Life can be unpredictable enough without having to worry about things like the dramatic mood swings caused by bipolar disorder. This condition is marked by having drastic swings that occur when you are suffering from depression then go into high-energy episodes (also known as manic episodes). It can be scary to experience this fluctuation in any scenario, whether you are the person suffering from this disorder or a loved one watching on as someone they care about suffers. Some treatments can help you feel more like yourself. It’s essential to get help from a trained mental health professional. That’s why you should consider calling Thriveworks Columbus Polaris office at (614) 356-8565.
Do I Have Bipolar Disorder? Here Are the Symptoms
With a bipolar condition, a person can go from being despondent to “normal” to a high energy mood at a variable rate. These transitions in mood are difficult to understand for both the person who has bipolar disorder and their loved ones. There are two sets of symptoms to be concerned with here: Symptoms during a depressive episode and ones in a manic episode. Symptoms after a depressive episode include:
- Inability to sleep/excessive sleep
- Indecisiveness/difficulty focusing or short attention span
- Significant changes in appetite, decrease or increase
- Changes in one’s psychomotor activity such as slowed or rapid movements like speech patterns or tapping a foot
- A decline in energy and stamina
- Suicidal idealization or repetitive thoughts of suicide.
These are symptoms that someone with bipolar depression would suffer from for a majority of the day for a continuous period of a minimum of 2 weeks. However, to indeed be considered as having bipolar disorder, this must also come with manic episodes. Symptoms of manic episodes include:
- An abnormally irritable or euphoric mood that lasts for at least one week
- If someone has a euphoric mood, you must experience at least three of these following symptoms. For irritable moods, one must experience four of them.
- Mind that races and can’t settle down
- Inability to focus attention
- Reduction in the need to sleep
- Excessive goal-directed activities and planning
- Engaging in risky or self-destructive behaviors
- Inflated sense of grandiosity and sense of self-esteem
- Increased verbosity
- Symptoms must not be caused by drug use.
- The symptoms must be severe enough that they interfere with a person’s life, such as requiring hospitalization or cause psychosis.
There are different categories of bipolar disorder, depending on how severe the symptoms are. For instance, people most associate bipolar disorder with Bipolar I, but even within this category, there are numerous categories. There’s also Bipolar II, which has less severe manic episodes but tends to have worse depressive ones. It’s essential to get the correct diagnosis to get the proper treatment for your specific condition. If you or someone you love are experiencing these symptoms, consider contacting a therapist at Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio Polaris at (614) 356-8565.
How Bipolar therapy Can Help
Bipolar disorder can negatively impact your daily life by interfering with your regular activities. That’s why it’s so important to seek professional help when suffering from bipolar disorder. Since this is an illness like any other physical illness, getting the right treatment allows you to regain control of your disorder so that you can live your life to the fullest. A counselor or therapist can help create a treatment plan made specifically for you.
The most common approach would be to take cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy. These are approaches that can not only help you avoid stress and other triggers, but they can also teach you to identify and modify any patterns of thinking associated with your shifts in mood. A counselor or therapist at Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio, can observe you to establish a practical treatment approach tailored to you.
Techniques Learned to Manage Bipolar Depression
Knowing how to cope and manage with your bipolar depression can make a significant difference in how well you can function daily. Through counseling sessions at Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio, clients can learn how to manage their bipolar depression through a variety of different approaches, including:
- Focusing on Hope: When people get a diagnosis of bipolar depression, it’s completely normal to struggle with that information. It can be challenging to hear that you have this disorder, but it is treatable so that you can live your life. People can live a high quality and productive life with bipolar disorder, and a counselor can help by offering an effective treatment plan.
- Establishing Routines: There is some evidence that by sticking to an established routine, this can be an effective way to manage bipolar disorder. This plan includes adhering to a strict schedule of sleeping, regular activity, and eating to help manage bipolar disorder.
- Learning how to adapt: A significant goal is to help prevent yourself from getting embarrassed when you have a manic episode. By learning adaptability, you can adjust to a new life that avoids those stressors. This process can be through making lifestyle changes or learning how to adapt your routine to avoid stressors that trigger your episodes.
Having bipolar disorder is not a weakness, nor is it anything that causes you shame. This disorder is a condition that needs treatment as any other physical ailment does. You deserve to get the treatment you need to live the best life possible. If you’re ready to take the next step in receiving therapy for your bipolar disorder, contact Thriveworks Columbus, Ohio (Polaris) at (614) 356-8565.
Schedule a Bipolar Disorder Counseling Session at Thriveworks Columbus Polaris
Thriveworks Columbus Polaris office offers the counseling sessions that are necessary for managing your bipolar disorder. Our team is here to help find the most effective treatment approaches that were made for your specific situation. Our office has the usual M-F daytime hours for appointments, or you can get an appointment on the weekends or evenings. We offer convenience so you can get appointments that work with your schedule. There’s no waiting list so that you can get dates right away. Schedule your bipolar disorder counseling session at Thriveworks Columbus Polaris by calling (614) 356-8565.
