Bipolar Disorder

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It’s normal for people to experience mood fluctuations, but these should only last a few hours.

For those with bipolar disorder, these intense emotional swings last days to weeks and are accompanied by dangerous behaviour changes and difficulty with daily routines and social interactions.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes dramatic changes in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. It tends to affect women slightly more often than men. People with bipolar cycle through three states, a high state (mania), a low state (depression), and a good state during which people feel normal and function well.

The exact causes of bipolar disorder are unknown, but there is strong evidence to suggest that genetics play a large role. As high as 90% of those with bipolar disorder have a relative with the same condition. Things like stress, sleep disruption and drugs and alcohol can also trigger an episode in someone who already has the illness.

Signs + Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Depression

Unaware of the negative consequences of their action
Irritable
Feeling excited, euphoric and full of energy
Feeling jumpy and experiencing racing thoughts
Unpredictable behaviour
Impaired judgement
Impulsivity
Reckless decisions and unusual risks
Use of alcohol or drugs
Hallucinations or symptoms of psychosis

Mania

Difficulty falling/staying asleep or sleeping more than usual
Overwhelmed with everyday activities
Feelings of loss, personal failure or guilt
Feeling helpless
Loss of energy
Sense of feeling slower than usual or persistent restlessness
Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Trouble concentrating, focusing and making decisions
Thoughts of death, dying or suicide
Changes in appetite or weight

Goals of Bipolar Therapy

Learn strategies to manage stress
Develop a stable routine with healthy lifestyle habits
Re-engage with social, familial and occupational roles
Reduce drug or alcohol misuse
Bring the individual back to a stable mood
Improve ability to identify and intervene early with warning signs of recurrences
Increase acceptance of the illness

Therapeutic Approaches

We will do an assessment of your specific situation and goals, to come up with a targeted and individualized approach to therapy that draws from a variety of the listed modalities

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Change unhelpful and problematic ways of thinking got change unwanted or unhealthy behaviour

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Utilized techniques like meditation, stretching, and breathing to increase awareness of our thoughts, feelings and actions

Dialectal Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

Develop healthy coping strategies and mindfulness skills like living in the moment to improve relationships and regulate emotions

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