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Bipolar Disorder Treatment
We provide evaluation and treatment of bipolar disorder as well as depression, and anxiety treatment, with our board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, Anna Richards. Anna works on our psychiatric mental health team, Calliope Health, and offers assessments for ketamine assisted therapy as well as traditional psychiatric medication management.
Our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Anna Richards
Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner
Board Certified
Office Location: Bethesda
Out of Network: Yes
Fee: $250 for evaluation
(No additional eval fee if we recommend our ketamine assisted therapy program).
Overview Of Bipolar Disorder Treatment Services
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a chronic mental health condition that affects a person’s mood, energy levels, and ability to function in their daily life. It is characterized by extreme mood swings, ranging from manic highs to depressive lows. This disorder affects approximately 1-3% of the global population, with symptoms often appearing in late adolescence or early adulthood. While the exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurochemical factors is believed to play a role in its development. Bipolar disorder can have a profound impact on the individual’s life, as well as on their relationships and overall quality of life. Understanding the overview of bipolar disorder is crucial in order to recognize its symptoms, provide proper treatment, and support those affected in managing their condition.
Importance Of Seeking Psychiatric Care For Bipolar Disorder
Seeking psychiatric care for bipolar disorder counseling is of utmost importance. Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition that affects all aspects of life. While medication can play a crucial role in managing symptoms, therapy is equally important in enhancing medication adherence and promoting stability.
Therapy provides individuals with bipolar disorder the opportunity to learn coping strategies and develop healthy lifestyle habits, ultimately leading to improved medication adherence. By addressing underlying issues and providing emotional support, therapy empowers patients to better understand their condition and make informed decisions regarding their treatment plan. This collaborative approach between therapy and medication allows individuals to maximize the benefits of their prescribed drugs and avoid potential complications.
Discontinuing medication for bipolar disorder treatment poses a significant risk of relapse. Without proper treatment, individuals may experience a recurrence of manic or depressive episodes, leading to a decrease in overall functioning and quality of life. Manic episodes, specifically, can have detrimental effects on various aspects of a person’s life, including relationships, work, and overall well-being.
Team Of Mental Health Professionals For Bipolar Treatment
At Calliope Health in Bethesda, the practice is fortunate to have Anna Richards, a highly experienced psychiatric nurse practitioner, as part of their team of mental health professionals. Anna’s role at Calliope Health encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including general psychiatric medication management and prescribing ketamine as an advanced treatment for depression.
With her extensive qualifications, Anna is fully equipped to address various mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD. By treating these diverse conditions, she contributes to the holistic approach adopted by the practice to improve the mental well-being of their patients. This approach recognizes that mental health is not limited to a single issue but encompasses multiple facets of a person’s life.
In particular, when it comes to treating bipolar disorder, Anna’s expertise is invaluable. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, she possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to manage the complexities of this condition effectively. Additionally, utilizing a CRNP for bipolar treatment offers several advantages. Anna can provide comprehensive care, including prescribing and adjusting medications, monitoring response, and coordinating with other healthcare professionals if necessary. This integrated approach ensures that patients receive optimal and personalized treatment, leading to improved outcomes.
Evaluation And Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder Treatment
Evaluation and diagnosis of bipolar disorder involves a comprehensive assessment of the individual’s symptoms and history. This process is essential for accurate diagnosis and the development of an appropriate treatment plan.
The evaluation methods for bipolar disorder counseling typically include a psychiatric assessment and a mood symptom assessment. During the psychiatric assessment, a mental health professional will conduct a thorough interview to gather information about the individual’s symptoms, family history, and medical history. This interview may also involve questions about your sleep patterns, appetite changes, and any past or current substance abuse.
The mood symptom assessment is another crucial component of the evaluation. It involves evaluating the presence and intensity of mood episodes, including manic, hypomanic, and depressive symptoms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides specific criteria for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which includes the presence of manic or hypomanic episodes.
To ensure an accurate diagnosis, we also consider the differential diagnosis. This involves ruling out other possible explanations for the individual’s symptoms, such as medical conditions or substance-induced mood disorders.
What treatment here actually involves
Bipolar disorder is managed, not cured, and the two halves of that management usually sit in different buildings. Medication is prescribed by one professional; therapy happens with another; neither speaks to the other. A great deal gets lost in the gap.
Both run from our Bethesda office. Anna Richards handles psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and our counselors provide the therapy alongside it, which means the two are actually coordinated rather than working in parallel.
Medication is the foundation for bipolar disorder and we would not suggest otherwise. What therapy adds is the part medication cannot reach: recognizing your own early warning signs, protecting sleep, and staying on treatment during the stretches when you feel well enough to stop.
What we do and do not offer
Psychiatric evaluation
A full assessment with Anna Richards, PMHNP-BC, board-certified with ten years of clinical experience across mood disorders, psychotic disorders and substance use. Evaluation is $250. More about psychiatric care.
Medication management
Ongoing prescribing and monitoring, with adjustments made in light of what is happening in therapy rather than from a fifteen-minute check-in.
Therapy alongside
Work on the patterns around the episodes: sleep, routine, relationships strained by them, and the shame that often follows a manic period. This is where IFS and mindfulness-based approaches help.
What we are not
We are outpatient. We do not provide inpatient care, crisis stabilization or emergency cover. If you are in crisis, contact 988 or your nearest emergency department. We will say plainly if we think you need a level of care we cannot provide.
Living alongside a diagnosis
Most people who contact us are not newly diagnosed. They have had bipolar disorder for years, have a medication regime that mostly works, and are contending with what surrounds it — a marriage worn down by episodes, a career interrupted, or the specific difficulty of trusting your own judgement about whether you are well.
That is therapy territory rather than prescribing territory, and it is a large part of what we do. Where the relationship has taken the strain, couples counseling often matters as much as the individual work.
Where we are, and what it costs
Psychiatric care runs from 4300 Montgomery Avenue in Bethesda, ten minutes from the Bethesda Metro. Therapy is available there or at Dupont Circle.
Sessions are also available by video for clients located anywhere in Maryland or the District of Columbia, which covers Silver Spring, Rockville, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Takoma Park and Montgomery County more widely. Therapists may only work with clients in states where they hold a licence, so if you are outside Maryland or DC, say where you are based when you call and we will tell you straight away whether we can help.
Psychiatric evaluation is $250. Therapy sessions are $250 to $450 for 50 minutes depending on the counselor. There is a free phone consultation first. We do not bill insurance directly, though clients who submit their own out-of-network claims commonly recover 40–60% of the cost. See our full policies and fees.