Has there ever been a period of time when you were not your usual self and:

• you felt so good or so hyper that other people thought you were not your
  normal self or you were so hyper that you got into trouble?
• you were so irritable that you shouted at people or started fights or arguments?
• you felt much more self-confident than usual?
• you got much less sleep than usual and found you didn’t really miss it?
• you were much more talkative or spoke much faster than usual?

When you recognize these symptoms, you possibly have experienced a manic episode. Manic symptoms are common, but if they seriously interfere with daily functioning you may suffer from a manic-depressive disorder, also called a bipolar disorder.

In bipolar disorder one suffers extreme moodswings: During a manic phase someone can be overly cheerful, but very irritable at the same time, causing conflicts with other peoples. One experiences increased physical and mental activity and energy and feels no need to sleep. In a depressive phase, one experiences prolonged sadness, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and lack of appetite.

The treatment of bipolar disorder consists of a combination of medication, the so-called mood stabilizers, and psychotherapy. The psychotherapy is aimed at dealing with the effects of the mood swings and to help prevent the occurrence of future manic or depressive episodes. The psychotherapy can be offered individually or as a family therapy, the so-called Family Focused Treatment.

In Ánimo, Center for Psychotherapy, we can offer both the drug treatment and the psychotherapeutic treatment. We offer these treatments for a fixed rate per month irrespective of the number of treatment sessions that is needed. In the first session we will establish the fixed rate per month, depending on the severity of the symptoms and treatments that you've had in the past. Do you want more information or do you want to make an appointment for a first session? Get into contact with us.