With an accurate diagnosis and a steady plan, the highs and lows of bipolar disorder can be stabilized.
Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness. This brain disorder prompts unusual changes in a person’s moods and energy levels, and it can negatively impact the ability to get through the day normally. Bipolar disorder may present as depression, mania/hypomania, or a mixed state that has components of both. This makes it extremely important to get a proper diagnosis before beginning treatment, as the symptoms can be easily overlooked or confused with another illness.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are often misunderstood. It is a common misconception that people with bipolar disorder have major mood swings during a single day. In fact, bipolar disorder is not characterized by quick and obvious changes that happen constantly. True bipolar disorder results in mood swings that persist for days or even weeks. Many people with bipolar disorder have problems maintaining a regular sleep schedule, especially during their episodes. A person may have a period where they are highly irritable for several days or weeks and then shift into an upbeat mood for several more days or weeks.
People who suffer from unipolar depression, or from many of the different personality disorders, may show symptoms that appear quite similar to those of bipolar disorder. Dr. Mitchell will perform a full patient evaluation to make sure that a proper diagnosis is made.
Bipolar disorder is treated in several different ways, and much depends on a patient’s current symptoms and history of symptoms, so it varies from one patient to the next. For example, the medication options for Bipolar I differ from those for Bipolar II. Medications are the mainstay option for mood stabilization in most patients. Dr. Mitchell works with each patient to customize medication intervention, as well as the non-medication aspects that can optimize a treatment plan — including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.
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