Bipolar Disorder

At any age, bipolar disorder needs a prompt assessment and treatment from Asif Choudhary, MD, at Advanced Psychiatry. Dr. Choudhary creates customized treatment plans that include mood-stabilizing medications and therapy that supports your unique needs. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Marietta, Georgia, or book online today.

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder causes swings in your mood, energy, concentration, and activity level. For example, your Advanced Psychiatry therapist may teach you how to recognize the signs of an approaching mood swing and the steps you can take to prevent it. Therapy also helps you learn coping mechanisms for the effect bipolar disorder has on your life, from reducing stress and controlling emotions to establishing a sleep routine.  Though everyone with bipolar disorder has mood swings, their symptoms differ depending on which of the three types they have.

Bipolar I disorder

People with bipolar I disorder have swings between severe mania and major depression. The manic highs make it impossible to fulfill daily tasks and often require hospitalization to stabilize your mood.

Bipolar II disorder

Bipolar II disorder causes episodes of hypomania and major depression. Hypomania has the same symptoms as full-blown mania, but they’re less severe.

Cyclothymic disorder

This type of bipolar disorder causes frequent, rapidly changing mood swings. People with cyclothymic disorder spend at least half of their time in a hypomanic or depressive episode. You also have a higher risk of developing bipolar I and II if you already have cyclothymic disorder.

What symptoms does bipolar disorder cause?

The hallmark symptoms of mania include:

• Having excessive energy
• Needing little sleep
• Talking rapidly
• Experiencing racing thoughts
• Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
• Engaging in risky behaviors like drinking while driving

You can also have delusions and hallucinations during a manic episode.

Depressive episodes cause symptoms such as:

• Losing interest in favorite activities
• Feeling sad and hopeless
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Eating more or less than usual
• Having a hard time concentrating or making decisions
• Thinking about, planning, or attempting suicide

Bipolar depression is the same as major depressive disorder (clinical depression), causing severe symptoms that affect your daily life.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

Bipolar disorder is a serious life-long disorder that needs mood-stabilizing medications to prevent the swings from high-energy mania to low-energy depression. In addition to medication, therapy helps you manage the disorder and gives you the skills needed to build a successful life.

Therapy can also help you learn coping mechanisms like reducing stress, controlling emotions, and establishing a sleep routine.

Many people with bipolar disorder have imbalanced sleep rhythms. Establishing a consistent routine and stabilizing your sleep-wake cycles is a proven way to avoid mood swings.

Bipolar disorder needs consistent treatment to stabilize your moods. To get expert care, call Advanced Psychiatry or book an appointment online today.