Whether you have a physical disease or a mental health condition like bipolar disorder, managing your symptoms, especially when your diagnosis is new or not well controlled, is likely to take a lot of your focus and energy. It can take so much of your focus that it can start to seem like it defines you. You’re much more than your condition, though, and you can live a full and joyful life defined by things you love.
There are four types of bipolar disorder, but they have in common that people with the conditions have dramatic shifts in mood and energy. Everyone experiences emotional highs and lows, but people with bipolar disorder experience them more intensely and often more frequently.
Need to know more about a bipolar disorder treatment center? Call us today at 1.844.675.1022.
The Four Classifications of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I
The defining characteristic of Bipolar Disorder I is mania, which is an extremely elevated and generally euphoric mood. Sometimes mania is accompanied by delusions and health-threatening hyperactivity. Suppose a person has a manic episode that lasts at least seven days or is severe enough to require hospitalization. In that case, they meet the diagnosis for Bipolar I. Usually, people diagnosed with Bipolar I also experience periods of depression, but it isn’t a necessary condition for diagnosis.
Bipolar II
People with Bipolar Disorder II don’t experience full mania, but they have periods of depression that alternate with periods of hypomania, which is a milder and shorter type of manic episode. The manic symptoms are less severe than for Bipolar I, but the depression may be significant and long-lasting.
Cyclothymia
If someone has at least two years of rapidly alternating periods of hypomania and mild depression, they may receive a diagnosis of cyclothymia (also called cyclothymic disorder). Periods of normal mood last less than eight weeks.
Bipolar Disorder, Unspecified
When people experience bipolar symptoms but don’t fit one of the other categories, they may receive this diagnosis. Sometimes the symptoms accompany another medical condition.
You Can’t Ignore Bipolar Disorder
How much bipolar disorder affects your everyday life depends on its severity. Even if your case is mild, however, it’s important not to delay mental health treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states, “If left untreated, bipolar disorder usually worsens. However, with a good treatment plan including psychotherapy, medications, a healthy lifestyle, a regular schedule and early identification of symptoms, many people live well with the condition.”
Often people with bipolar disorder who are riding a wave of mania don’t recognize the risks they’re taking or the negative consequences of their behavior. However, after the mania or hypomania has subsided, they can often feel very distressed or ashamed.
If you made commitments during the episode, they might feel overwhelming or unmanageable later. You may have said or done things that affected your important relationships, and you may not know where to begin to repair them. You may have only fuzzy memories of what happened during the episode, or in some cases, have no memories of the time at all.
Bipolar Disorder Doesn’t Define You
Something that affects much of our life can start to feel like it’s not just part of us but also our essence. It is especially true when our thoughts and behaviors are affected. It can be counterproductive to think that way, though, because it can lead to feelings of hopelessness.
An individual with a mental health disorder points out that your brain is just a part of your body like your arm is and that if you cut your arm, you wouldn’t tell yourself that you were now a cut. When a body part is injured or not functioning optimally, the wise response is to care for it, whether the challenge is with your arm or your brain.
Like all human beings, you are a beautifully unique and complex mixture of things you both did and didn’t choose. You didn’t choose your parents or siblings, but you chose your spouse if you’re married. Nor did you choose your height or the color of your eyes, but you can choose how you dress. Having bipolar disorder wasn’t a choice either, but you can choose how you manage it.
Healthy ways of coping with bipolar disorder
Educate yourself about the condition
Education can help in both learning to manage it and in feeling less alone. Many people understand what you’re going through.
Find role models
If you don’t know anyone personally, an internet search will yield a long list of celebrities and influential people living well with bipolar disorder. They are more than their condition, and so are you.
Follow your treatment plan
Treatment generally involves both medications and psychotherapy. If you’re feeling stable, it’s easy to let your treatment slide, but this isn’t wise. Experts note that treatment for bipolar disorder is much more effective at controlling the condition when it’s continuous.
Learn to recognize early warning signs
Even if you’re following your treatment plan, you can have mood swings. If you recognize them early, you and your treatment provider can adjust treatment to keep them from becoming full-blown manic or depressive episodes. In addition to mood changes, it’s wise to notice changes in your energy level, sleep patterns, and ability to concentrate.
Try to determine and avoid triggers
Sometimes there don’t seem to be any patterns when mood episodes hit, but some people can determine things that set them off. They may come during periods of high stress or come more often during a certain time of year. Maybe traveling is a trigger, or drug or alcohol use is.
Think through what you’ll do when you see an episode coming on
Who will you contact? Where will you go if you need help? When you’re in an episode, clear thinking becomes more challenging, so it’s wise to have a plan already in place. It’s also wise to have contingencies in mind. If you plan to call Person A but can’t get through, who will you call instead? If you know that you need help, advocate for it. You may seem fine to others, but you’re the expert in what’s going on inside your head.
Develop habits that contribute to physical and emotional health
Habits can include exercising, eating well, keeping a regular bedtime, meditation, and journaling. It’s also helpful to find activities you enjoy and to cultivate them. These actions can help both with general emotional health and help you remember that you’re more than your bipolar illness.
Your mental health doesn’t define you. While it may be a challenge now, it doesn’t always have to be. At Promises Five Palms, we will work with you to educate you on your bipolar disorder, give you the tools to manage your mental health and provide thoughtful ways for you to navigate the world.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment Can Help
In the struggle to deal with bipolar disorder, you’re not alone. Compassionate and professional help is available.
To find out more about how we can help you with bipolar disorder treatment, call us today at 844.675.0962. Our admissions specialists are here to answer your questions and give you the best treatment options for your unique experience.
