What is Bipolar Psychosis?

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Anyone who deals with a life with bipolar disorder knows it can cause hardships. It impacts the person’s emotions and relationships. For some, this mental health disorder includes experiencing symptoms like hallucinations and delusions. These are called symptoms of bipolar psychosis and can be frightening for both the person who goes through them and those who love them. A qualified treatment center can help people who have bipolar disorder work on minimizing their symptoms and improving their overall mental health. 

What is Bipolar Psychosis?

Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that affects approximately 1 out of 40 adults in the U.S. In addition, about 1% of teenagers have the disorder. Bipolar disorder causes a person to have extreme mood swings that take them from the highs of mania or hypomania down to very low levels of depression. Episodes happen anywhere from a few times to multiple times throughout the year.   

While not everyone experiences bipolar psychosis, this result can happen as part of their illness. Psychosis episodes can happen during different stages of the disease. For those who experience them, they can be disorienting and frightening. Additionally, they can be confusing or scary for those around them, including loved ones. 

On average, it takes about ten years from the time a person begins to experience symptoms of bipolar disorder until they receive an official diagnosis. During this time, they may have episodes of bipolar psychosis the entire time or develop them after some time. 

Signs and Symptoms

Not everyone has the same signs during episodes of bipolar psychosis. However, common ones occur, including difficulty thinking clearly and feeling confused. The person often feels disconnected from themselves and disassociates from reality. They may have hallucinations and see or hear things that aren’t there. Having delusions of grandeur can happen, too. The individual lacks self-awareness and usually cannot be convinced that what’s happening isn’t real or accurate. Many people often develop feelings of paranoia or have unexplained feelings of guilt.

Dangers of Bipolar Psychosis

Someone experiencing bipolar psychosis can end up endangering themselves and others. This proves especially true when they are unaware of the presence of psychosis as part of their bipolar disorder. Often during the manic phase, when the person feels unusually elated, the individual believes they have special powers. Because of this, they may engage in risky behavior, believing themselves to be safe from any dangerous outcomes.

During depressive episodes, a person may become paranoid and feel that someone is intent on harming them. They may act out in an attempt to feel safe that inadvertently puts themselves or others in harm’s way. Furthermore, episodes of bipolar psychosis can increase the person’s feelings of sadness, anger, or fear. This can make the depressive episodes even more difficult to bear. For some, it increases the risk of attempting suicide.

In either phase of bipolar disorder, psychotic episodes can increase the likelihood that a person will end up breaking the law. Additionally, they may be more likely to be unnecessarily confrontational with someone else. Verbal and physical aggression can result in acts of violence. 

Is There Treatment for Bipolar Psychosis?

Someone who experiences bipolar psychosis needs a professional program to help them manage their bipolar disorder. Residential programs can offer the best hope for those who initially need round-the-clock care. Our bipolar treatment program incorporates several types of therapy that help people manage their bipolar disorder symptoms. This includes learning to understand bipolar psychosis and how best to address it.

Upon admission, our skilled staff performs an assessment to understand each person’s needs. From there, a range of therapies can begin that help them deal with bipolar disorder and psychosis. The types of therapy we offer include the following:

  • Individual Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  • Group Therapy
  • Holistic Therapy
  • Family Therapy
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

 

We also offer a Veterans Program designed specifically to help our vets deal with bipolar disorder and other mental health challenges. For those who deal with dual diagnosis, we offer a treatment plan for that. Dual diagnosis is the occurrence of both a mental health disorder such as bipolar disorder and an addiction to drugs or alcohol. 

Begin Treatment for Bipolar Psychosis in Tucson, Arizona

Montare Behavioral Health of Tucson proudly offers treatment for an array of mental health disorders. Our residential facility feels like a home, allowing you to relax while you focus on the business of healing. When you come to us to get help, we make getting to know you a priority. We learn about how mental illness impacts your life. If you deal with symptoms of bipolar psychosis, we use our medical and psychological expertise to help minimize or eliminate these challenging side effects. 

If you want more information on getting treatment for bipolar disorder, visit our admissions page now. Enjoying better mental health can be just a phone call away.