What Do I Do If The Mania Or Depression Returns?

— -- Question: What should I do if the mania or depression returns?

Answer: The best answer to this question is act quickly. There is good evidence that, if a person with bipolar disorder gets treatment -- effective treatment -- at an early stage of an episode, whether it's depression or mania, that episode will be less severe and will last shorter.

So if you're starting to feel like depressive symptoms or manic symptoms, or both, are coming back, talk to a psychiatrist; talk to your health care professional; and, if you're having difficulty getting help, feel free to ask family, and sometimes even going to the emergency room may be helpful to cut off one of these episodes at the pass.

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