What do people with bipolar disorder experience? Simply put, they experience extreme shifts in their mood and energy levels. More often than not, this can seriously interfere with one’s life, and depending on the type of bipolar disorder being experienced, one can either hit a depressive episode or a manic one.
That said, how can you tell if you’re experiencing bipolar disorder? Here’s how to spot the symptoms yourself:
How Do I Know If I Have Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings. If you think you might have bipolar disorder, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and seek professional help.
The most common symptom of bipolar disorder is mania. This is when you experience an abnormally elevated mood. You may feel happy, energetic, and creative. You may also feel irritable, impulsive, and reckless.
Mania can also cause psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. If you’re experiencing mania, you may feel like you’re on top of the world. But mania can also be very dangerous. It can lead to poor decision-making, accidents, and even suicide.
The other main symptom of bipolar disorder is depression. This is when you experience an abnormally low mood. You may feel sad, hopeless, and worthless. You may also have trouble sleeping, eating, and concentrating.
How Do I Treat Bipolar Disorder?
Psychological interventions play an essential function in treating a wide array of mental illnesses, and they’re your go-to solution to help address bipolar disorders. In fact, you can get an individualized treatment that targets your problem. The type of treatment technique that is utilized will be based on the kind of mental disorder you have. The most typical kind of psychotherapy is cognitive behavior modification which works on changing your habits and how you perceive things. Various other kinds of treatment include group therapy, family therapy, and stress and anxiety management.
That said, medications also help with the issue, making both psychotherapy and medications important in treating bipolar disorder. Medications can help stabilize your moods and make it easier for you to stick to your treatment plan. They can also help reduce symptoms of mania or depression. However, medications alone are not enough to treat bipolar disorder. You also need to work with a therapist to learn how to manage your illness.
When Do I Reach Out to Help for Bipolar Disorder?
If you are struggling with any of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, it’s important to reach out for help. The sooner you get help, the more likely you are to get the treatment you need and to avoid making the situation worse.
If you are wondering whether you need help, here are some signs to watch out for:
- You have been feeling depressed for more than two weeks or have been feeling depressed most of the time for more than two months.
- You have been in a manic state for more than a week or have been in a manic state most of the time for more than a month.
- You have been feeling unusual or extreme anxiety or worry that’s making it difficult to function.
- You are drinking more alcohol or using more drugs than usual.
- Your work or school performance has been declining.
- Your relationships are strained, or you are having difficulty maintaining relationships.
- You are exhibiting signs of psychosis, such as paranoia or hearing voices.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, you should get help immediately.
Reaching out for help doesn’t necessarily mean you will need to get inpatient treatment. It can also mean you will need to start therapy, take medications, and make some lifestyle changes. However, if you are in crisis, you may need to go to the hospital for a short period of time to get stabilized.
Conclusion
All in all, if you spot any worrying symptoms of bipolar disorder or find yourself in the shoes of the signs to watch out for, you definitely need to reach out to a professional for help. Whether or not you actually have bipolar disorder, it is much better to be safe than sorry! Just make sure to reach out to a professional that works well with patients that share the problems you do, and this will set you up on a path towards successfully living a much happier and more meaningful life.
Amodeus Healthcare offers medical and psychiatric services to help individuals dealing with a wide variety of issues find the help they need and desire. If you are looking for bipolar disorder treatment in Londonderry, get in touch with us today!