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Treating Bipolar Disorder
Understanding Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a severe mental disorder that can wreak havoc on a person’s life if it is left untreated. Sadly, it will not only cause problems for the person who is suffering from it, but it can also have detrimental effects on the lives of those around him or her. Bipolar disorder typically presents itself through periods of extreme highs and extreme lows. The turmoil of not knowing what mood you will face each morning and what emotions you will have to fight through each day may be causing you to feel helpless to change and hopeless about your future. But the symptoms of bipolar disorder do not have to control your life. You can make changes and your future can be a bright one. You do not have to keep suffering.
At Ohio Hospital for Psychiatry, a leading hospital for bipolar disorder, we understand the unique challenges that living a life with bipolar disorder can cause and we offer treatment that is designed to meet the needs of men and women who are struggling with this illness. We are a 90 bed, free-standing behavioral health hospital in Columbus, Ohio, centrally located so that we are able to accommodate all of our surrounding communities. If you are suffering from the effects of bipolar disorder, you are not alone. We want you to get the help that you need; the help that you deserve.
Helping a Loved One
Helping a Loved One or Family Member Get Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
If you have a family member or a loved one who is struggling to manage a life plagued by the symptoms of bipolar disorder, you may be feeling helpless as to what you can do to help him or her. Or maybe you are still questioning whether or not your loved one truly is suffering from bipolar disorder or if his or her behaviors are simply the result of a strong personality. Some warning signs that may indicate that a person has bipolar disorder can include:
- Manic episode:
- Rapid speech
- Impulsive behaviors
- Decreased need for sleep
- Expressions of grandiosity
- Flight of ideas
- Depressive episode:
- Verbalizing feelings of inexplicable guilt
- Increased need for sleep
- Suicidal ideation
- Self-harm
- Isolation
If these are symptoms that you have noticed your loved one experiencing, it is probably time to step in and guide them towards getting the help that he or she needs. Depending on the symptoms that are presently prominent (manic or depressive), it may be difficult to get your loved one to understand why you believe that he or she would benefit from mental health treatment. Regardless of how he or she reacts, it is imperative that you remain firm, yet empathetic, while voicing your concerns. The staff at our hospital in Columbus have some tips to remember when confronting your loved one about his or her need for help:
- Refrain from lecturing and instead use “I” statements to express how you are feeling rather than making your loved one feel as though you are judging him or her
- Refrain from arguing, even if your loved one initially refuses to seek treatment
- Be consistent in your reasoning and in how you present your thoughts and feelings
- Seek out help from other people in your loved one’s life so that you have a variety of perspectives going into the discussion
- Ensure your loved one that you will support him or her throughout the entire treatment process
Why Seek Treatment
Why Consider Treatment for Bipolar Disorder at Our Hospital in Columbus
People who have bipolar disorder are likely to be struggling with additional concerns, such as co-existing mental health illnesses or problems with substance abuse. The symptoms of bipolar disorder alone can be devastating, and the added stress of other disorders or substance addiction serve to make life even more difficult. Without proper treatment, the symptoms of bipolar disorder and any other illnesses can have extremely detrimental effects on a person’s life. In some instances, the effects could be fatal, depending on the severity of one’s depressive or manic episodes. In other words, severe depression can lead to suicide attempts and severe mania can lead to participation in high risk behaviors, both of which have the potential to end one’s life.
If you are struggling with the symptoms of bipolar disorder, an inpatient treatment center may be the most beneficial type of treatment to give you the help that you need. Treatment centers can address the symptoms of bipolar disorder as well as any other behavioral or mental health concerns that may be present. By receiving treatment in a center like ours in Columbus, you are able to receive the help that you need in the safest environment possible. It allows you to step out of the stressors of your everyday life so that you can focus solely on getting well. Through a combination of various therapies and medication management, an inpatient treatment center can help you obtain the life that you want to live.
Treatment Philosophy
Our Philosophy and Benefits of Bipolar Disorder Treatment
At Ohio Hospital for Psychiatry, our bipolar disorder treatment center in Columbus, our philosophy centers on a complete understanding of the fact that our patients have a complex history of life experiences that have worked towards making them the unique individuals that they are. The struggles that they are currently facing represent only a small part of who they have and will become. Our goal for our patients is to instill hope and a renewed sense of health and well-being in a safe and confidential setting.
Types of Treatment
Types of Bipolar Disorder Treatment Offered at Our Hospital in Columbus
The treatment center here at our hospital in Columbus focuses on an active interdisciplinary approach. Our highly qualified staff take responsibility for providing thorough care and compassionate treatment for all of our patients. We understand that every person who walks through our doors has his or her own set of unique, specific needs and so we tailor each treatment plan to meet those individual needs. After completing a comprehensive evaluation, we will work with you to determine the most appropriate level of care that will guide us in meeting all of those identified concerns. Some of the treatment methods that we incorporate into our patients’ care include:
Medication management is offered at our bipolar disorder treatment center. Psychotropic mediations are an essential part of providing effective treatment for patients who have bipolar disorder. In order to aid the regulation of one’s emotions and behaviors, mood stabilizers are usually implemented to mediate the chemical imbalances that bipolar disorder results from. While in treatment, the administration of all medications is monitored by a primary care physician to ensure the therapeutic effectiveness of the prescriptions and make any necessary changes.
Individual therapy at our hospital provides patients with the opportunity to meet on a one-to-one basis with their therapist so that specific concerns and questions can be addressed in a private, confidential setting aimed at providing patients with the utmost comfort.
Group therapy is held on a daily basis at our treatment center and was developed to be a time where patients can meet together to explore different ways of coping with the struggles that they are facing. It can also be extremely beneficial in helping patients to realize that they are truly not alone in the problems that they are dealing with. Mood regulation and daily living skills are just a couple examples of the topics that are covered throughout these sessions.
Family therapy is part of treatment administered at our hospital for bipolar disorder. It is essential to the success of any treatment process. This is a time for loved ones to have the ability to voice the effects that the patients’ illnesses have had on their lives. It is also a time designed to help families heal and come to a united understanding of what bipolar disorder is and how they can work together to keep their loved one on the right track for continued success.
In addition to the aforementioned treatment modalities, at our hospital for bipolar disorder, we aim to provide the most holistic approach to treatment that can be offered. In order to help our patients go beyond emotional and behavioral recovery, we provide additional services that are meant to heal the mind, body, and spirit. These services may include:
- Art therapy
- Nutritional education
Continuing Care
Continuing Care and Levels of Treatment
The staff at our hospital for bipolar disorder in Columbus understands that the discharge process from an inpatient stay can be extremely intimidating for our patients as they leave the safety of an environment centered solely on recovery and enter back into a world of potential stresses and triggers. In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, your treatment team will work extensively with you as you decide on your next step in the recovery process. For some patients, this next step may lie in participating in a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program, both of which are designed to help patients continue with the treatment they need while slowly integrating back into their community. If patients are at a point where they are ready to return home, our case management team will work with them to find appropriate support groups, any necessary traditional outpatient therapy services, and other outside resources.