Who Are The Professionals Who Treat Bipolar Disorder?

— -- Question: Who are the professionals who treat bipolar disorder?

Answer: Bipolar disorder is often treated by a team of professionals which might include a psychiatrist, who is someone with a medical degree who's trained to diagnose psychiatric illness and also to prescribe medications.

Bipolar can also be treated by a psychologist who's trained in making diagnosis, typically doesn't prescribe medications, but is trained to give certain kinds of talk therapies -- particularly one called cognitive behavioral therapy, which seems to work well for bipolar patients.

And then in many cases, bipolar patients may also see someone else who can provide talk therapy, like a social worker. So this is really an illness where very often there's a team approach to treating the illness.

Next: How Is It Decided Whether Treatment For Bipolar Disorder Should Occur In A Hospital Or On An Outpatient Basis?

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