The extreme emotional highs and lows people with bipolar disorder experience usually rob them of a normal life. It can cause severe difficulties in family, personal, and professional relationships. For some, it can lead to self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, which puts a person at a much greater risk of developing a substance use disorder or addiction.
At Northpoint Seattle, we have a designated bipolar disorder treatment center where you can learn how to identify, manage, and perhaps overcome bipolar symptoms.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a severe and disabling mental illness. Millions of U.S. adults struggle with bipolar disorder, yet not all seek the support necessary to heal. People with the disorder experience severe or dramatic mood swings from a high (manic) to a low (depressed). The manic or depressed phase can last for weeks or months.
Sudden and fluctuating moods and emotional states often affect thinking, judgment, behavior, and daily function. The individual is full of energy or very irritable when in a manic state. They may also experience depression and suicidal thoughts. Having bipolar disorder can cause conflict at work, home, and romantic relationships.
People with the condition sometimes develop a substance use disorder and have difficulty overcoming addiction, even with help from a bipolar disorder treatment center. In addition, alcohol and drug abuse can trigger or worsen bipolar disorder symptoms.
What to Expect From Our Bipolar Disorder Treatment Program in Seattle
There is no way to prevent bipolar disorder. There’s also no current cure for it. Nevertheless, treatment can prevent manic and depressive episodes and reduce their frequency and intensity.
Our bipolar disorder treatment center has some of the finest doctors, psychotherapists, and mental health specialists. They will care for you in a safe and structured setting conducive to healing. Medication therapy and psychotherapy are the main treatments for bipolar disorder. Commonly prescribed drugs include mood stabilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety medication.
Your therapist may decide to treat you using dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). This is a common type of therapy that effectively treats bipolar disorder. DBT helps patients regulate moods and emotions that trigger manic depression episodes and substance use.
Northpoint Seattle is a trusted care center. The benefits of our outpatient treatment programs are numerous, but individuals can look forward to:
- Medication management
- Help managing severe manic depression symptoms
- A safe environment free from triggers and stressors
- Learning how to minimize the frequency of manic depressive episodes
Treating Addiction and Bipolar Disorder at Northpoint Seattle
We will assess your need for substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment and decide whether to go to the bipolar disorder treatment center. Dual diagnosis treatment is also available for underlying mental disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. It’s common for individuals struggling with bipolar disorder to also depend on drugs or alcohol. When this happens, individuals need a treatment that addresses both conditions simultaneously. Otherwise, the likelihood of relapse is high.
We will create a personalized treatment plan to address your unique needs and keep you engaged throughout your recovery. We can also provide the following other therapies, as needed, through our addiction treatment therapy programs:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Trauma therapy
We know the recovery journey isn’t easy for those with bipolar disorder and addiction. That’s why we’ve carefully designed our programs to address the different levels of care you’ll need to get past this phase of your life. Following treatment, you can continue with aftercare in one of our outpatient programs. Remember, the longer you stay in treatment, the better your chance of regaining control of your life. Please call 425.414.3530 for more information.