Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder causes shifts in mood and energy that go well beyond ordinary ups and downs. With an accurate diagnosis and steady treatment, it can be managed — and life can feel stable again.
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mood condition defined by distinct episodes — stretches of days or weeks when mood, energy, and behavior change noticeably from a person's usual self.
- Manic episodes involve unusually elevated or irritable mood and energy: needing little sleep yet feeling energized, racing thoughts, rapid speech, grand plans, and impulsive decisions about money, driving, relationships, or work. Mania can seriously disrupt life and sometimes requires urgent care.
- Hypomanic episodes are a milder version — noticeable to others, but less severe. They can even feel productive or pleasant, which is one reason they often go unreported.
- Depressive episodes look like major depression: low mood, loss of interest, changes in sleep and appetite, fatigue, and sometimes thoughts of death or suicide. For most people with bipolar disorder, the depressive episodes take up far more of their life than the highs.
Common signs and symptoms
- Periods of unusually high energy, confidence, or irritability lasting days at a time
- Needing much less sleep than usual without feeling tired
- Racing thoughts, fast speech, jumping between ideas
- Impulsive spending, risky decisions, or uncharacteristic behavior during "up" periods
- Deep depressive stretches with low mood, low energy, and loss of interest
- Mood episodes that friends or family notice as "not like you"
- Antidepressants that seemed to make things worse, more agitated, or unstable
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you're having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Why accurate diagnosis matters
Because people usually seek help during the depressive episodes — not the highs — bipolar disorder is often mistaken for depression alone. That distinction matters: antidepressants prescribed by themselves can sometimes trigger mania or make mood cycling worse in someone with bipolar disorder. A careful evaluation that asks the right questions about past periods of elevated mood, energy, and sleep is the foundation of getting treatment right.
How is bipolar disorder treated?
Treatment begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation that looks closely at your full mood history — not just how you feel today. From there, we build a personalized plan with you, and we monitor it closely over time, because bipolar treatment is a long-term partnership.
- Medication management is the cornerstone of bipolar treatment. Mood stabilizers and related medications help even out the highs and lows, and our providers follow up regularly to fine-tune your regimen and watch for side effects.
- Therapy plays an important supporting role — helping you recognize early warning signs of an episode, keep steady routines around sleep and stress, and work through the impact mood episodes have had on your life and relationships.
- GeneSight® genetic testing can offer useful insight when medications haven't worked well or have caused difficult side effects.
- Telehealth makes consistent follow-up easier — you can see your provider by secure video from anywhere in Tennessee.
When to reach out
If your moods swing in ways that disrupt your life, if loved ones have described periods when you seemed "sped up" or not yourself, or if depression treatment has never quite worked for you, a thorough evaluation is worth your time. Bipolar disorder is very treatable, and many people live full, stable lives with the right plan. We treat patients ages 13 and up — fill out our new patient form or call 615-716-8255.