Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Living with bipolar disorder presents unique challenges that affect every aspect of your life—your relationships, your work, your sense of stability, and your overall well-being. If you’re seeking therapy to help manage bipolar disorder, you’ve come to the right place. I provide evidence-based treatment designed to help you live the life you want while effectively managing your symptoms.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition characterized by extreme changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These shifts range from periods of depression to episodes of elevated mood and increased activation.

Bipolar I Disorder involves experiencing at least one manic episode—a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood lasting at least one week. During manic episodes, you might experience:

  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Racing thoughts
  • Increased goal-directed activity
  • Engagement in risky behaviors

Most people with bipolar I also experience depressive episodes, though depression is not required for diagnosis.

Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes. Hypomania is a less severe form of mood elevation that lasts at least four days but doesn’t cause the marked impairment in functioning that mania does. Research shows that people with bipolar II experience depression far more frequently than hypomania—in some studies, depression occurred 39 times more frequently than hypomanic episodes.

The Impact of Depression in Bipolar Disorder

While the elevated moods of mania and hypomania are often what people associate with bipolar disorder, depression is actually the more disabling and frequent symptom for most individuals. Research tracking people with bipolar disorder over 13 years found that depression was experienced three times more often than mania. Even minor or subsyndromal depressive symptoms can significantly impact your ability to work, maintain relationships, and function in daily life. Depression in bipolar disorder consistently affects community functioning across cultures and populations.

The Role of Medication

Medications are an important first-line treatment for managing acute depression and mania in bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and other psychiatric medications can be effective in treating symptoms and preventing episodes. However, research consistently shows that medication alone is often not enough to fully manage the disabling effects of bipolar disorder. This is where therapy becomes essential.

Why Therapy Matters

Strong evidence from large-scale research studies demonstrates that psychotherapy combined with medication leads to significantly better outcomes than medication alone. In the landmark Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) study involving 293 people with bipolar depression, those who received intensive psychotherapy alongside their medications were 1.58 times more likely to be clinically stable at one-year follow-up compared to those who received only brief education and medications.

The most effective psychotherapy approaches for bipolar disorder share several key components:

  • Illness awareness and education
  • Medication adherence support
  • Early detection of warning signs
  • Maintaining regular daily routines

Research shows that people who received structured psychoeducation spent 75% less time depressed over a five-year period compared to those in unstructured support groups. I provide therapy that focuses on three crucial areas:

  • Medication Adherence: Taking medications consistently can be incredibly challenging—studies show that nonadherence rates in bipolar disorder range from 25% to 68%. I work collaboratively with you to facilitate understanding and address the complex factors that make medication adherence difficult, including:
    • Concerns about side effects
    • Feelings that medication has failed you
    • Ambivalence about long-term treatment
    • Questions about the role of medication in your life
    • My approach recognizes that your relationship with your treatment providers and feeling understood are essential to successful medication management.
  • Early Detection of Symptoms: Learning to recognize the early warning signs of mood episodes is one of the most powerful tools you can develop. Together, we’ll facilitate your ability to identify your unique prodromal symptoms—the subtle changes that appear before a full episode develops. This early detection allows for timely intervention and can prevent minor symptoms from escalating into major episodes.
  • Maintaining Your Preferred Regular Lifestyle: Research consistently shows that maintaining regular daily rhythms—sleep schedules, activity patterns, and social routines—is protective against mood episodes. I’ll work with you to facilitate the development and maintenance of a lifestyle that reflects your values and goals while supporting your stability. This isn’t about rigid rules, but about finding the routines and patterns that work for you.
  • Addressing Life’s Challenges:  
    • Relationship conflicts
    • Work stressors
    • Financial concerns
    • Traumatic experiences
    • Other difficulties that interact with and impact your mood stability

We’ll work together to facilitate practical solutions while building your resilience.

Collaborative Care

Effective treatment for bipolar disorder often involves a team approach. I gladly consult with whomever you would like to designate, including:

  • Your psychiatrist
  • Primary care physician
  • Family members
  • Other treatment providers

This collaboration ensures that everyone involved in your care is working together toward your goals and that your treatment is coordinated and comprehensive.

Trauma and PTSD

If you’ve experienced trauma, you’re not alone. Research shows that up to 40% of people with bipolar disorder also have a lifetime history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and childhood traumatic events are associated with more frequent depressive episodes. Elevated moods can also increase vulnerability to traumatic experiences. I incorporate trauma-informed approaches into treatment and can facilitate healing as we address both conditions in a safe, structured way.

Why Therapy Is More Than “Just Talk”

As one researcher who lives with bipolar disorder beautifully expressed, psychotherapy can be “a sanctuary; a battleground; a place where I have believed—or learned to believe—that I might someday be able to contend with all of this.” Effective psychotherapy for bipolar disorder is not just casual conversation—it’s an intentional, evidence-based treatment targeted at addressing the specific risk and protective factors that influence the course of your disorder. It’s a place where you can make sense of confusion, manage frightening thoughts and feelings, and learn to build the life you want.

Take the Next Step

If you’re ready to explore how therapy can help you manage bipolar disorder and live more fully, I invite you to reach out. Call me at 410-970-4917 or email edgewaterpsychotherapy@gmail.com to schedule a consultation. Together, we can develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and goals.