Bipolar Disorder Treatment Specialist Q&A

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder, a mental illness that affects more than 5 million adults in the United States. 

Bipolar disorder causes severe shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior that vary in severity and duration. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder are prone to wide swings in mood that affect energy and activity levels. 

1. Bipolar I disorder: You experience at least one manic episode and one major depressive episode, or you’re very irritable and have severe changes in your mood and energy level (mood swings) that cause problems in relationships or at work. 

2. Bipolar II disorder: The mood cycle for Bipolar II can go from low to high and back to low again. Hypomania is a milder state of high energy and euphoria. Depressive symptoms are not present in a complete manic experience. The duration of hypomania is usually at least four days; however, at a minimum, there must be an increase in energy level, and the individual must feel good or even high. The individual may talk fast, move quickly, and have difficulty sleeping; however, they do not feel pressured to perform or cannot control their urge to work or other activities. 

3. Cyclothymic disorder is a kind of bipolar disorder. Cyclothymic bipolar disorder involves mood changes that are less severe than those found with other forms of bipolar disorder. 

4. Unspecified bipolar disorder is a diagnosis used when the patient has had symptoms of both mania and depression, but there is not enough information to make a specific diagnosis. 

There are many signs of bipolar disorder. Some are more obvious than others, but all will give you clues and help you determine if you or someone you know may have bipolar disorder. 

Those who are suffering from bipolar disorder may exhibit the following: 

• Tend to be in a good mood much of the time and appear euphoric and full of energy. This doesn’t mean that they don’t get sad or depressed – it just means that they spend more time feeling good than they do feeling bad. 
• Talking excessively and talking very fast or very slow. 
• Depressive episodes. 
• Changes in sleeping patterns.
• Racing thoughts. They may jump from one topic to the next without waiting for you to respond. 
• Increased energy. 
• Impulsiveness.

Are you or someone you know feeling down, depressed, or anxious more often than you would like? Do they feel exhausted most days? Have they lost interest in things that used to be pleasurable? Are work, relationships, school, or hobbies no longer how they once were? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it could be that this person may be experiencing the early stages of bipolar disorder. 

Once a person is diagnosed, and proper treatment begins, the outlook is most often positive. Bipolar disorder can be managed much more effectively than it once was, and many people are perfectly capable of leading everyday lives with it. There is no reason to keep suffering through feelings of loneliness and low self-esteem because you’re afraid of what others will think about your mental illness. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Riverdale UT, Washington Terrace UT, Clinton UT, Kaysville UT, Clearfield UT, Farmington UT, Draper UT, Riverton UT, Sandy UT, St. George UT, Bloomington UT, Santa Clara, UT, and surrounding areas.