new medical treatments are being developed every day to treat bipolar disorder. Even if you have tried medication treatment in the past, there are newer medicines available. If you and your doctor agree, you may benefit from some of these new therapies. - Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
DBT is a new type of treatment based on meditation, awareness and healing. DBT can help you become more aware of your moods and find balance in your life. - Integrated treatment.
Integrated treatment works to heal substance abuse issues and mental health issues at the same time. The benefit of integrated treatment is that a person with co-occurring bipolar disorder and addiction can heal two problems at the same time.