Bipolar Disorder

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is marked by mood swings. In some cases, these can be extreme. You might feel very sad one minute and overly excited or happy the next. Not all mood swings indicate bipolar disorder, but Dr. Somers spends time gathering the needed information to make an accurate diagnosis.

Greater awareness of bipolar disorder helps you best manage the condition and is vital to correctly diagnose it. While there’s no known cure for bipolar disorder, treatment using dietary interventions, medication and counseling can stabilize your mood and help you be successful.

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

The symptoms of bipolar disorder include:

• Feeling extreme happiness cycled with deep depression
• Spontaneous or poor decision-making
• Insomnia or sleeping too much
• Appetite fluctuations
• Reduced ability to concentrate
• Thoughts of suicide
• Feeling hopeless or worthless
• Loss of interest in favorite things

Bipolar disorder can affect your relationships, job, and other aspects of your life. See the Nevada Family Psychiatry providers at the first sign of a mental health problem.

What causes bipolar disorder?

The cause of bipolar disorder isn’t clear, but certain things increase your risk of developing it. These include a family history of bipolar disorder, ongoing or severe stress, and alcohol or drug abuse. Your risk might also increase if you have another mental health problem like anxiety, an eating disorder, or a substance abuse disorder.

How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?

Dr. Somers can diagnose bipolar disorder after reviewing your medical history and symptoms. Before personalizing a treatment plan, he completes a psychiatric evaluation by asking questions about your behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and mood.

How is bipolar disorder treated?

The standard treatments for bipolar disorder include:

Lifestyle changes

Things you can do at home to stabilize your mood include having a strong social support network in place, avoiding recreational drugs and alcohol, eating nutritious foods, getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep, and following a routine.

Medication

Taking prescription medicines is an excellent way to reduce or eliminate the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder.

Counseling

Dr. Somers counsels you about ways to best manage bipolar disorder by changing your thought, mood, and behavior patterns.

Dr. Somers might recommend more than one treatment to offer superior results. He monitors you throughout treatment to ensure it’s effective.

Call the Nevada Family Psychiatry office today or use the online scheduler to be screened and treated for bipolar disorder.