Understanding Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mood condition, not a personality — and with the right plan, stability is achievable. Willow & Stone is led by Dr. Stacey Forbes, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with nearly two decades of experience. We treat bipolar I and bipolar II with careful, evidence-based medication management alongside an integrative review of sleep, thyroid function, nutrients, and metabolic health — the factors that quietly destabilize mood and are so often left unexamined.
Signs and symptoms
Bipolar disorder involves shifts between depressive episodes and elevated (manic or hypomanic) episodes. It is frequently misdiagnosed as depression, because most people seek help during the low periods.
- ✓Depressive episodes: low mood, exhaustion, hopelessness, loss of interest
- ✓Elevated episodes: less need for sleep, racing thoughts, rapid speech
- ✓Periods of unusually high energy, confidence, or impulsivity
- ✓Risky decisions — spending, driving, or choices out of character
- ✓Irritability and agitation rather than euphoria
- ✓Antidepressants that seemed to "stop working" or made things worse
- ✓A family history of bipolar disorder or unexplained mood instability
Our integrative approach
Bipolar care rewards precision and patience. Our approach is deliberately careful:
Getting the diagnosis right
Bipolar II in particular is often treated as unipolar depression for years. A thorough history — including how you responded to past antidepressants — changes the plan.
Mood stabilization first
Evidence-based mood stabilizers and thoughtful medication sequencing, with the monitoring and lab work these medications genuinely require.
Sleep as treatment
Sleep disruption is both a trigger and an early warning sign for episodes. Protecting your sleep is part of the clinical plan, not an afterthought.
Metabolic & thyroid review
Thyroid function, metabolic health, and nutrient status affect both mood stability and how well medications are tolerated. We track them.
If you need help right now
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, you deserve immediate support. Call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. Reach out to us afterward and we will help you from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II?
Bipolar I involves at least one full manic episode, which may be severe enough to require hospitalization. Bipolar II involves hypomania — a shorter, less extreme elevated state — along with depressive episodes that are often long and debilitating. Bipolar II is frequently misdiagnosed as depression because people typically seek help during the depressive phase.
Can bipolar disorder be misdiagnosed as depression?
Yes, and it commonly is. Most people come in during a low period and never mention the elevated periods, which can feel productive rather than concerning. One important clue is a poor or unusual response to antidepressants — feeling agitated, wired, or cycling faster. We take a detailed history specifically to catch this.
Will I need medication for the rest of my life?
Many people with bipolar disorder do best on long-term maintenance medication, because it prevents the episodes that cause the most damage to health, work, and relationships. That said, the plan is individualized and revisited over time. We will always explain the reasoning rather than simply issuing a prescription.
Can lifestyle and nutrition really affect bipolar disorder?
They do not replace medication, but they materially affect stability. Sleep regularity, blood-sugar balance, thyroid function, and nutrient status all influence mood episodes and medication tolerance. Our integrative approach addresses these alongside — never instead of — evidence-based psychiatric treatment.
Do you treat bipolar disorder by telehealth?
Yes, for patients whose condition is appropriate for telehealth management. We see patients across Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida, with in-person visits available in the Fort Worth–Arlington area. If a higher level of care is needed, we will tell you directly and help you get there.
Your healing begins with a conversation.
Start with a cash-pay telehealth consultation — no insurance, no prior authorizations, no waitlists.
Schedule Your ConsultationOr call (682) 240-0417