Residential Treatment for Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

According to The Medical News, 5.7 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder, 2.6 percent of the population. Treating the disorder remains a challenge for both physicians and therapists. In many cases, residential treatment is necessary.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

• Bipolar disorder "is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe," according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

What is Residential Treatment?

• Residential treatment is "a therapeutic intervention processes for individuals who cannot or do not function satisfactorily in their own home environments," as defined by glossary.com.

Eligibility

• Not all bipolar patients require residential treatment. Typically, patients experiencing mania, the "up" side of bipolar, make up most of the bipolar population within treatment centers.

Treatment Plans

• Treatment plans, huge components of residential treatment, are a set of goals and expectations created by therapists and unique to each patient. A patient will work toward his goals and receive new liberties accordingly.

Psychopharmacology

• Also unique to each patient, psychopharmacology, psychotropic medication, is prescribed and evaluated by a team of professionals on a daily basis. This team will quickly discontinue medication if ineffective or troublesome side effects occur.

Therapy

• Another huge component of residential treatment centers is therapy. Both individualized and group therapy are mandated and included in every patient's treatment plan.