Bipolar Treatment Options for Rehabilitation

At The Blackberry Center, bipolar treatment is a key part of our adult mental health program. By working with patients to treat and manage the symptoms of bipolar disorder, our clinical staff ensures a high standard of care. This includes compassionate meetings with mental health experts, intensive programming, and treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders.

Do you have questions about bipolar disorder or how we treat it? We’ll cover bipolar disorder treatment options, symptoms, and everything else you need to know about this mood disorder.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

The first step in receiving bipolar treatment is identifying the disorder. And the hallmark of bipolar disorder is distinct fluctuation between feelings of elation and feelings of depression. However, this may not mean what you think. One common misconception is that people with bipolar disorder have distinct mood swings within a matter of minutes. In reality, these mood shifts usually persist for periods of weeks or, in some cases, months.

For example, if you have bipolar disorder, you might find yourself with depression symptoms for two to three weeks. This is known as a depressive episode.  Symptoms of bipolar depression might include feelings of listlessness, guilt, and/or chronic fatigue. Bipolar disorder can also increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in individuals.

Then, just as suddenly as the depressive episode began, you might wake up one day to find that it has subsided and has been replaced by a manic episode. On this side of the spectrum, you’ll experience feelings of joy, excitement, and high energy, only to have them be replaced in a few weeks by depression once again.

Frequent fluctuations between mania and depression serve as the best indicator of bipolar disorder.

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

Unfortunately, the vast array of feelings and symptoms means that bipolar disorder can easily be confused for other mental illnesses. This often occurs when people with bipolar disorder seek help, only to receive a misdiagnosis of depression. And while bipolar disorder does entail certain depression symptoms, treating depression does not work for these patients because it only addresses a part of the overall issue.

That’s why our clinical staff take the utmost care in diagnosing new patients. Our psychiatric care staff often helps patients who come in with undiagnosed mental health issues to find a diagnosis that fits them. While we do not believe in labeling individuals, we understand the importance of receiving an accurate diagnosis to ensure the highest possible quality of care. Our diagnosis process includes:

• Personal Intake Assessments: In these conversations, you and a member of our staff will discuss your mental health symptoms, your personal history, and your goals for treatment. This conversation will be respectful, considerate of your experiences, and completely confidential.
• Psychiatric Evaluation: Here, one of our clinical mental health professionals will meet with you for a more detailed discussion of your mental health needs. If you or our specialist suspect that you may have bipolar disorder, your symptoms will be directly compared to those listed in the DSM-V to gauge whether or not this diagnosis fits you.
• Medication Evaluation: In some cases, your current medications could cause side effects that appear similar to bipolar disorder. During this step, you will meet with one of our physicians to determine if your symptoms could be related to your medications. If you are found to have bipolar disorder, you may be prescribed medications like mood stabilizers to help treat this issue.

Once we have established that you have bipolar disorder, you will be enrolled in an appropriate treatment program to meet your needs.

Treatments for Bipolar Disorder

There are many ways to treat bipolar disorder. But at The Blackberry Center, we only use evidence-based treatments that demonstrate real, long-term results for our patients. By applying a variety of treatments, both medical and psychiatric, we give our patients the greatest chance at lifelong recovery.

Each treatment plan is customized to the individual’s unique treatment goals and mental health needs. That said, some of our most popular and successful treatments include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This proven form of talk therapy focuses on replacing unhealthy, self-destructive patterns with more effective alternatives. For example, as a person with bipolar disorder, you may enter a depressive state and think, “I don’t deserve to be happy.” By addressing these dangerous thoughts directly, CBT removes the defeatist attitude that stands in the way of many people’s mental health recoveries.
• Group Therapy: Often, a large part of recovery comes from realizing that you are not alone. In our group therapy sessions, you will meet with other people with mental illnesses to discuss your similar experiences. In this way, you will see the patterns of mental illness and how you can avoid falling into these traps after treatment.
• Family Education: For many people, family members can greatly benefit their recoveries. Here, you and your loved ones will come together to discuss your bipolar disorder symptoms, share information about this condition, and repair your relationships.

These are just a few of our bipolar treatments that we provide for patients. If you would like to know more about how we help our patients on the path to long-term recovery, you can contact our admissions specialists at 407-449-7815, or you can fill out our digital contact form. If you suspect that you or a loved one needs treatment for bipolar disorder, then now is the time to ask for help. No matter how severe your symptoms are, we promise that you are not alone in this.