Welcome to Counseling Services
Bipolar Disorder
- Common Manic Stage Behavior:
Unusual amounts of energy that effect mood and/or sleep
Uncharacteristic participation in high-risk activities that are likely to lead to painful results, such as spending spress, foolish investments.
Disconnected, racing thoughts
- Common Depressive Stage Behaviors
Excessive cryingl constant fatigue and inertia
Loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities
Overwhelming feelings of despair, hopelessness, and helplessness
- The moods of a person with bipolar disorder, which is also called manic depression, swing from periods of intense elation to periods of intense sadness
- Bipolar disorder tyyically develops in late adolescense or early adulthood
- Unlike other forms of depression, biploar disorder affects men and women queally. Nearly one in every 100 people will experience the disorder at some time in their lives.
- The psychological basis for bipolar disorder is better understood than other forms of depression, making the illness one of the most effectively treated
- Because of the genetic susceptibility to bipolar disorder, people who have a close relative with teh condiditon are 10-20 times more likely to develop either depression or bipolar disorder than the general population
- There is help: 70% or more of those patients with bipolar disorder respond well to medication that helps reduce the frequency and intensity of manic episodes. A combination of professional counseling and medication helps most patients return to productive and fulfilling lives.