Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood (either from high to low, or low to high). These high periods are known as manic episodes, while the low episodes are depressive episodes.
It can be hard to diagnose bipolar disorder due to the mood shifts and its similarity to other mental health conditions, but there are signs and symptoms that make it easier to understand the difference.
How Bipolar Disorder Feels
Manic Episodes
- Being overly happy or seeming emotionally high for long periods of time
- Not sleeping as much or not needing to sleep as much
- Increased speed of thinking and talking
- Restlessness and impulsive behavior
- Overconfidence
Depressive Episodes
- Being sad or feeling hopeless for long periods of time
- Social withdrawal, isolation from friends and family
- Lack of interest in hobbies and activities you once enjoyed
- Change in appetite
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Problems remembering, concentrating, or making decision
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
Types of Bipolar Disorder
- Bipolar I: The standard form of bipolar disorder, once called “manic depression”. With bipolar I, the difference between manic and depressive episodes is clear, and the shifts in behavior and mood are extreme. Their manic mood will escalate, sometimes meaning the person has to be seriously treated because they are in danger of self-harm.
- Bipolar II: Bipolar II is more common than bipolar I and features much less severe manic symptoms. These more mild bouts of mania are referred to as hypomanic. Without treatment, hypomania can get worse in time.
- Other: There are two, much rarer types of bipolar disorder as well. Cyclothymic disorder is similar to bipolar I and II, but the mood shifts are less dramatic. There is also unspecified bipolar disorder, which is when a person only has some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Treatments for bipolar disorder include some of the following:
- Medication
- Behavioral Therapy
- Substance Abuse Treatment
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
Ketamine For Bipolar Disorder
One innovative and promising new treatment is ketamine infusion. Ketamine started as an FDA-approved anesthetic but research in the last two decades indicates it may be the biggest breakthrough in depression treatment in decades.
While there are certainly some important biochemical and pharmacologic effects that ketamine provides, what really sets it apart is its potential to create a transpersonal experience that can completely remodel a patient’s psychological paradigm. Since we opened in 2015, Edelica Health has stood apart from many other centers because this is the foundation of our treatment model. Other centers view ketamine therapy like an “oil change shop”…we view it as an individualized journey that optimizes the mystical and transformative aspect of the experience.
If you or a loved one is struggling with Bipolar Depression, we would like to invite you to learn more about the benefits of ketamine.