Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder causes mood and behavior changes that can negatively affect your everyday life. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our behavioral health specialists help you manage bipolar disorder so you can maintain your quality of life.

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition. People with bipolar disorder have manic episodes where they may feel energized and happy, followed by depressive periods where they feel hopeless or sad. Bipolar disorder was previously called manic depression or manic-depressive illness.

Causes of bipolar disorder

Experts aren’t sure why some people develop bipolar disorder. There may be a genetic cause because the condition often affects members of the same family. Some people may have changes to their brain that affect their brain function and contribute to bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder symptoms

Bipolar disorder symptoms vary from person to person. The condition can cause manic symptoms, depressive symptoms or a mix of both.

Symptoms often persist throughout the day and can last for a week or longer. They may be mild or severe. You may go back to feeling like your usual self in between manic and depressive episodes.

Signs of a manic episode

During a manic episode, someone with bipolar disorder may:

• Appear restless, agitated, irritated or jumpy
• Be highly energetic
• Engage in reckless or risky behaviors
• Exaggerate their skills or importance
• Feel overly happy or elated
• Have racing thoughts
• Sleep less than usual
• Talk very fast

Signs of a depressive episode

During a depressive episode, people may:

• Appear sad, down or anxious
• Be forgetful
• Feel hopeless or worthless
• Lose interest in activities and disengage from people
• Move and talk slowly
• Sleep too much or struggle to fall and stay asleep
• Struggle to concentrate, make decisions or complete simple tasks
• Talk about death

Bipolar disorder types

There are several types of bipolar disorder. Each type can affect people differently. The most common types include:

• Bipolar 1: People with bipolar 1 disorder have manic episodes that occur most of the day, nearly every day for at least seven days. Depressive episodes follow, lasting about two weeks. Some people with bipolar 1 need hospitalized care.
• Bipolar 2: People with bipolar 2 disorder tend to have persistent depressive episodes followed by hypomania. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania that doesn’t last as long or affect daily functioning.
• Cyclothymia: Also called cyclothymic disorder, this type causes recurrent manic and depressive symptoms. But the symptoms are less intense and resolve faster than official manic or depressive episodes.
• Other specified and unspecified bipolar and related disorders: A person with this type has bipolar disorder symptoms that don’t match a specific type of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder diagnosis

A health care provider, such as a primary care physician (PCP), psychiatrist or psychologist, can diagnose bipolar disorder based on your symptoms and their impact on your life. To make a diagnosis, providers refer to criteria in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Diagnosing bipolar disorder can be challenging. Many people with bipolar disorder have other conditions that share similar symptoms. Conditions that often occur with bipolar disorder or cause similar symptoms include:

• Addiction
• Anxiety disorder
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Psychosis
• Schizophrenia

Bipolar disorder risk factors

These factors may increase your chances of developing bipolar disorder:

• Family member with bipolar disorder
• Other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, addiction or ADHD
• Traumatic or stressful life events

Complications of bipolar disorder

People who have bipolar disorder may be at risk for complications including:

• Addiction
• Financial or legal problems
• Poor work or school performance
• Relationship issues
• Thoughts of suicide

Bipolar disorder treatments

Treatment for bipolar disorder may include:

• Medications: Mood stabilizers, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are the most common treatments for bipolar disorder.
• Psychotherapy: Medications often work best when combined with psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps you adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits.
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): ECT may help when medications don’t ease symptoms. This treatment involves sending a brief electric current to your brain. The current causes a small seizure that helps brain cells (neurons) form new connections.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMI): This therapy sends safe magnetic waves to your brain (instead of the electrical current used in ECT). TMI can help treat depressive episodes that don't respond to medication.
• Hospitalization: If you have severe symptoms, you may benefit from inpatient behavioral health hospitalization or a partial hospitalization program (PHP). In-person and virtual support groups can also help.