Bipolar Disorder Treatment on St Simons Islands, Georgia

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that affects an estimated 40 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Bipolar disorder can make it harder for someone to regulate their mood, depending on the Bipolar disorder type.

Bipolar disorder doesn’t have to rule your life and can be managed with the right combination of medication, mental health maintenance, such as regular therapy, and lifestyle changes. 

There are two types of Bipolar– Bipolar I and Bipolar II. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bipolar disorder, especially the most severe type (type I), has a strong genetic component, meaning that the condition is typically inherited. 

Bipolar I causes drastic swings between mania, or feelings of euphoria and high energy, to depression, or feelings of hopelessness and low energy. Bipolar I is typically deemed the more drastic type of Bipolar, symptomatically. 

Bipolar II has similar highs and lows, but not as extreme as Bipolar I. Someone with Bipolar II may not experience full mania, but may still have frequent mood swings that can impact their quality of life.

As we’ve mentioned, both Bipolar I and II present with frequent mood swings. However, other signs of Bipolar are important to understand, in order to gain a fuller understanding of the condition. Common Signs of the condition include: 

• Elevated mood or euphoria
• Increased energy and activity levels
• Racing thoughts and rapid speech
• Decreased need for sleep
• Irritability, impulsivity, and poor judgment
• Grandiosity and inflated self-esteem
• Risk-taking behavior 
• Prolonged sadness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Changes in appetite and sleep patterns
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and self-doubt 
• Anxiety and emotional instability
• Rapid cycling between manic and depressive episodes
• Difficulty maintaining relationships

Additionally, the condition presents differently in women vs. men, as well as in adolescents vs. teens. 

Bipolar in women or assigned-female-at-birth individuals can be exacerbated by hormonal changes due to menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. But that’s not the only difference in Bipolar between men and women. Women are more likely to have a “mixed episode” which is where you can feel manic and depressive at the same time. Similarly, women often have more anxiety and depression symptoms during episodes than men. 

These differences in symptoms can have a huge effect on quality of life, and a person’s experience with Bipolar. This is why St Simons offers Women’s programming as part of our suite of treatments. 

Bipolar in men has the same basic presentation of manic and depressive episodes that are more severe for Bipolar I and less severe for Bipolar II. However, men are more likely to experience manic episodes, where women are more likely to experience depressive episodes. Due to the stigma around men’s mental health, they may be more sensitive to talking about their symptoms or acknowledging them at all. This is an important influence on their experience with Bipolar.

While teens and adults share the same basis of symptoms for Bipolar I and II, adolescents will experience those symptoms differently. Adolescence is already a time of heightened emotions, due to puberty, social pressures and self-discovery. Because of this overwhelming experience of emotions, teens with Bipolar symptoms are more likely to complain of physical symptoms accompanying Bipolar, such as a headache or indigestion. They are also more likely to turn to self medication through substance use. This is why it’s important to intervene early if you suspect that your teen may be struggling with Bipolar disorder.

If you or a loved one has, or suspects, Bipolar disorder, there’s a lot that you can do to help:

• Learn about the disorder: the first step in being able to support a loved one with Bipolar is to learn more about the disorder. Educating yourself will help you understand certain patterns of behavior, and react appropriately. 

• Offer empathy: Because bipolar can affect someone’s mood so drastically, it’s important to be empathetic. Consider how you might feel in the same circumstances, and remember that bipolar is a genetic condition, meaning those who have it had no choice in the matter. 

• Create a strong support system: People with Bipolar may struggle with relationships due to their mood swings. A great way to help combat this is helping build a strong support system– there are support groups for others with Bipolar online and in person, as well as other outlets like intramural sports or hobby clubs that can reduce feelings of isolation, and add an element of structure to their routine.
• Seek professional help: Finally, know when it’s time to seek professional help. Professionals with experience treating Bipolar understand the genetic components in a way that a loved one may not and can offer practical, medically informed advice to those struggling.

St Simons By-the-Sea offers several programs for those struggling with mental health disorders, like Bipolar. We have inpatient programs and outpatient programs for adults, as well as inpatient programming for adolescents who are struggling with their mental health. Each of our programs is designed to help support your unique needs as an individual. We even have specific women’s mental health programs to address the effect that gender and gender presentation has on the big picture of someone’s mental health. 

All of our programs offer the following: 

• Crisis intervention
• One-on-one support
• Medication management
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Group therapy
• Recreational and expressive therapies
• Discharge planning

I’ve had times of feeling “down” and sad most of my life. I used to skip school a lot when I felt like this because I just couldn’t get out of bed. At first I didn’t take these feelings very seriously. I also had times when I felt really terrific, like I could do anything. I felt really “wound up,” and I didn’t need much sleep. Sometimes friends would tell me I was talking too fast. But everyone around me seemed to be going too slow.

My job was getting more stressful each week, and the “up” and “down” times were coming more often. My wife and friends said that I was acting very different from my usual self. I kept telling them that everything was fine, there was no problem and to leave me alone.

Then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t keep it together. I stopped going to work and stayed in bed for days at a time. I felt like my life wasn’t worth living anymore. My wife made an appointment for me to see our family doctor and went with me. The doctor checked me out and then sent me to a psychiatrist, who is an expert in treating the kinds of problems I was having.

The psychiatrist talked with me about how I’d been feeling and acting over the last six months. We also talked about the fact that my grandfather had serious ups and downs like me. I wasn’t very familiar with “bipolar disorder,” but it sure sounded like what I was going through. It was a great relief to finally know that the ups and downs really were periods of “mania” and “depression” caused by an illness that can be treated.

For four months now, I’ve been taking a medicine to keep my moods stable, and I see my psychiatrist once a month. I also see someone else for “talk therapy,” which helps me learn how to deal with this illness in my everyday life.

The first several weeks were hard before the medicine and talk therapy started to work. But now, my mood changes are much less severe and don’t happen as often. I’m able to go to work each day, and I’m starting to enjoy things again with my family and friends.

For help with bipolar disorder, contact Saint Simons By-The-Sea.

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St Simons By-The-Sea on St Simons Island offers you and your loved ones a peaceful, nurturing environment to address mental health disorders, like bipolar. Highly trained staff is here to help you every step of the way, from admissions to discharge planning, so that you or your loved one is set up for long-term success. Contact us online, or call us today at 800-821-7224 for a no-cost assessment to see if St Simons is right for you.