Bipolar Disorder

The shifts in mood you experience with bipolar disorder are exhausting and frustrating. It’s difficult to make plans or decisions, and many people struggle to progress in their careers or even hold down a job. If you struggle with bipolar disorder symptoms, talk to Katrina Coulter, RN, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, of Psych Investments LLC in Grapevine, Texas. She combines medication management with psychotherapy to help people manage their condition more effectively. Call Psych Investments LLC or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online today to start benefiting from high-quality bipolar disorder treatment.

What is bipolar disorder?

People with bipolar disorder experience cycles of changing mood that are often extreme. These moods shift from mania (hyperactivity and recklessness) to depression, the inverse of mania where you become so low and miserable it’s hard to function.

Bipolar disorder has three forms:

Bipolar I disorder

People with bipolar I disorder experience the most severe mood shifts and extreme mania.

Bipolar II disorder

If you have bipolar II disorder, you experience hypomania (a less extreme form of mania). However, your depressive episodes are likely to be similarly severe.

Cyclothymic disorder

This form of bipolar disorder features less severe mood swings that tend to be more regular or predictable.

Without treatment, bipolar disorder increases your risk of self-harm and substance misuse, both of which you may turn to when struggling to cope with your symptoms. Your risk of suicide is also high.

What symptoms does bipolar disorder cause?

Mania or hypomania symptoms include:

• Excessive energy
• Little need for sleep
• Euphoria
• Being easily distracted
• Agitation and anger
• Talking loudly and quickly
• Risk-taking behaviors
• Overconfidence
• Racing thoughts
• In severe cases, hallucinations

People often take on too much during a manic episode. It can be a relief to come out of depression and feel full of energy, so you might try and do all the things you can’t do when depressed, like spring clean the house or tackle DIY projects.

Unfortunately, mania also makes you behave in ways that are out of character and cause overwhelming shame when the mood passes. For example, you might spend money you haven’t got on a shopping binge, take illegal drugs, behave promiscuously, or drive too fast and have an accident.

During depressive episodes, your mood inverts, so you have no energy or self-confidence and find it hard to talk to or see people. You feel hopeless, worthless, and ashamed of how you behaved when manic.

If these symptoms sound familiar, Katrina offers in-office and telehealth assessments to diagnose and treat bipolar disorder.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

Your personalized bipolar disorder treatment plan may include:

• Antidepressant medications
• Mood stabilizers (such as lithium)
• Antipsychotic drugs
• Individual psychotherapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

There’s no cure for bipolar disorder. However, with Katrina’s help, you can manage your symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life.

To find out more about compassionate bipolar disorder treatment, call Psych Investments LLC or book an appointment online today.