bipolar disorder therapy
Do you have intense mood swings?
Having Bipolar Disorder feels like having intense depression followed by periods of feeling really good, almost euphoric.
Do you have extreme highs and lows?
Do you have times you can barely get out of bed? Do you also have times where you’re so happy and excited you can’t calm down or even sleep well?
We can diagnose and treat bipolar disorder
Do you have intense highs and lows?
“When my bipolar disorder was untreated, I would have cycles of depression and mania. Mania is a scary word, but for me it was just like a natural high. It felt great, but I got impulsive and would mess things up. Now that it’s under control, I feel so much more balanced and functional as a person.: – Stephen, Denver
Do you suspect you have Bipolar Disorder, but aren't sure?
“I sought out therapy to figure out why I felt the way I did. I had googled bipolar disorder and thought I might have it, but getting a professional evaluation was important to me. It was hard to come to terms with, but now I find the knowledge empowering. In therapy, I learned how to recognize an episode and how to deal with it in a healthy way.” – Erica, Centennial
Do you feel other people don't understand you?
“Bipolar disorder is a beast. It’s really confusing to the people around me. Counseling not only helped me understand myself better, but my therapist even met with my girlfriend and my parents to help us all understand it better. I feel more at ease with those people now; I feel like they understand me and don’t get upset when my symptoms flare up. We all have a plan now, it’s a huge relief.” – Gabe, Aurora
Finding balance with bipolar therapy
Whether in our Denver offices or online, therapy for bipolar disorder is effective and life-changing. Our therapists create custom treatment plans for your unique needs.
In therapy, you will learn practical and helpful tools to find balance.
Some examples are:
- Psychoeducation- Your therapist will help you understand how bipolar disorder touches your life. You will learn your own triggers and patterns.
- Lifestyle habits are strongly linked to managing bipolar disorder. With your therapist you will learn how to create healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits that will help you find balance.
- Mindfulness skills to calm racing thoughts during a manic episode and stop a depressive spiral.
Bipolar Disorder is more common than you think. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 2.8 precent of adults currently have bipolar disorder and that 4.4 percent will experience it during their lifetime.
signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder
Serious shifts in mood, thought patterns, or behavior that last days or weeks.
It’s common for people with Bipolar Disorder to seem unpredictable, intense or difficult to relate to. This makes relationships rocky at times.
People with bipolar disorder have periods of depression. These periods are marked by low mood, low energy, low motivation and negative thought patterns. These periods can last days, weeks or months.
Bipolar Disorder is marked by periods of mania or hypomania. Mania is a period of time marked by intensely good mood, hyperactivity, impulsivity, high energy and little sleep. When in a manic state, people feel expansive and invincible. They often have grandiose thoughts and feelings.
Mood changes can be so intense they interfere with your ability to function have good relationships with friends, family, partners, or co-workers
Bipolar Disorder has a genetic component and tends to run in families.
During a manic episode, you do things impulsively that you regret later. Some examples include:
- over-spending
- quitting your job
- staying up all night to re-arrange your closet or paint you house
- ending relationships
Cycling between depressive and manic episodes is the hallmark of bipolar disorder. People can cycle slowly or very quickly.
Not everyone has the full presentation of Bipolar Disorder, with the severe swings between deep depression and full-blown mania. There is another state called hypomania, which means “little mania” and is a manic episode that is less severe than full mania. During hypomania, you may feel really good, have lots of energy and be somewhat impulsive, but it’s not apparent to others. Hypomania interferes with your life a lot less than full mania. It can also present as irritability.
Bipolar 1 (full depression and full mania)
This is the classic presentation of Bipolar Disorder with alternating episodes of severe depression and full mania. This presentation is very easy to see, and it feels like you are controlled by your mood and its swings.
Bipolar 2 (full depression and hypomania)
This a also a common presentation of Bipolar Disorder. With Bipolar 2, your mood swings between depression and hypomania (a less-severe form of mania). In hypomanic episodes, people usually present with more irritability than impulsivity.
Cyclothymia (mild depression and hypomania)
Cyclothymia is a milder form of Bipolar Disorder marked by cyclical mood swings between mild depression and hypomania.
Having Bipolar Disorder is very difficult. The intense mood swings and relationship issues can often lead to suicidal thoughts.
A sign of bipolar disorder can be irritability or having anger issues. Others may say they feel they have to walk on eggshells around you. You don’t want to be irritated or angry, but your fuse is very short.