HealthLinks Charleston May/June 2022

24 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that affects an estimated 7 million Americans annually. Recognizing its signs and symptoms early on can help lead to more effective treatment and management of the disease. Steven Krozer, PMHNP-BC, CEO, and head practitioner with iTrust Wellness Group, a psychiatric treatment facility in Greenville, said bipolar disorder is characterized by a series of highs and lows in mood. When an individual with bipolar is experiencing an elevated mood, the condition can manifest itself in extreme irritability, impulsive spending, insomnia, promiscuous behavior and extreme psychosis. During periods of lows, the disorder can cause depressive episodes in which a person has low energy and feels a lack of motivation. “People who struggle with sleep tend to have more severe symptoms,” noted Krozer. He explained that these mood fluctuations can occur over a period of days, weeks or months and typically in a cycle linked to events such as time change or a change of seasons. The different types of bipolar disorder include bipolar 1, which is more severe and less common, and bipolar 2, which is the most commonly EARLY INTERVENTION IS THE KEY WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER By Colin McCandless

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