A Brief Overview of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders and Definition

California therapist Jorge Galindo shares a private practice with his wife in the Orange County city of Irvine. Among his areas of clinical experience, Jorge Galindo has completed specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar spectrum disorders.

The term “bipolar spectrum” applies to a range of mental health conditions that involve swings between depression and other extreme psychological and emotional states of mind. Previously, professionals defined it as clear fluctuations between episodes of depression (intense sadness, numbness, or helplessness) and mania (energy and excitability). However, ongoing research revealed that the condition didn’t always manifest through these specific, well-defined symptoms. For example, some chronically depressed patients might experience regular periods of slight emotional elevation and irritability.

When mental health professionals speak of the bipolar spectrum, they refer to a broad range of closely related disorders. The exact definition of bipolar spectrum varies between clinicians. However, most ideations of the bipolar spectrum include bipolar I and II and cyclothymic disorder.

Sleep-Circadian Rhythms Tied to Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

Sharing a private practice with his wife, Miriam Galindo, PsyD, in Irvine, California, Dr. Jorge Galindo is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist. Among Dr. Jorge Galindo’s areas of extensive knowledge is the assessment and treatment of patients who have bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD).

As reported in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, a recent study by a University of Pittsburgh researcher involved the discovery of a neurobehavioral signature that may predict future mania or hypomania occurrences among those with BSD. Usually arising in young adulthood, BSD involve depression and frequent extreme mood changes, which often necessitate intensive treatments.

Previous research by the professor demonstrated that sleep-circadian rhythm disruptions, as well as heightened reward motivations, can lead to the onset of mania/hypomania. Brain imaging studies demonstrate BSD as particularly associated with elevated activation of reward expectancy within the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, a key reward-processing hub.

In the most recent study, such markers were clustered together and studied, with the hypothesis being that impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and sleep-circadian characteristics would be associated with greater mania risk. The study, with a 12-month followup, demonstrated this and helped identify high-risk, moderate-risk, and healthy groups. It also brought attention to the potential of combined clinical and neurobiological measures in early BSD identification and intervention.

At the same time, London-based researchers uncovered single nucleotide polymorphisms that they characterize as distinct enough to form the basis of the first-ever psychiatric diagnostic test based on biomarkers.

A Look at the Bipolar Disorder Spectrum

Jorge Galindo, a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist, works in Irvine, California alongside his wife, Miriam Galindo, Psy.D. He is a certified domestic violence provider with the City of Orange, where he undertook a doctoral internship at an award-winning inpatient psychiatric hospital, St. Joseph Hospital. During this internship, Dr. Jorge Galindo received special training in assessing bipolar spectrum disorders.

Bipolar spectrum disorder is a group of conditions characterized by extreme mood swings between mania (a mental condition characterized by intense exhilaration or euphoria, delusions, and hyperactivity) and depression. The most common types are bipolar I and bipolar II disorder.

Bipolar I disorder involves episodes of mania that typically last at least one week. During manic episodes, a person may feel euphoric, energetic, and highly productive. However, mania can lead to poor judgment, impulsivity, and other problematic behaviors. Bipolar I disorder also involves depressive episodes.

Bipolar II disorder involves episodes of hypomania, which are less severe than mania but still disruptive. During hypomanic episodes, people experience an elevated mood and increased energy and activity levels. However, they can continue functioning normally. Bipolar II disorder also involves major depressive episodes.

In addition, the bipolar spectrum includes conditions like cyclothymia (a substantial mood fluctuation from the norm, although not as severe as bipolar I and II) and other specified bipolar and related disorders. These involve subthreshold mood episodes that still cause significant distress and impairment. While the specific symptoms and severity vary, all bipolar spectrum disorders share a common theme of extreme fluctuations in mood and energy levels. Mood swings can be unpredictable, and severely impact one’s life and relationships.

Effective management of bipolar spectrum disorder requires a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes. Medications like mood stabilizers and antipsychotics can help control mood episodes, while psychotherapy can teach coping skills and strategies for managing triggers. Changes in diet, sleep, and daily routines can also help stabilize moods and promote well-being.

Orange County Task Force Releases Domestic Violence Study

Dr. Jorge Galindo is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist. He has managed a private practice in Irvine, California, alongside his wife since 2000. As a licensed therapist, Dr. Jorge Galindo maintains a number of certifications designed to enhance his professional offerings, including certification as a domestic violence provider in Orange County.

In early 2022, an Orange County task force released findings from a decade-long study of domestic violence. One of the most critical determinations made by the task force involved a call on county officials to address the various barriers and challenges that victims face when looking for support. Without intervention in this area, fatalities resulting from domestic violence are unlikely to change.

The study found that nearly half of the 113 domestic violence deaths in the county involved a person with a recorded history of violence. Despite this fact, only 9 percent of the cases included a restraining order. The lack of restraining orders against individuals known for violence is just one of several systemic issues uncovered during the study.

The Behavioral Approach System for Bipolar Spectrum Disorder

 

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder
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A licensed therapist in private practice in Irvine, California, Dr. Jorge Galindo provides family services that include marriage counseling and pediatric therapy. Dr. Galindo completed his doctoral internship at the award-winning St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California. This internship gave Dr. Jorge Galindo targeted training in the assessment/treatment of bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD).

As reported by journals such as Current Directions in Psychological Science and the Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, the behavioral approach system offers an attractive treatment option for patients who suffer from BSD. A behavioral approach system is believed to regulate appetitive motives, in which the objective is to move toward something the patient desires.

Behavioral approach system (BAS) treatment works by regulating appetitive motives to help the patient move closer to the desired goal. In short, BAS provides a framework for patients to analyze their motivations by paying constant and detailed attention to their reactions to stimuli of something desired.

Therapeutic Treatment Services for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

 

Jorge Galindo
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Irvine, California-based counselor Dr. Jorge Galindo runs a private clinical practice with his wife, Miriam Galindo, Psy.D. Dr. Jorge Galindo, a licensed family therapist and Certified Domestic Violence Provider, handles court-referred cases involving intimate partner violence.

As an alternative to incarceration, many courts and law enforcement departments refer male and female perpetrators of domestic violence to treatment and diversion programs. The goal of these programs is to lower the likelihood of reoffending by addressing the underlying psychological causes of violent and aggressive behavior.

Many of these diversion programs take place in a group therapy setting. During the program, past offenders examine their views on domestic conflicts and gender roles and learn to take responsibility for their reactions and actions. Some intervention programs also include couples counseling sessions and anger management therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy-based programs enable the perpetrators to become more aware of situations that trigger their anger and equip them with calming exercises and other tools to reduce violent reactive behaviors. Diversion programs based on psychotherapeutic approaches have been shown to reduce violent behavior and improve self-control.

Differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder

 

Bipolar
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As a privately practicing therapist, Dr. Jorge Galindo works with individuals, couples, and families. While working at California’s St. Joseph Hospital, Dr. Jorge Galindo received in-depth training in the evaluation and treatment of bipolar disorder.

Most people with recognized bipolar disorder receive a diagnosis of either bipolar I or bipolar II. The conditions are similar in many ways – both involve extreme emotional highs and lows as well as periods in which no symptoms are present.

The primary difference between the two diagnoses lies in the type of emotional highs the person experiences. A person with bipolar I disorder experiences manic episodes, which are periods of intensely heightened emotions and energy. The period lasts a minimum of seven days and may feel euphoric or sexually driven.

A person experiencing true mania often engages in reckless behavior, such as excessive impulse spending or promiscuity. The person may feel reckless, have trouble concentrating, and have a minimal need for sleep. Symptoms typically are noticeable even to the casual observer and are often so intense that they mandate hospital care.

In bipolar II disorder, the person experiences hypomania, a period in which energy and mood are elevated, although not to the degree evident in mania. The person’s behavior is different from the norm and may be noticeable to others but tends to be less disruptive than the behavior of a person with mania.

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.

Bipolar Disorder – Definition and Types

Bipolar disorder

 

Since 2000, Dr. Jorge Galindo and his wife, Miriam Galindo, Psy.D., have owned and operated a private practice in Irvine, California, where they offer clinical and forensic therapy. During a doctoral internship at St. Joseph Hospital in 2007 and 2008, Dr. Jorge Galindo received training in the treatment of bipolar spectrum disorders.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness consisting of sporadic episodes of mania (highs) and depression (lows). The disease is typically regarded as a spectrum disorder in that people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder display varying levels and durations of symptoms. For example, some may experience manic episodes lasting a day or two, whereas others may undergo depressive episodes lasting several months.

Bipolar disorder can be divided into three primary categories: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder. Bipolar I disorder is considered the most severe in the spectrum and is characterized by the individual experiencing at least one manic episode. Bipolar II disorder is similar to bipolar I disorder but generally exhibits less severe symptoms in the form of mild manic episodes called hypomania. Cyclothymic disorder is the least severe of the three, consisting of occasional depressive and hypomanic symptoms lasting short periods of time.