Originally posted on https://www.firststepcenter.com/rehab-blog/am-i-bipolar/

Do you find yourself wondering, “Am I bipolar?” This question plagues many men and women who wonder if their depression may be more than just feelings of sadness. Knowing your diagnosis is important to get the right kind of help, especially when your mental health problem leads to self-medication through drugs or alcohol. If you suffer both bipolar disorder and substance use disorder, you need dual diagnosis treatment you can count on for hope and healing.

AM I BIPOLAR?

Abusing drugs or alcohol and wondering, “Am I bipolar?” keys you into your own truth, that you have problems for which you need real help. Maybe you wonder about your mental health because you suffer troubling mood swings that range from depressive lows to the highs of mania. Or maybe others tell you they see the signs of bipolar disorder in your behavior.

Only a medical professional can tell you for certain that you suffer bipolar disorder. But getting this diagnosis opens doors to the help you need from a quality bipolar disorder treatment program Scottsdale, AZ trusts. In Scottsdale, men and women from all over the U.S. get the therapies and other treatments they need to put mental health problems and substance abuse behind them for good.

WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder, a condition causing unhealthy patterns of moods, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that do not equate with your life circumstances. In other words, you suffer mood swings that range from depression to mania or hypomania. You can experience these mood swings multiple times per year or on an occasional basis.

It can be hard to identify your own bipolar disorder. You need help from family and friends, who see your signs and symptoms more clearly.

SIGNS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

Depression in bipolar disorder looks very much like major depressive disorder. You experience the same signs and symptoms, but feel more irritable, restless and guilty. You can also experience psychosis with bipolar depression, in which you break from reality.

In a depressive episode of bipolar disorder, it is common to have five or more signs of depression that impair your life. These signs include feeling sad, depressed and hopeless as part of each day for at least two weeks. You also have no interest in activities, experience weight changes, cannot sleep well or sleep too long, have little energy and move slowly. You possibly feel agitated or restless, cannot concentrate or think about suicide.

Manic episodes in bipolar disorder last a week or longer. They are the opposite of depression suffered in your condition. Although you feel great in your extremely good mood of a manic episode, you can suffer severe consequences of this phase of your disorder.

You likely experience mania or hypomania when you show three or more common signs of these upswings. Signs include feeling unusually positive and upbeat, jumpy, edgy, highly energetic, highly self-confident and easily distracted. You sleep less than normal, have racing thoughts, talk too much and do fun things despite knowing they can get you into trouble.

HELP FOR DUAL DIAGNOSIS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER WITH ADDICTION

Men and women with bipolar disorder often self-medicate their changing moods and behaviors through drug or alcohol abuse. But this effort to stabilize your life only makes things worse. Through dual diagnosis treatment in Scottsdale, you can get control over your bipolar disorder and build lasting recovery from drugs and alcohol.

Key programs and therapies of dual diagnosis treatment for men and women with bipolar disorder include:

• Residential, PHP, IOP and OP programs
• Trauma therapy, EMDR, and PTSD treatment
• Neurofeedback and exposure response therapy
• SMART Recovery
• 12 step program
• Attachment disorder and codependency therapy
• Mental health treatment

Go one step beyond asking yourself, “Am I bipolar?” Talk to a caring counselor who understands dual diagnosis treatment for bipolar disorder and addiction. Call First Step Center of Arizona now at 866.832.6398 for the answers you seek and guidance toward the next steps into a better life.