Bipolar disorder is a common mental health condition. Experts believe about 2.3 million people in the U.S., or almost 1% of the population, have bipolar disorder.This mood disorder shows up as a mood cycle spanning weeks or several months. 

Both depressive and manic episodes can cause intense moods and behavior changes that may interfere with your daily life. Often, people with bipolar disorder will notice depression symptoms first. You may feel tired and/or hopeless or lack motivation for daily activities for periods of a week or two to several months. Mania can be harder to identify because it often comes with uplifting, positive emotions. For instance, you might feel wired, jumpy, elated or irritable. You might feel impulsive or invincible and do things you normally wouldn’t do. 

Identifying and understanding your bipolar disorder symptoms can take some time. But there is hope for managing or alleviating your symptoms. Wherever you are in your mental health journey, getting an assessment by a qualified clinician is the best place to start. A detailed assessment will pinpoint what symptoms and goals you can start working on with a bipolar therapist near you.

Why should I look for a bipolar therapist?

Several types of psychotherapy have proven effective for people with bipolar disorder. It’s important to find a therapist who specializes in this particular diagnosis. Bipolar disorder therapists have experience with various ways bipolar disorder symptoms can present. They have experience helping clients become more mindful of their individual mood cycles. Finally, they’ll be familiar with the best treatment modalities to manage them. 

Consider these common reasons you might seek out a bipolar therapist:

• Depression, mania, hypomania or extreme mood shifts are interfering with your day-to-day life.
• You’ve received a bipolar 1 or bipolar 2 diagnosis, and you need help understanding what this means for you.
• You’ve seen other professionals, but they haven’t helped with alleviating your bipolar disorder symptoms.
• You need help identifying your bipolar disorder symptoms and understanding what triggers might lead to a mood episode.
• You need help managing your stress level or fears about possible mood episodes.
• You need a plan for navigating situations or managing behaviors that trigger your bipolar disorder symptoms.
• Medication alone isn’t effective at treating your bipolar disorder symptoms.

Bipolar disorder treatment options at Lightfully Behavioral Health

At Lightfully, we use the process-based therapy (PBT) model to address the core processes that underlie all mental health conditions. This means our clinicians focus on the whole person, not just their diagnosis, to create holistic plans for lasting mental wellness. 

Our programs are a bit more thorough and comprehensive than basic outpatient therapy. Along with individual therapy, you’ll have family therapy and group sessions with peers who also have bipolar disorder. In family therapy, your loved ones will learn more about what you’re going through and how they can support you. Group sessions can be validating in ways that one-on-one therapy can’t match. As clients listen to personal stories, they often find that their peers have struggled with similar situations. You’ll also get the opportunity to build confidence by sharing your own experiences.

The highest level of care we offer is Residential Treatment (RTC) in a cozy, supportive and homelike facility. We also have Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) day programs. These include several different treatment options along with individual therapy, group therapy and more. Lastly, virtual IOP makes the same services you would get on-site available to residents anywhere in California and Colorado. If you can’t find a bipolar therapist near you, virtual IOP is a great alternative.

Find a Lightfully bipolar therapist near you

The psychiatrists and therapists at Lightfully are ready to help people with bipolar disorder find relief. We’re ready to help you become more aware of your mood cycles and manage your specific bipolar symptoms for long-term wellness. If you live in California, there’s a good chance we have a location with a bipolar disorder therapist near you.

Whether you’re just starting to look for answers or you’ve had a bipolar diagnosis for a long time, you are welcome at Lightfully. Our licensed clinical experts will create your personalized treatment plan with evidence-based, clearly defined, data-driven and whole-person-centered care. Ultimately, we want to help everyone become a better version of themselves.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.