Bipolar Disorder

People who have bipolar disorder experience extreme intensities of emotion, altered sleep patterns, and behavior that changes drastically from euphoric highs to devastating lows. If you’ve been experiencing symptoms that could be due to bipolar disorder, Katrina Zlataric, PMHNP-BC, and the team at KZ Psychiatric Services in Barnhart, Missouri, can help. Katrina has considerable experience in helping patients manage their conditions and lead happier lives. Call the office to schedule an appointment or request one online today. 

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder used to be known as manic depression because it causes extreme shifts between feeling elated and full of energy (manic) and having deep periods of depression.

These changes in mood are typically long-lasting. So you could have a manic phase for several weeks until your body exhausts itself, causing you to then crash into a depression that can last for several months.

Every person’s experience of bipolar disorder is different, but some similarities help define the disorder. During a manic episode, you’re likely to:

• Have feelings of euphoria
• Have extra energy
• Be very active
• Talk faster
• Feel agitated
• Have frequent feelings of irritability
• Have racing thoughts
• Feel invincible
• Take risks
• Go on a spending spree

In contrast, if you’re having an episode of depression, you’re likely to:

• Feel hopeless
• Have no energy
• Do very little
• Sleep too little or too much
• Be unable to enjoy anything
• Feel empty and worthless
• Have trouble concentrating
• Be forgetful
• Eat too much or not enough
• Have chronic fatigue
• Think about suicide

These changes in mood can be exhausting and highly disruptive, making it extremely difficult to study, work, or maintain relationships.

What causes bipolar disorder?

There doesn’t seem to be a single identifiable cause for bipolar disorder. However, studies show there are contributing factors, such as family history, that increase your risk of developing bipolar disorder.

Brain function

The way your brain works and its structures may be different if you have bipolar disorder.

Genetics

There does seem to be a genetic predisposition for developing bipolar disorder, but there’s no specific gene or gene combination that’s present in all patients who have it.

Family history

You’re more likely to develop bipolar disorder if other members of your family have it. In many cases, though, people who have a family history of bipolar disorder don’t develop the condition themselves.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

Bipolar disorder isn’t curable, but with help from the team at KZ Psychiatric Services, you can significantly reduce the impact bipolar disorder has on your life. Treatments that can help with bipolar disorder include:

• Mood stabilizers
• Atypical antipsychotics
• Antidepressants
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Family-focused therapy
• Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy
• Psychoeducation

It can take time to find the optimal combination of therapies, but many patients who have bipolar disorder lead full and happy lives with help from the team at KZ Psychiatric Services.

To find out more about better ways to manage bipolar disorder, call KZ Psychiatric Services or request an appointment online today.