Bipolar Disorder

Around 3% of American adults have bipolar disorder, a condition that causes irregular and extreme mood swings between depression and mania. At Potomac Shores Mental Health and Wellness in Woodbridge and Falls Church, Virginia, the team offers expert diagnosis and treatment for bipolar disorder to alleviate your symptoms and restore your quality of life. Call the office or make an appointment online today.

What is bipolar disorder?

While millions of Americans experience bipolar disorder every year, the condition is still widely misunderstood. With bipolar disorder, you live with extreme and irregular mood swings between depression and mania, which can affect your thoughts and behaviors.

There are three common types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I

Bipolar I is the classic form of the disease, causing severe swings between mania and depression. Bipolar I manic episodes usually last for a week or longer, and depressed episodes last for two weeks or longer. You may also have periods of normal mood between your emotional extremes.

Bipolar II

Bipolar II also causes mood swings, but your manic episodes are technically hypomanic, which means that they aren't as extreme. Hypomanic episodes only usually last for four to seven days. If you have bipolar II, you're most likely to seek treatment during a depressive episode.

Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder also causes mood swings, although your emotional shifts are frequent but mild. In most cases, cyclothymic disorder is diagnosed after two years or more of mood irregularities.

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder symptoms vary depending on whether you're in a depressive, manic, or hypomanic episode.

Depressive symptoms include:

• Feelings of depression, sadness, despair, and guilt
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration and indecisiveness
• Thoughts of suicide or death

Manic symptoms include:

• Feelings of euphoria, grandiosity, and invincibility
• Increased anger and a short temper
• Less need for sleep or insomnia
• Eating less and weight loss
• Easily distracted
• Trying to do too many things at once
• Impulsive or reckless behaviors
• Talking more than usual
• Racing thoughts

Hypomanic symptoms are milder versions of manic symptoms. If you are thinking about self-harm or committing suicide, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room for immediate help.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

At Potomac Shores Mental Health, the team offers comprehensive, customized treatments for bipolar disorder. You begin with a thorough evaluation of your mental and physical health to identify the condition causing your symptoms.

After your initial assessment, your provider creates a personalized, multidisciplinary treatment plan to alleviate your bipolar disorder symptoms and restore your health and quality of life. The team often prescribes medicine, therapy, and lifestyle modifications to address your condition from many angles.

Medication alleviates your symptoms so that you can address underlying issues and learn coping methods during therapy. Lifestyle modifications to improve your overall health can make it easier to deal with bipolar disorder.

If you're concerned about bipolar disorder, call Potomac Shores Mental Health or schedule a consultation online today.