If you’re diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you probably feel like your life is constantly split between extremes. Some days, you may have energy that has no end in sight, and other days, it can be a struggle just to get out of bed. As such, it’s natural to ask yourself, “does bipolar disorder ever go away?” The reality is that bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition involving recurring, intense changes in mood, energy, and functioning. These fluctuations are much more intense than typical ups and downs.
There are three types of bipolar disorder:
- Bipolar I Disorder: Full manic episodes lasting at least seven days or severe enough to require hospitalization
- Bipolar II Disorder: Hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes, but without full mania
- Cyclothymic Disorder: Ongoing fluctuations with hypomanic and depressive symptoms that never reach the level of a full episode
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms of bipolar disorder fall into three categories: mania, hypomania, and depression. They can last days or weeks and cause significant disruption in one’s life. In fact, almost 83% of people with bipolar disorder experience severe impairment, the highest rate among mood disorders.
Manic episodes involve a persistently elevated or irritable mood lasting at least one week. Symptoms may include:
- Racing thoughts and rapid speech
- Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
- Decreased need for sleep
- Risk-taking behavior like reckless spending or unsafe sex
- Increased distractibility
- Extreme energy and activity levels
- Possible psychosis (hallucinations or delusions)
Hypomanic episodes are a less severe form of mania lasting at least four days. Symptoms are similar to mania:
- Heightened mood or irritability
- Increased talkativeness
- Restlessness or agitation
- Less need for sleep while still feeling energetic
- Enhanced productivity or creativity
Depressive episodes are defined by persistent low mood and loss of interest in activities. Symptoms can include:
- Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
- Fatigue or low energy
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Bipolar disorder may also present as mixed episodes, where symptoms of mania and depression occur at the same time, or rapid cycling, which involves four or more episodes in a year. Other features may include anxiety or melancholic symptoms.
Is There a Cure for Bipolar Disorder?
Currently, researchers haven’t found the cause of bipolar disorder nor have they found a cure. Bipolar is a lifelong condition that usually requires lifelong management and treatment.
Can Bipolar Disorder Go Into Remission?
While bipolar disorder isn’t curable, it’s possible for it to go into remission for extended periods of time. However, studies show that even during full or partial remission, patients continue to have trouble with daily functioning. This emphasizes the importance of staying consistent with your care plan as effective treatment can make day-to-day tasks easier to accomplish.
How is Bipolar Disorder Treated?
Bipolar is highly treatable, and the right treatment can significantly improve one’s quality of life. Intervention typically includes a combination of medication and talk therapy.
Psychiatric Medications
There are several classes of psychiatric medications used to treat bipolar disorder. Doctors often prescribe patients two or more, with the most common combination being a mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic. Here’s a breakdown of the types of drug classes and their respective medications:
- Mood Stabilizers: lithium, valproate, lamotrigine
- Antipsychotics: quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole, risperidone, clozapine
- Antidepressants: sertraline, fluoxetine…less common: escitalopram, venlafaxine, bupropion
- Benzodiazepines: lorazepam, oxazepam, clonazepam, zopiclone, zolpidem
Talk Therapy
Medication may be a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder, but talk therapy can also be beneficial, especially if it’s used in addition to medication. The most common type of therapy used in the treatment of bipolar disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps patients reconstruct negative thoughts and recognize early warning signs of relapse. One study found that in bipolar I disorder patients, adding a mood stabilizer to CBT resulted in:
- Higher social functioning
- Fewer mood symptoms
- Stronger coping skills
- Reduced fluctuation in manic symptoms
However, CBT isn’t the only therapy that can be beneficial for bipolar disorder. Other therapies include:
- Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT): Focuses on stabilizing everyday routines and resolving stressful interpersonal situations
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation to help manage extreme emotional states
- Family-Focused Therapy (FFT): Includes loved ones in treatment to improve communication and build a stable recovery environment
How to Prevent Bipolar Episodes
There’s no way to guarantee that episodes won’t return, prevention can reduce how often they happen and lessen their intensity. About 44% of people with bipolar disorder experience remission, meaning they can go long stretches without major episodes. Staying consistent with treatment, following a daily routine, and addressing triggers early are all ways to lower the risk of relapse.
Long-Term Management and Self-Care for Bipolar Disorder
Long-term stability requires more than medication and therapy. Everyday management tips include:
- Take medication consistently, even when symptoms improve
- Attend regular therapy sessions for accountability, coping tools, and stress management
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule
- Practice mindfulness, journaling, or relaxation exercises
- Focus on healthy routines including balance nutrition, daily movement, and limiting alcohol or drug use
- Track mood, sleep, and energy changes to recognize early warning signs of an episode
- Build a strong support system with family, friends, or peer groups
Get Compassionate Bipolar Treatment at Cura Behavioral Health
At Cura Behavioral Health, we know how disruptive bipolar disorder can be, which is why we’ve built our program to meet people where they are. Our team of providers provide evidence-based care that combines medication management with therapies proven to reduce episodes and improve daily functioning.
If your symptoms have been interfering with your work, education, relationships, or overall well-being, it may be time to seek support that’s built around you. Call Cura Behavioral Health today to talk with someone who understands what you’re going through.
Sources:
- Bipolar Disorder – National Institute of Mental Health
- Disability in Patients With Bipolar Disorder in Full or Partial Remission: A Cross-Sectional Study – The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders
- A retrospective study of psychotropic drug treatments in bipolar disorder at acute and maintenance episodes – Frontiers in Psychiatry
- Current and Emerging Therapies for Bipolar Disorder – U.S. Pharmacist
- How Common Is Recovery From Bipolar Disorder? – Psychology Today
