Questions About Bipolar Disorder & Hypnotherapy

When you or someone you love is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, questions about the symptoms and treatment options are natural. The emotional ups and downs can be confusing for everyone, and finding a balance can be challenging. The good news is traditional therapy treatments and hypnosis can help with bipolar disorder.

Manic vs. Depressive Episodes

Before we discuss hypnotherapy or other therapy techniques, the first question you need to ask about bipolar disorder is: what’s the difference between manic and depressive bipolar episodes? These mental states are drastically different and can have significant impacts on someone’s immediate therapy needs.

What is a Depressive Episode?

When understanding if hypnosis can help with bipolar depression, you need to understand the symptoms. During a bipolar depressive episode, individuals often feel fatigued and unmotivated. They may feel extremely sad, hopeless, and struggle with a low sense of self-worth. Individuals may have trouble focusing on tasks and lose interest in things they normally enjoy.

What is a Manic Episode?

Questions about manic episodes for bipolar disorder are quite common because the people in your life may not understand what is happening. A manic episode is the opposite of a depressed episode. Individuals experiencing manic episodes often feel energetic and talkative. They may be easily distracted, abnormally upbeat, and may even have an exaggerated level of self-confidence. These episodes are often accompanied by questionable decision-making skills like impulse buying beyond their budget or participating in risky sexual behaviors.

How Can Hypnosis Help With Bipolar Disorder?

Of all the possible questions about bipolar disorder, most of them revolve around treatment options. At Miami Hypnosis and Therapy, we use hypnosis therapy along with traditional psychotherapy modalities, namely cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

CBT is a common treatment method used by therapists and psychologists designed to address negative thought patterns and behaviors. NLP helps you overcome these thoughts and behaviors by focusing on the connection between conscious and unconscious thoughts. By combining these methods in your treatment plan, you develop the skills needed to improve self-control and focus on more positive thoughts and behaviors.

Adding Hypnotherapy

The next question about bipolar disorder is: how can hypnosis help if you’re already using CBT and NLP?

Identifying your personal triggers is a very important part of managing bipolar disorder, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy or fun. This is especially true if you struggle with past traumas, phobias, or even stress. Hypnosis for bipolar disorder can help with depression as well as mania because it focuses on creating a calm and safe place to explore negative thoughts, behaviors, and triggers. During a hypnotherapy session, you can expect:

• Deep breathing
• Mindfulness exercises
• Guided relaxation
• Exploring one’s self-consciousness

This method of calm and gentle guidance helps you with the CBT aspect of treatment. Then, once you are comfortable identifying your own patterns, you can move on to the next phase of treatment: learning how to find peace and balance.

Benefits of Hypnotherapy

There is no question about whether hypnosis benefits bipolar disorder. In addition to the safe space it creates for self-exploration, you can also expect:

• Reduced stress
• Boost in positive ideas and perspectives
• Increased self-confidence

You will also learn techniques you can try on your own outside of sessions. For example, stress is considered a common trigger for bipolar disorder. Meditation is an excellent calming technique that is shown to reduce stress while also helping with anxiety and depression.

Not everyone can dive right into meditation, especially on their own. Guided hypnotherapy sessions with a licensed mental health professional can include meditation as part of the treatment plan. Once you are comfortable with guided meditation during your sessions, it will be much easier if you decide to try it on your own.

Hypnotherapy and Medication

When people explore new treatments for bipolar disorder, they often ask questions about medication. It is important to know that there is no cure for bipolar disorder. Ongoing treatment is designed around helping individuals manage the symptoms so it has less impact on their daily lives. 

We understand it is tempting to make your own choices because you are feeling better, but that is a sign that your entire treatment plan is working together successfully. 

Many individuals require both medication and ongoing therapy to find balance. Never change or stop taking any medication without consulting your primary care physician and prescribing psychiatrist.

Can You Try Hypnotherapy for Bipolar I and II?

This question about bipolar disorder is easy to answer: yes!

Bipolar I is characterized by at least one manic episode, as well as a hypomanic (a milder manic episode) or depressive episode. Individuals with Bipolar II experience major depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but they do not have the same level of mania seen in Bipolar I. Treatment styles are often similar for both types, and hypnotherapy can be used for both.

When Will You See the Results?

This is another common question about hypnotherapy for bipolar disorder. Every person is different. Some individuals will notice improvement within four sessions, while others need more time before they notice results. Both are completely normal. As discussed earlier, bipolar disorder is a life-long mental health concern, but there are so many tools available to help make your mental health journey more manageable.

Seek Balance Today

At Miami Hypnosis and Therapy, we help individuals find balance in a peaceful and supportive setting. Our primary practitioner, Anna Marchenko, is a licensed mental health counselor with a hypnosis certification from the Department of Education in Florida. Reach out to us today to get started.