Bipolar Disorder Treatment Center

Offering bipolar treatment programs in South Florida

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Also known as manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder is a diagnosis given to a category of mood disorders that influence mood and affect about 6.1 million adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Although children and adolescents can show signs of bipolar disorder, it usually emerges in the late teens or the early twenties and can go undiagnosed for many years. Without bipolar disorder treatment, it can be incapacitating; however, bipolar disorder is manageable. The best course of rehabilitation for bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and various therapies at a bipolar disorder clinic like Lifeskills in South Florida.

Bipolar disorder is often inherited, but a definitive cause hasn’t yet been proven. Some people have been known to develop bipolar disorder after a head injury; it’s also been linked to thyroid disease. Regardless of the cause, the symptoms are often difficult for others to understand.

Bipolar Disorder: Mood Shifts

It’s important to note that people with bipolar disorder have no control over the extreme shifts in mood they experience, from severe depression to complete mania, as well as milder symptoms of both extremes. People who are going through a milder manic phase (hypomania) often report an ability to be more creative and have more ideas but are often easily frustrated or irritable. They may be spontaneous and may also be overly productive. However, as the symptoms increase, the ideas can come too quickly, and they can become agitated and enraged. They may also experience little need to sleep and may feel indestructible. A manic phase usually lasts a week or more and co-exist with at least three other symptoms of mania.

Additionally, bipolar I disorder is what people usually refer to when talking about manic depression. They will experience the extreme highs along with the lows and may suffer from hallucinations and/or delusions, as well. However, people diagnosed with bipolar II disorder suffer more depression and do not experience the extreme highs in their mood. Instead, they experience what is called “hypomania,” which is a milder form of mania without the psychotic features.

Substance Use and Bipolar Disorder

Drug and alcohol abuse are often common in people with bipolar disorder. These individuals abuse drugs to self-medicate or increase euphoric symptoms. It becomes a repetitive cycle because substance misuse can also worsen the symptoms of bipolar disorder. When a substance use disorder is present, also known as dual diagnosis, it’s important to treat both diagnoses concurrently in an integrated bipolar disorder clinic.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The main characteristic of people living with bipolar disorder is suffering under the weight of two intense emotional states, clinically known as mania and depression. Everyone’s symptoms are different, with the severity of mania and depression varying from person to person.

Individuals with bipolar disorder may experience the following manic symptoms:

Intense euphoria
Hurried speech
Racing thoughts
Increased agitation or irritation
Engaging in risk behaviors, including substance abuse
Decreased need for sleep

Depressive phases of bipolar disorder have the direct opposite effect. The signs and symptoms of the depressive phase can include:

Fatigue, lethargy, or physical weakness
Extreme sadness, often leading to suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Sleep problems – either too much or too little
Low appetite or increased appetite
Loss of interest in activities once considered enjoyable
Increased irritability and heightened aggression
Chronic pain with no known cause

Because of the range of severity of symptoms, it’s vital for those suffering to get treatment at a bipolar disorder treatment center like Lifeskills in Deerfield Beach.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Individuals with bipolar disorder may experience the following manic symptoms:

Intense euphoria
Hurried speech
Racing thoughts
Increased agitation or irritation
Engaging in risk behaviors, including substance abuse
Decreased need for sleep

Another symptom of an anxiety disorder is clouded thinking or brain fog which is sometimes referred to as mental fatigue. Individuals with mental fatigue may experience:

Depressive phases of bipolar disorder have the direct opposite effect. The signs and symptoms of the depressive phase can include:

Fatigue, lethargy, or physical weakness
Extreme sadness, often leading to suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Sleep problems – either too much or too little
Low appetite or increased appetite
Loss of interest in activities once considered enjoyable
Increased irritability and heightened aggression
Chronic pain with no known cause

Because of the range of severity of symptoms, it’s vital for those suffering to get treatment at a bipolar disorder treatment center like Lifeskills in Deerfield Beach.

Anxiety disorders don’t only impact an individual’s mind and their emotions. They can also affect an individual’s physical health, leading to physical symptoms like shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, and chest pains. Anxiety and depression are also very closely related, and people with anxiety disorders may easily fall into depressive patterns or experience other mental health conditions.

The Importance of Bipolar Treatment Programs

No matter what symptoms one is experiencing, anxiety recovery is possible. At Lifeskills, our initial assessment helps us understand each client’s unique mental health needs so we can customize an anxiety treatment program for them, which may include anti-anxiety medications. At our treatment centers, our skilled staff ensures that each client receives the best individualized mental health care using evidence-based practices.

As the foundation of our evidence-based practices, we offer Clinical Pathways, and each is led by a doctoral-level or licensed clinician with additional national certifications in their area of expertise. Based on an assessment of clinical need, diagnosis, and medical history, each client is prescribed the most appropriate primary and secondary clinical pathways. Our Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Pathway is primarily used to treat mood and anxiety disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Throughout each client’s treatment, we’re flexible to ensure that their recovery journey is right for them.

Lifeskills Bipolar Rehab Centers

At Lifeskills’ bipolar rehab centers, our clinical team develops individualized bipolar disorder treatment plans that best address each client’s needs by incorporating the most successful evidence-based therapy methods and experiential therapies. Our bipolar disorder treatment center takes a holistic approach, which allows clients to strengthen and develop their understanding of their diagnosis. At our bipolar rehab centers, we also help clients better manage their symptoms through bipolar disorder treatment that includes individual, family-focused, and group therapy sessions in a calming and therapeutic environment.