Bipolar disorder could possibly be one of the commonly misunderstood mental health disorders among people. Why is it so hard to understand? Probably the name might be where it gets tricky, the term ‘bipolar’ making people with not much awareness of mental disorders think that it is some random switching of opposite behaviours or personalities. Some people even jokingly ask when someone has spontaneous extreme reactions, “Are you bipolar or something?”
Are they? How to know when a person actually has bipolar disorder? What exactly is it? Can it be treated? What is bipolar disorder treatment in India? Read on.
Bipolar disorder is one of the mood or affective mental disorders. It is a disorder that affects a person’s mood and emotional states, and thereby many behaviours mainly. It includes the presence of symptoms associated with two major mood disorders: Depression and mania.
The main characteristic of bipolar disorder is intense shifts in mood and emotions that are expressed in energy levels and other aspects of an individual’s behaviour and life. In this, the person shows cyclical change from one extreme mood state to another. This is to say that bipolar disorder adds symptoms of both depression and mania to the mix. Bipolar disorder treatment in India focuses on both these dimensions of the disorder for effective management.
Bipolar 1 Disorder Vs. Bipolar 2 Disorder
Based on the extent of presence of the extremities, bipolar disorder is mainly of two types.
- Bipolar 1 disorder – In this type, one feature is that a major depressive episode as such is not that strictly needed for diagnosis. The next feature is that at least one episode of mania meets the criteria for a proper mania diagnosis. The manic episode is a really intense, full blown episode that in effect, causes difficulties in the normal life of the person.
- Bipolar 2 disorder – Do not mistake Bipolar 2 disorder for some kind of level to bipolar 1 disorder. It is not. Note the major difference is not only that the person never experiences a full blown manic episode, but also, the manic symptoms only meet the criteria for hypomania. That is not as problematic as that in mania of bipolar 1 disorder either. Also, for bipolar 2 diagnosis, there must be one major depressive episode.
Many biological, psychological and sociocultural factors do pull the string in bipolar disorder. There are many techniques used in bipolar disorder treatment in India that keep in mind these factors for good outcomes.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health problem. Meaning, it doesn’t have a complete cure and lasts for life. There is no quick fix. Therefore, the treatments focus on managing the symptoms. So that the symptoms don’t put a damper on the way they want to live.
Key treatment approaches to bipolar disorder treatment in India depending on individual needs are pharmacological interventions and psychotherapy.
- Pharmacotherapy: The treatment of bipolar disorder using medicines generally include three classes of drugs: Mood stabilisers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Sometimes anti-anxiety medications are also put to use if the condition calls for it. It is important that you follow the prescribed dosage and duration of medicines heeding to professional advice, due to the chronic nature of bipolar disorder.
- Psychotherapy: You might think, “What is the use of psychotherapy or talk therapy when one already has so many medicines?”. Note it down because a combination of both medication and psychotherapy is quite effective in management of bipolar disorder. Psychotherapies, like for many other psychological conditions, do deliver decent outcomes in Bipolar Disorder Treatment in India as well as in other countries. Some of the generally used therapeutic techniques used are:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy
- Family therapy, etc.
- Other techniques: Not to mention, on top of these major medications and psychotherapies, to boot, some other methods also are taken advantage of in bipolar disorder treatment in India. For instance, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), light therapy for bipolar disorder associated with seasonal patterns, Mindfulness-based intervention, Art therapy, Music therapy, etc are some of such techniques.
Bipolar Disorder may waver in its symptoms, severity and its impact on an individual’s daily life and functioning. But the core feature of shift between intense mood states that is lifelong, remains. In some extreme cases, there might be risk of harm for self or others that requires urgent hospitalisation and constant supervision.
There are many mental healthcare services that provide efficient facilities for bipolar disorder treatment in India for effective management of the symptoms and achieving a fulfilling life in all ways that matter. Therefore, it is important to seek help from professionals as timely as possible.
Why CoachForMind?
- Experienced Psychologists: We are a team of licensed RCI-registered clinical psychologists. Our team is well-experienced in various forms of therapy such as CBT, DBT, Family Therapy, and other therapeutic techniques used in bipolar disorder treatment in India.
- Personalized Approach: We are dedicated to treating our clients in the best-suited way, carefully curated as per the client’s needs, and adhering to one-on-one, client-centered therapy.
- Scientific Techniques: Our treatment plans and therapeutic methods are based on highly researched scientific findings such as CBT, DBT, and Interpersonal Therapy among many other therapeutic techniques used in bipolar disorder treatment in India.
- Quality service: We at CoachForMind ensure quality services in our treatment regime and therapeutic approaches. Our clients hold most value to us, so we ground our techniques in empathy while maintaining professionalism.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly at coachformind@gmail.com
