Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and complex brain disorder causing shifts between manic and depressive phases, requiring bipolar disorder treatment. The patient may feel out of control of their lives and unable to participate in daily activities.
Episodes of bipolar disorder can lead to dramatic changes in the person’s life, such as a lost job, failure in school, damaged friendships, or even jail time. Those with bipolar disorder are often hospitalized for their mental illness when experiencing an episode.
The disorder can be difficult to diagnose as there are not many tests to offer a true diagnosis. The cyclical emotional state of the patient and vital information based on brain SPECT imaging are the two main factors Amen Clinics uses to diagnose and recommend bipolar disorder treatment.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is found to run in families despite not having a single cause, and three out of five patients with bipolar disorder are women. The brain disorder affects around 4% of Americans as a fairly common illness. Unfortunately, those with bipolar disorder are 15 times more likely to attempt suicide when compared to the general population. There are four distinct types of bipolar disorder:- Bipolar I
- Bipolar II
- Cyclothymic disorder
- Bipolar disorder otherwise not specified
- Periods of high energy and motivation
- A decreased need for sleep
- Selective racing ideas
- Grandiose or delusional thinking with exaggerated self-confidence
- Excessive involvement in risk-taking activities
- Periods of depression or hopelessness
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Loss of interest in hobbies
- Inability to concentrate
- Thoughts of suicide
Treatment and Therapy for Bipolar Disorder
Those with bipolar disorder experience unique struggles and require highly customized treatment. Here at Amen Clinics, we’ve found brain SPECT imaging is vital to identifying the root cause of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is sometimes identified with co-existing problems, such as brain injury, and as many as 50% of those with bipolar disorder also have ADD/ADHD. Brain SPECT imaging gives patients a direct view into the physical nature of their brain, destigmatizing any fears they might have against treatment. The emotional toll of finding help for this brain disorder can be lifted once the patient understands the physical nature of their illness. While this condition is difficult to diagnose due to bipolar disorder’s many types and tendency to overlap with other brain disorders, it is a serious psychiatric condition requiring expert care. Many patients with bipolar disorder fall into continuous episodes because they do not follow through on their bipolar disorder treatment, believing there is no longer a problem once treatment starts or that there never was a problem. Amen Clinics is committed to offering personalized bipolar disorder treatment options that take into consideration all aspects of the patient’s life. When enrolling with Amen Clinics to treat you or your loved one’s bipolar disorder, we use a four-pronged approach to first assess your case by taking the following steps:- We will begin by taking the time to explore your specific biological, psychological, social and spiritual influences.
- Next, we will perform neuropsychological tests to measure various aspects of your brain function.
- Then, we will perform two brain SPECT scans: one at rest and one during concentration.
- Finally, we will order lab tests to rule out nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, toxicity, etc.— if deemed necessary.
