Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by significant shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of high mood (mania or hypomania) and low mood (depression), often with periods of stability in between.This is not just mood swings. Bipolar episodes are intense, lasting days or weeks, and can significantly affect sleep, judgment, relationships, and work. Symptoms typically begin in adolescence or young adulthood.
There is significant research linking bipolar disorder to a chronic chemical imbalance in the brain, triggered by fluctuating levels of neurotransmitters, like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating mood, energy, and sleep. When they’re unbalanced and the brain undergoes structural changes in its emotion-processing areas, individuals with bipolar disorder experience intense mood swings between mania and depression.
Bipolar disorder is treatable. With the right medication and support, people with bipolar disorder live full, meaningful lives. A common misconception is that bipolar disorder is just depression with good days. That’s why accurate diagnosis is so critical — bipolar depression treated with antidepressants alone can actually trigger mania, making things worse. At Brady Psychiatry, we’re careful and thorough in our diagnosis.
Bipolar disorder comes in different forms. Bipolar I disorder includes manic episodes (periods of extremely elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, and impulsive behavior) and depressive episodes. Bipolar II disorder involves hypomanic episodes, which are similar to mania but less severe, and depressive episodes.
General symptoms of bipolar disorder are:
Depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder are similar to major depressive disorder (persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, and guilt). The key difference is the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes.
Montana takes great care in diagnosing bipolar disorder because the consequences of misdiagnosis are serious. He’ll look for:
Bipolar disorder requires careful, ongoing treatment. The goal is mood stability — not eliminating all emotion, but preventing the extremes that disrupt your life. Your treatment may include:
Mood stabilizers, like lithium, valproate, or lamotrigine, are the foundation of bipolar treatment. These medications work differently from antidepressants and can help prevent both manic and depressive episodes. Additional medications may help manage specific symptoms. The right medication combination takes time and careful monitoring, so you’ll need to attend regular check-ins to assess effectiveness and evaluate side effects.
Therapy helps you identify triggers, develop coping strategies, manage stress, and maintain medication adherence. Consistency can help you feel more stable.
People living with bipolar disorder can consider:
Unlike some mental health conditions, bipolar disorder typically requires ongoing treatment. Regular follow-up appointments every four to eight weeks can help you feel better and give opportunities to adjust your treatment plan as needed.
Your 40-minute first appointment will focus on understanding your full mood history, not just how you feel now, but patterns over months and years.
Bring any previous psychiatric records or medication lists if you have them. We’ll discuss your mood episodes in detail — when they started, how long they lasted, how they affected your life, and what helped or made things worse. This thorough evaluation helps us create an effective treatment plan.
Follow-up appointments (20 minutes) involve discussing your mood, sleep, medication side effects, and any upcoming stressors. It doesn’t matter where you live in Kansas; you can get a bipolar disorder assessment from anywhere.
Schedule your appointment with Montana at Brady Psychiatry today. Telehealth appointments available 24/7 through SimplePractice.