Experiencing the shifts in mood and energy that come with bipolar disorder can be difficult to navigate on one’s own. It is ideal to work with a professional to come up with a treatment plan so that you will be in a position to work with the problems caused by bipolar disorder, which can affect your sleep, your thinking, your energy and of course your behavior. The effect on home, work and school life can be devastating, but fortunately there are many options for treatment. A balanced combination of these could be your way to relief from the worst parts of bipolar disorder.
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is helpful for many mental disorders, whether these concerns interrupt your daily life or not. Speaking with a professional allows you to understand your feelings better, as well as your reactions to them. Combined with medications and other treatments, having a handle on your bipolar disorder will be in reach. With any mental health concern, you are rarely looking at any type of cure, but rather finding a way to live your best life while also dealing with the ups and downs of your bipolar disorder or other mental illness. Patients typically find that expressing some of their thoughts and feelings out loud – sometimes for the first time ever – that they have a better chance of understanding themselves and the world around them.
Medication
Typically, bipolar disorder will require lifelong medication, even if the person with the illness isn’t currently dealing with symptoms – it is never recommended to stop any medications without consulting with your doctor first. Staying on the medications in general is what is intended to stave off those symptoms in the first place – it’s like jumping off of a treadmill, mid-jog. You want to keep moving with the progress you’ve already made, not hop off in the hopes that everything will work out without any obstacles. Of course, you’ll discuss your options with your doctors, and there can be trial and error, to see which medications you respond best, too. Typically, the medications prescribed include mood stabilizers. antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Long-Term Treatment
Including medications and talk therapy, as well as other potential treatments, bipolar disorder will often require continuous treatment for a long period, to balance all of the existing treatments and to help the person with bipolar disorder be able to gauge what is and is not helping. This will all help reduce the frequency and intensity of the mood shifts that come with bipolar disorder. It can also be helpful for the person with bipolar disorder to get into regular habits and a daily routine, including exercise and eating well – many such lifestyle changes can help reduce the intensity of bipolar disorder.
If you are suffering from bipolar disorder, contact Maryland Primary Care and Wellness today. Our staff are trained to listen and to treat each patient with respect and understanding, so that we can help each person come up with a treatment plan that works best for them.