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Get startedBipolar: Understand, Manage and Live Well
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood changes can significantly disrupt your daily life, relationships and ability to function.
Reviewed by Phillipa Brown, AHPRA-registered Psychologist
Understanding bipolar.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood changes can significantly disrupt your daily life, relationships and ability to function.
Understanding and managing bipolar disorder is essential for maintaining stability and improving quality of life.
What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder results from a combination of genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors. Key contributing factors include:
- Genetic predisposition
- Chemical imbalances in the brain
- Stressful life events or trauma
Recognise the Signs of Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms vary depending on the phase (manic or depressive).
Manic or Hypomanic Phase:
- Elevated or overly energetic mood
- Increased activity and restlessness
- Reduced need for sleep
- Rapid speech or racing thoughts
- Poor decision-making or impulsivity
- Heightened confidence or grandiosity
Depressive Phase:
- Persistent sadness or hopelessness
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Fatigue or low energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
Myths about Bipolar Disorder
Myth: People with bipolar disorder are just moody. Truth: Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition needing professional treatment and management strategies.
Myth: Bipolar disorder only affects adults. Truth: Bipolar disorder can affect people of all ages, including adolescents.
Importance of Seeking Professional Help
Untreated bipolar disorder can lead to severe disruptions in personal, social and professional life. Professional treatment helps:
- Stabilise mood fluctuations
- Reduce severity of episodes
- Enhance daily functioning and wellbeing
- Provide tools and strategies for managing symptoms effectively
How MeHelp Psychology Can Support You
Our experienced psychologists at MeHelp Psychology offer specialised care for bipolar disorder, including:
- Comprehensive Assessment: Detailed evaluations to accurately diagnose and plan your treatment.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Techniques to recognise and manage triggers and symptoms.
- Mood Management Strategies: Practical tools to maintain emotional stability and prevent episodes.
- Supportive Therapy: Guidance to improve coping mechanisms, relationships and overall quality of life.
Real-Life Example
Sarah, 28, struggled with bipolar disorder, experiencing extreme mood swings that affected her relationships and career. Working closely with a psychologist at MeHelp, Sarah learned effective mood-tracking and coping strategies through CBT and mood management techniques. Over time, she achieved greater stability, resumed meaningful activities, and strengthened her personal relationships.
Practical Steps You Can Take Today
- Maintain Routine: Regular sleep patterns and daily schedules help stabilise mood.
- Track Your Mood: Keep a journal or use apps to monitor symptoms and recognise early warning signs.
- Limit Stress: Develop stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness, relaxation or hobbies.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Understanding bipolar disorder helps you and your loved ones provide effective support.
- Stay Active and Healthy: Regular exercise and balanced nutrition improve mood stability and overall health.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can bipolar disorder be effectively treated online?
Yes. Online therapy provides effective, flexible and convenient support for managing bipolar disorder.
Do I need medication for bipolar disorder?
Medication can be an important part of treatment, typically alongside therapy. A psychologist and psychiatrist can help determine the right approach for you.
Do Medicare rebates apply for bipolar disorder treatment?
Yes. With a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, Medicare rebates apply for psychological treatment related to bipolar disorder.
Take Action Now
Bipolar disorder doesn't have to control your life. At MeHelp Psychology, we are committed to helping you manage your condition effectively and live a fulfilling life.
Book your first session today and start your journey towards stability and wellbeing.
What causes bipolar?
There's rarely one single cause. Most of the time, bipolar develops from a mix of life experiences, biology, and the environment a person grew up in. Stressful events, family history, and how someone learned to cope with big feelings as a child all play a part.
Understanding the "why" doesn't make the experience smaller — but it can take some of the self-blame out of it. What you're going through makes sense, given everything that came before it.
A psychologist can help you join the dots between what's happened in your life and what you're feeling now — and start to shift the patterns gently.
Supporting someone going through bipolar.
Watching someone you care about struggle with bipolar is hard. You might feel helpless, worried, or unsure of what to say. That's normal.
You can help by:
- Listening without trying to fix or rush them
- Taking what they say seriously, even when it's hard to hear
- Asking what kind of support would actually help today
- Looking after your own wellbeing too — you can't pour from an empty cup
- Encouraging professional support without pressuring them
If you're the one supporting them, you're allowed to seek your own therapy too — it doesn't take anything away from them.
The emotional impact is real.
The feelings below are common with bipolar. They're not signs that something is wrong with you — they're signs of what you've been carrying.
Anxiety and feeling on edge. Always scanning for the next thing to go wrong. Hard to switch off.
Self-doubt. Second-guessing your decisions, memory, or read of the situation.
Low mood and tiredness. Tasks that used to feel easy take far more effort than they used to.
Shame. A sense that other people are coping better than you are. Shame eases in the right company.
Numbness or distance. Feeling foggy, disconnected, or like you're watching life from a step back.
Sleep changes. Trouble falling asleep, waking at 3am, or sleeping far more than usual.
You don't need a formal diagnosis to take what you're feeling seriously. The impact is real.
Why recovery takes time.
Healing from bipolar is rarely a straight line. It moves in waves — clear one week, harder the next, then quieter again. That isn't a setback. That's the shape of healing.
Good therapy won't push you faster than you're ready to go. Pacing — not pressure — is how this work moves. Small, steady steps add up.
When to seek help.
You might consider seeing a psychologist if you notice any of the following:
- Bipolar is affecting your work, study, or relationships
- You've been trying to cope on your own and it isn't shifting
- Sleep, appetite, or energy have been off for weeks
- You're using alcohol or other things to take the edge off
- A friend, family member, or GP has suggested you talk to someone
- You just want a space to make sense of what's going on
If you're in crisis right now
Call 000 if you or someone else is in danger. Lifeline on 13 11 14 is open 24/7. For family or domestic abuse, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Treatment that works.
The most evidence-based help for bipolar is talk therapy. Different approaches suit different goals — your psychologist will tailor things to you.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Works with the thoughts and behaviours keeping things stuck. Strong evidence across many conditions.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Helps you make room for hard feelings while still moving toward what matters to you.
Trauma-informed therapy
EMDR, schema therapy, and IFS help process past experiences gently, without re-traumatising.
Mindfulness-based approaches
Builds the ability to notice what's going on inside without getting swept up in it.
Schema and psychodynamic therapy
Works with longer-standing patterns from early life that show up in adult relationships.
Medication where helpful
Sometimes prescribed by your GP alongside therapy. Always your choice.
Talk to an Australian psychologist about bipolar.
Every MeHelp psychologist is AHPRA-registered and Australian-trained. Sessions are online, bulk billed under Medicare where eligible, and available evenings and weekends.
AHPRA-registered
Every psychologist is Australian-trained and regulated.
Bulk billing available
Under Medicare with a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Same-week appointments
Not three months on a public waiting list.
Evenings and weekends
Sessions fit around your schedule, online from home.
How to access support.
Most clients use a Mental Health Treatment Plan and signed referral so sessions can be bulk-billed under Medicare. NDIS, DVA, and private options are also available.
Book a GP appointment
Ask your GP for a mental health consultation. A longer appointment is best so there's time to talk through what's going on.
What do I do at the GP?Get your plan and referral
Your GP can prepare a Mental Health Treatment Plan and signed referral letter. MeHelp needs both before bulk-billed sessions can begin.
See documents requiredSend it to MeHelp
Upload your documents to our secure folder, email them, or ask your GP to fax them. We'll match you with a psychologist.
Send my planFrequently asked questions about bipolar.
Ready to talk to a psychologist?
Same-week appointments. Bulk billing available. Online across Australia.
With a referral, or without.
Both get you to the same place — an AHPRA-registered psychologist, online. The difference is cost and a GP visit.
With a Medicare referral
Bulk billed — nothing to pay.
- Up to 10 sessions a calendar year
- Needs a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan + referral
- We bill Medicare directly
Without a referral
Pay privately — no GP required.
- No GP visit, no referral
- No session limit — go at your pace
- Often a first session this week
- Completely private — nothing shared