Bipolar Disorder Counseling in Broken Arrow for Tulsa Area Residents

Bipolar Disorder Counseling in Broken Arrow for Tulsa Metro Area Residents

By Alina Morrow, LPC-S, CAMS ii, GC, CCTP

Disclaimer: The article below is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct advice, a personal diagnosis, or as an individual treatment plan. Always consult with a mental health professional or medical doctor if you have concerns.

Introduction & Overview

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a psychological (mood) disorder characterized by dramatic mood swings between mania (a mental state when the person feels happy, full of energy and extremely active) and depression (a mental state when the person feels down, sad, has no energy and is incapable of being active and productive).

Bipolar

Every person experiences ups and downs over their life span. The difference between normal mood swings and bipolar mood swings is the severity level of the symptoms and their impact on the persons life. Bipolar disorder mood swings interfere with all the aspects of the persons life: social, personal, and work related. The person has poor work or school performances, develops dysfunctional relationships with those that he or she comes in contact with, and may also plan to commit suicide. These mood swings can be frightening, disturbing, and distressful for the person that suffers from this disorder, for his or hers family, and those people that interact with the sick person.

Approximately 2.6 percent of the population or 5.7 million Americans suffer from bipolar depression, and this disorder is equally prevalent between men and women. It affects people from every social class, race, age group, and ethnic group.

Bipolar disorder usually develops in late adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. There are cases when the disorder is diagnosed in children or elders. Bipolar disorder seems to run in the family. If one of the parents suffer from bipolar disorder, children have a higher risk to develop the disorder than general population.

A Mental Health Report of US Surgeon General has listed bipolar disorder on of the 10 leading causes of disability in the USA together with unipolar depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder symptoms are divided in two main categories:

1. Symptoms of mania, include:

Increased energy and activity,
Restlessness,
Excessively euphoric, good, or “high” mood,
Extreme irritability,
Increased talking
Racing thoughts (flight of ideas),
Distractibility and lack of concentration,
Decreased need for sleep,
Unrealistic beliefs in his/hers abilities,
Poor judgment and impulsive behaviors,
Increased sexual drive,
Drugs’ abuse,
Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior.

2. Symptoms of depression, include:

Sad, anxious, or empty mood,
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, or pessimism,
Lack or decreased interest or pleasure in almost all activities,
Decreased energy and increased fatigue,
Restlessness of irritability,
Insomnia or hypersomnia,
Changes in appetite accompanied by weight gain or loss,
Chronic pains and aches that are not caused by physical injuries or illnesses,
Suicide thoughts and even suicide attempts.

Bipolar Disorder Types

There are three types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I
Bipolar I Disorder is a form of bipolar disorder where the person experiences one or more manic episodes or mixed episodes.

A maniac episode is a distinct period characterized by

an abnormal and persistent elevated, expansive, or irritable mood;
an inflated self-esteem or grandiosity;
decreased need to sleep;
distractibility;
increased need to talk or pressure to keep talking;
increased involvement in goal-directed activities with high potential of painful consequences; and
psychomotor agitation that lasts at least 1 week.

A mixed episode is a distinct period characterized by rapidly alternating moods between sadness, irritability, and euphoria.

Bipolar I disorder is a recurrent disorder, more than 90 percent of those that experience a manic episode will have future similar episodes. The average onset of bipolar I disorder is around the age of 20 for both men and women.

Bipolar II
Bipolar II Disorder is a form of bipolar disorder where the person experiences one or more major depressive episodes (period characterized by depressed mood and lack of interest in nearly all activities that last at least 2 weeks) followed by at least one hypomanic episode (a mild form of mania).

This type of bipolar disorder seems to be more common among women than men. Gender seems to be related to the number and type of hypomanic and major depressive episodes. In men, the number of hypomanic episodes is equal or exceeds the number of major depressive episodes, while in women, major depressive episodes are predominant.

Bipolar II disorder prevalence is approximately 0.5 percent.

Cyclothymia
Cyclothymia (also known as cyclothymic disorder) is a chronic, fluctuating mood disturbance that involves numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms.

Hypomanic symptoms include the following:

Abnormal and persistent elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.
An inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
Decreased need to sleep.
Distractibility.
Increased need to talk or pressure to keep talking.
Increased involvement in goal-directed activities with high potential of painful consequences, but without gross lapses of judgment or impulsive behavior.
Psychomotor agitation.

Depressive symptoms include:

Depressed mood and/or diminished interest or pleasure in nearly all activities.
Changes in appetite, weight, sleep and psychomotor activity.
Decreased energy.
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
Difficulty thinking, concentrating, and making decisions.
recurrent thoughts of death, suicide ideation, plans, or attempts.

Depressed and hypomanic symptoms’ periods are shorter, less severe, and do not occur with regularity as in bipolar I and II disorder.

Cyclothymic disorder is equally present in men and women. It usual occurs during adolescence or early adulthood with an insidious onset and a chronic evolution.

Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Bipolar disorder can be effectively treated. Even people who suffer from most severe forms of bipolar disorder can achieve substantial symptoms stabilization with proper treatment. Unfortunately, many of those who suffer from bipolar disorder do not perceive the manic episodes as needing treatment due to the good feelings they experience, and therefore, they refuse to be treated. Treatment is usually sought when the problems and painful consequences (such as job loss, excessive debt, losing a loved person, and drug or alcohol abuse) occur.

Bipolar disorder is a recurrent disorder that needs a long-term prevention type treatment that combines psychotherapy with doctor prescribed medication.. A better outcome is achieved when the treatment is continued rather than when it occurs off and on.

Let's examine both main treatment options:

Psychotherapy:
In addition to medication, psychotherapy is an effective treatment that provides support, education, guidance and help for those that suffer from bipolar disorder and their families. Usually, this type of treatment focuses on adjusting to life problems caused by the disorder, identifying the onset of both types of episodes (maniac and depressive), developing functional responses, and helping the person to accept, cope, and manage the disorder.

There are several approaches used to help people with bipolar disorder:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy: This form of psychotherapy helps those that suffer from bipolar disorder to change their negative and dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors’ patterns associated with the disorder for a better symptoms management.

2. Psychoeducation: This is a form of therapy that focuses on teaching those that suffer from bipolar disorder and their families to understand the disorder, the treatment approach, and to recognize the disorder symptoms and relapse signs.

3. Family therapy: This is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the family as a unit where each member plays an significant role in the disorder. The purpose of the family therapy is to reduce the level of distress experienced by the family which affects the relationship between its members and can contribute to the sick person symptoms.

4. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: This is a form of psychotherapy specially developed to treat those that suffer from bipolar disorder. It is based on sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disturbance caused by the disorder. It help the person who suffers from bipolar disorder to improve his or her interpersonal relationships and to regularize his or hers everyday routines. A regular daily activity routine, a regular eating routine, and a sleep schedule can help the person to prevent manic episodes.

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Related Information:

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Do you suffer with bipolar disorder? Tired of what it is doing to your life? Contact Tulsa Therapist Alina Morrow, LPC-S, today to make an appointment and get the help and relief you deserve. You can reach me by texting or calling 918-403-8873 or by Email.

Page Last Updated: July 24, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much does it cost per session?
A. My price is $150 for a 50-minute session.

Q. Who can come to counseling?
A. Anyone who wants guidance to improve their quality of life.

Q. What are the office hours?
A. Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Q. How soon can you see us/me?
A. I can usually schedule you the week that you call.

Q. What do I need to do to make an appointment?
A. You can call, text or email me with the day and time you prefer, and we can go from there. PLEASE NOTE: A debit or credit card is required to reserve an appointment. The card has to be provided at the time you schedule your first appointment.

Q. What office policies do I need to be aware of prior to making an appointment?
A. All the clients that schedule appointments with me will be informed about the Making/Cancelling or Rescheduling Appointments Policy. This policy is included in the first appointment forms and is discussed with every client at the beginning of our work together. This policy states that each client will receive a text reminder 2 days (48 hours) prior to their scheduled appointment. The client is required to respond back by confirming, cancelling or rescheduling the appointment the lastet by 8pm the day I send the reminder. If the client fails to respond back, it will be assumed they cancelled the appointment without further notice and they become financially responsible for the booked appointment. Please know that at 8pm the appointment becomes available to other clients, and it is no longer yours.

Q. What is the role of the Making/Cancelling and Rescheduling Appointments Policy?
A. This policy helps me provide equal access to services to all clients (existent or new clients). Each time a client makes an appointment the allocated time is dedicated just to them; therefore, no one else has access to that appointment. This allows me to keep my schedule organized and coordinate the care of each client I have, as well as allocating the rest of the scheduling hours to others that are in need of services. When a client does not respond to my reminder, they directly affect several people. My schedule is affected, and other clients are prevented from having access to appointments. Please understand that mental health services also involve emergency or highly critical situations where clients need to receive services as soon as possible. If you (the client) do not respond to let me know the status of your appointment, I am not able to coordinate the care for other clients and attend to their needs. Clients that need services but cannot be scheduled are put on a waiting list. This is the reason I ask a confirmation by 8pm the day I send the reminder. After 8pm, the clients on the waiting list are contacted and the available appointments are offered to them. Usually the time span between the moment I send the appointment reminder and the latest time I accept confirmations or cancellation is usually 10 to 12 hours. I send the reminders in the first part of the morning (between 8 and 10 am). By not responding to my reminder in that time frame, you (the client) keep an appointment blocked and others will not have access to services. Therefore, you (the client) become financially responsible for making an appointment and not taking responsibility for it or disregarding the needs of others. Please understand that I cannot discriminate against clients. Since this is a policy all the clients abide by when they start counseling with me, I cannot differentiate between clients and make exceptions.