A Brief Introduction to Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder
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Dr. Jorge Galindo has more than 20 years of experience as a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist in the Irvine, California, area. Over the course of his career in therapy, Dr. Jorge Galindo has supported individuals who experience a variety of mental health issues, including trauma and bipolar spectrum disorder.

Bipolar spectrum disorder is an umbrella term used to describe a series of related mental health disorders, most notably bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder. While all three disorders are characterized by symptoms of both depression and mania, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) clearly distinguishes each one from the others.

Bipolar I disorder involves frequent manic and depressive episodes that occur simultaneously. Individuals living with bipolar I may or may not experience psychotic episodes as the result of their persistent manic depressive state.

The manic depressive symptoms of bipolar II disorder, meanwhile, are less likely to effect a person’s day-to-day activities, not only because they are comparatively less severe than those of bipolar I, but also because instances of mania and depression interchange rather than overlap. Furthermore, individuals dealing with bipolar II do not face the risk of psychotic episodes.

Finally, cyclothymic disorder can be viewed as a lower level bipolar spectrum disorder. Individuals who suffer from cyclothymic disorder experience brief, intermittent periods of depression and hypomania, a lesser form of mania.

Why Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Is Necessary

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
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Dr. Jorge Galindo is a family counselor that deals with children, adolescents, couples, and families. He shares a private practice with his wife, Miriam Galindo, PsyD, in Irvine, California. Aside from counseling families, Dr. Jorge Galindo is also certified to perform critical incident stress debriefing.

People, who experience life-changing, traumatic events, require professional attention in the aftermath of such an occurrence. The act of dealing with a traumatic reaction is called critical incident stress de-briefing or CISD.

A critical incident is defined as a sudden death, serious injury, or physical and psychological threats to an individual. The event may cause distress or a dramatic change in the physical and psychological well-being on an individual.

The reactions of the victims of a critical incident may manifest as restlessness, frustration, sleep disturbance, moodiness, etc. Victims may also experience flashbacks of the event. In order to manage or curb these reactions, a professional is hired to execute CISD.

CISD is required in order to lessen the short-term or long-term crisis reactions, as well as the psychological trauma stemming from the incident. It is advisable to implement CISD within 24-72 hours of exposure to ensure a higher rate of success in managing critical reactions.