Bipolar disorder treatment,
with specialty mood-stabilizer expertise.

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder marked by periods of mania (or hypomania) alternating with periods of depression. It’s distinct from “mood swings” — manic and depressive episodes last days to weeks, not hours, and they meaningfully affect functioning.

Bipolar I involves full manic episodes (decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, grandiosity, sometimes psychosis). Bipolar II involves hypomanic episodes (less severe than mania) plus depression — and is often misdiagnosed as recurrent depression because patients seek help during depressive phases.

Bipolar disorder is highly treatable, but treatment selection matters more than for almost any other psychiatric condition. The wrong medication (or the wrong dose) can destabilize symptoms; the right combination is often life-changing.

• 01Manic/hypomanic episodes: decreased need for sleep without fatigue
• 02Racing thoughts, rapid speech, distractibility
• 03Impulsive decisions: spending, sexual behavior, travel, projects
• 04Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• 05Increased goal-directed activity or risk-taking
• 06Depressive episodes: low mood, anhedonia, fatigue, hopelessness
• 07Suicidal thoughts during depressive episodes (call 988)
• 08Mixed states — depressive mood with manic energy or irritability

If symptoms are interfering with daily life — or if you’ve felt this way for more than two weeks — it’s worth a conversation with a psychiatrist.