NIMH (the National Institute of Mental Health) reports that about 2.8% of US adults experience bipolar disorder in any given year. Additionally, an estimated 4.4% of US adults will experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.
The condition is often severe – about 83% of those diagnosed are classified as having severe impairment in their work, social, or family life.
It’s important to understand that bipolar disorder isn’t just about mood swings. When left untreated, the manic phase can translate into risky decisions or trouble sleeping for days. The depressive phase can make it hard to work, keep up with responsibilities, or stay connected with others.
Therefore, early diagnosis and evidence-based bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, are inevitable. This guide explains how clinicians confirm a bipolar diagnosis and its proven treatments to prepare for your first appointment.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a condition that causes inexplicable shifts in one’s mood, energy, and behavior. These changes are stronger than everyday mood swings and can affect how you function at work, in relationships, and in general.
People suffering from bipolar disorder experience mania episodes, where they feel extremely “up” or energized, and depression, in which they are very “down” or drained. These episodes can last days or even weeks.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder symptoms show up differently for everyone, but here are the most common ones:
- Feeling unusually energetic, talkative, or overly confident (mania)
- Having little need for sleep but still feeling rested
- Racing thoughts or jumping quickly between ideas
- Feeling extremely sad, hopeless, or empty (depression)
- Loss of interest in daily activities
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Difficulty focusing or remembering things
- Thoughts of death or suicide
How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?
Precise diagnosis is the foundation of effective bipolar care; therefore, clinicians at specialized centers follow a staged process that translates personal stories and medical evidence into a clear treatment roadmap.
The steps below reflect standard best practice and the approach detailed by Freedom Health’s Framingham program.
Comprehensive Assessment
The first meeting before your bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, begins with an extended clinical interview. A licensed professional reviews the following aspects of a patient’s personality/behavior:
- Recent mood highs & lows
- Sleep changes
- Activity levels
- Substance use
- Family mental health history
He then orders basic laboratory tests to rule out thyroid, vitamin, or medication issues that can imitate mood disorders. Psychological screeners may also be added to capture bipolar symptom frequency and impact. This wide-angle view clarifies how mood shifts affect a person’s work, school performance, and relationships, to provide a solid baseline for ongoing care.
Symptom Match
Collected data are compared with DSM-5 criteria for different types of this disorder, i.e., Bipolar I, Bipolar II, or cyclothymic disorder, to form a diagnosis.
For instance, bipolar I requires at least one week of full mania or any manic episode needing hospital care, while bipolar II shows recurring hypomanic periods plus major depressive episodes. Similarly, cyclothymia covers milder but persistent swings lasting two years or more.
Assigning the correct subtype guides medication choice, therapy intensity, and recommended level of care needed, such as outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or inpatient.
Episode Review
To begin bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, the clinicians at Freedom Health chart a person’s recent manic and depressive episodes in detail. Here are the main patterns they track:
- Sleep loss
- Rapid speech
- Risky spending on the manic side
- Prolonged fatigue
- Slowed thinking
- Suicidal thoughts on the depressive side
Comprehensive pattern tracking distinguishes bipolar disorder from situational stress or unipolar depression and sets measurable targets for treatment. These episode records also teach individuals and families what early warning signs deserve prompt clinical attention.
How is Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, Done?
Bipolar care in Framingham follows an integrated model to study the patient’s brain chemistry, help build their coping skill-sets, and reduce isolation.
Medication & Psychiatry
Bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, includes mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate, or lamotrigine to reduce manic peaks and depressive crashes. Before prescribing the meds, the psychiatrist orders baseline kidney, thyroid, and liver panels, then repeats them every three to six months to keep the dose therapeutic and safe.
For severe agitation or psychotic features, an atypical antipsychotic might also be added. And if depression dominates, a short-course antidepressant may be included, but only alongside a stabilizer to avoid a rebound into mania.
Notably, most insurance plans in Massachusetts, including MassHealth, are required by law to cover mental health treatment. As a result, medications for bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, and related lab tests are usually included in your health coverage.
Targeted Psychotherapy (CBT & DBT)
Freedom Health and most other centers in MA use psychotherapy to treat bipolar disorder. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches patients to spot the earliest thought distortions, like believing “I can finish a week of work tonight” or “Nothing will ever improve,” before they swell into full episodes.
Therapists often ask patients to write down these thoughts and the moods that follow to make patterns clear during bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) equips the patient with short, in-the-moment tools like paced breathing, five-sense grounding, and a quick pros-and-cons sheet for impulse control.
Most therapy sessions run once a week for the first three months, then taper as the patient learns the coping skills. In Framingham, many of these sessions are also offered online, which has helped more people stick with their care.
Group Therapy
Weekly group therapy helps people with bipolar disorder feel less alone and lessens their chances of a relapse. In these sessions, participants talk openly about how their week went, like what felt good and what was hard, and hear support from others going through similar things. Some sessions focus on topics like keeping a sleep schedule, managing money during mood changes, or handling work-related stress, so these people can control their lives better.
There are also practice sessions included in bipolar treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, where patients learn how to deal with life situations, like saying no to a late-night plan or asking for help when feeling low. People who join group therapy along with individual treatment tend to stay in care longer and are less likely to need hospital stays.
Lifestyle & Wellness Coaching
Lifestyle improvement is a crucial part of bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, because it can be a secret cause of weak mental health. Therefore, wellness-focused treatment plans in Freedom Health track your sleep, meals, and screen time for two weeks. From there, they help you set a regular sleep schedule and build balanced eating habits. They give you simple exercise goals, like walking for 30 minutes five times a week, since too much activity too fast can trigger mood shifts.
Take the Next Step to Heal
Bipolar isn’t a stigma, it’s a health condition that settles when you take care of it. Small, consistent steps make the biggest difference in your mental health. Freedom Health is here to make bipolar disorder treatment in Framingham, Massachusetts, as easy for you as possible. If you want to gain back control of your life, reach us at 888-521-4895 or visit 9 Pleasant Street today to lock in steady support for the long haul.
