Have you ever had so much energy you just feel like you’re going to burst? You feel as though you might burst out of your skin and you’re having a hard time understanding how you’ve kept it contained at all. Have you ever started project after project and task after task only to find out, ten projects later, that you now need to either finish them all or figure out what you’re going to do otherwise?
Have you ever slept so long and so hard that you don’t know what day it is when you wake up, then are shocked to find out how long it’s been since you were last awake? Have you ever felt as if you just couldn’t handle dealing with the world? Has talking to people or being around people caused you to feel as though you would go over an edge? Has having to pay bills and grocery shop feel such an enormous task, you can’t even begin to think about how to do it?
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder, like many related mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, and its symptoms can look like other conditions and be difficult to diagnose. Bipolar can take many shapes and forms depending on the individual and finding those similarities between symptoms and your own experience can help to diagnose your condition and treat it sooner rather than later.
What is It Like To Have Bipolar Disorder?
This is what some other bipolar patients say about their experiences with their disorder:
“When I was a kid, I was very introverted and it was hard for me to make new friends due to my shyness. I had insomnia and so many fears, I was even afraid to fall asleep at night. I was also very irritable but besides all these negative things I was generous, kind and I loved smiling and making others laugh.”
“I’m living with bipolar fallout, those symptoms that occur after extending yourself too much. I had two road trips in a week, followed by normal running around and then EMDR started in earnest. That was intense! I had fantastic trips. Then EMDR started all sorts of mental memories percolating and feelings being processed. Afterward I just needed a hug.
Now, a couple days later, I’m mentally and physically exhausted, with tons of anxiety despite meds. My thoughts are racing, clouding my ability to think and make decisions. My mood is still stable, thank goodness, but I’m living in fear it won’t be. I’m worried that the exhaustion and anxiety and racing thoughts will trigger a mood state. I usually pace myself for energy-exerting activities to avoid this kind of fallout that leads to fear and worry like I’m experiencing.”
What is EMDR Treatment?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to relieve the patient of stress from associated traumatic memories. The person being treated is asked to recall distressing images which the psychologist then directs the patient in one type of bilateral sensory input, such as side-to-side eye movements or hand tapping. If you believe EMDR may help to alleviate your symptoms, contact Dr. Blair of Blair Wellness Group in Southern California for a consultation.
“I’m relying heavily on coping skills such as distraction or grounding myself. But I really want to die. If I can hang on, the mixed mood will pass, which will make the suicidal images less intense (they never go away completely). My psychiatrist increased my antipsychotic med drastically a few days ago. And my psychologist is checking in on me daily. There’s a bed waiting for me at the hospital if I need it, but everyone is rooting for me to hang on and cope through this bad spell at home. […] But the various ways keep pounding through my brain relentlessly. I want something to work – a way out of life or a way to make the feelings and images stop. I’m still just trying to hold on, grasping on the ledge with my fingernails, despite coping skills.
My thoughts are singular. My access to any means is gone. I don’t want to live this way. I don’t want to live at all. And people telling me they care isn’t enough of a reason to stay on this earth. I believe my brain’s lies. I’m not in my right mind. I’m not ok.”
Bipolar disorder is a very real, documented, diagnosable medical condition. It’s incredibly challenging to live with because you are constantly second-guessing yourself and wondering why you can’t just be like everybody else and go with the flow?
There are efficient ways to manage your condition and the psychologist at Blair Wellness Group would like to help.
Psychologist Who Treat Bipolar Disorder Near Me
Fortunately, there is treatment for even the most extreme of bipolar disorders, even if you’re suffering from it in beautiful Southern California, where everyone thinks you should just be happy and mellow and well-adjusted all the time. Through processes like Beverly Hills treatment and depression treatment in Beverly Hills, the soaring manias and crushing depressions of bipolar disorder can be managed.
Blair Wellness Group is here to help. Dr. Blair takes an innovative, interdisciplinary style of approach to care and provides tailored, individualized concierge-style care for her patients. She wants you to know that there isn’t anything wrong with you and that like any other illness, bipolar disorder is a medical condition that requires treatment.
You wouldn’t begrudge a cancer patient their chemotherapy, or a diabetes patient their insulin. There is no reason, therefore, to begrudge a bipolar patient their treatment. Contact Blair Wellness Group today.
