Bipolar Disorder Care with Dr. Pri

Bipolar Disorder Psychiatrist for New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Bipolar disorder can be effectively managed with an accurate diagnosis, an individualized treatment plan, and ongoing psychiatric care. Dr. Pri, a physician psychiatrist, treats bipolar I, bipolar II, and bipolar depression by secure video. Every new patient starts with a free 15 minute call.

What Bipolar Disorder Is

Bipolar disorder is a mood condition marked by shifts between emotional highs and lows that go beyond ordinary ups and downs. During a high, mood, energy, and activity climb. During a low, they drop into depression.

These episodes affect sleep, judgment, relationships, and the ability to keep up with work or school. The pattern looks different from person to person, which is why an accurate diagnosis comes before any treatment plan is set.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar I

Involves at least one full manic episode, often with depressive episodes as well. Mania can be severe enough to disrupt daily life.

Bipolar II

Involves major depressive episodes along with hypomania, a milder high that does not reach full mania. The depression is often the larger burden.

Cyclothymia

Involves two or more years of fluctuating mild highs and lows that do not meet the threshold for full episodes, but still wear a person down.

Signs of Mania and Hypomania

  • Elevated, expansive, or unusually irritable mood
  • Less need for sleep without feeling tired
  • Racing thoughts and fast, pressured speech
  • A jump in energy, activity, or new projects
  • Inflated confidence or grand plans
  • Impulsive spending, risk taking, or poor judgment
  • Trouble staying focused on one thing

Signs of Bipolar Depression

  • Low mood that sits there most of the day
  • Loss of interest in things once enjoyed
  • Sleeping far more or far less than usual
  • Fatigue that rest does not fix
  • Trouble concentrating or making decisions
  • Feelings of worthlessness or heavy guilt
  • Thoughts of death or of not wanting to be here

When to See a Bipolar Psychiatrist

Many people live with the depressive side for years and never connect it to the highs. It is worth booking an evaluation when any of the following fit.

  • Mood swings that disrupt work, school, or relationships
  • Periods of very little sleep paired with high energy
  • Depression that has not responded to past medications
  • A family history of bipolar disorder alongside mood changes
  • Impulsive decisions during high periods that you later regret
  • A past depression diagnosis that never fully added up

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Please do not wait for a scheduled appointment.

How Bipolar Disorder Is Diagnosed

Your first appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation that runs 60 to 90 minutes. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed clinically, which means it comes from history and careful conversation rather than a single test.

Dr. Pri reviews your mood history across time, your sleep, your family history, and any medications you have tried. Because bipolar disorder is often mistaken for depression, this step rules that in or out before anything is prescribed. By the end, you will know the working diagnosis and what the plan looks like.

Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Treatment is built around your specific pattern. Most plans center on a mood stabilizer, with other medications added when the picture calls for it. Supportive and cognitive behavioral techniques are worked into visits to help with routine, sleep, and early warning signs.

Bipolar depression needs special care. It does not respond to the same treatment as regular depression, and an antidepressant on its own can sometimes push mood in the wrong direction. When the diagnosis is correct, the plan treats the lows without triggering the highs. Dr. Pri explains the options, the expected benefits, and the side effects before anything is prescribed.

Medication Management and Monitoring

Bipolar care does not end once a medication is chosen. Follow-up visits of 30 to 45 minutes track mood, sleep, and side effects, and adjust the dose as needed.

Visits are scheduled closer together at the start, while a medication is settling, then space out as things stabilize. Keeping these appointments is what keeps the plan working and catches an episode early.

Why Work With Dr. Pri

Dr. Pri is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine licensed in Psychiatry and Neurology in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. As a physician psychiatrist, she can diagnose, prescribe, and manage the full medical side of bipolar care.

Because the practice stays out of network, she keeps a small caseload. That means longer visits and continuity with the same psychiatrist from one appointment to the next.

What You Can Expect

  • A free 15 minute consultation to start
  • A 60 to 90 minute first evaluation
  • Follow-up visits of 30 to 45 minutes
  • Prescriptions sent to your pharmacy
  • Care by secure, HIPAA compliant video

Telehealth in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Licensing follows where you are sitting during the visit, not where you live. You need to be physically located in one of these three states at the time of your appointment.

New York

Patients across New York City and the rest of the state can start bipolar care from home, with no commute and no waiting room.

New Jersey

Adults and teens across New Jersey can be seen by video, with appointments that fit around work and school.

Pennsylvania

From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania patients can keep steady bipolar care with one psychiatrist over secure video.

Related Services

Depression Treatment

Care for depression when bipolar disorder has been ruled out.

Medication Management

Ongoing visits that track how your medication is working.

Psychiatric Evaluation

The 60 to 90 minute first visit that starts your care.

Related Resources

Bipolar Disorder Treatment: What Care Involves

Is Bipolar Disorder Genetic?

Bipolar Depression vs Depression

How to Know If You Have Bipolar Disorder

Frequently Asked Questions

Can bipolar disorder be treated over telehealth?

Yes. The evaluation and ongoing medication management are both a conversation supported by your history, which works well over secure video. You need to be physically located in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania during each visit.

How is bipolar disorder different from depression?

Depression is low mood on its own. Bipolar disorder includes both lows and highs, even when the highs are mild or easy to miss. The distinction changes which medications are safe to use, which is why the evaluation checks for both.

Will I need medication for life?

Many people with bipolar disorder do stay on medication long term to prevent episodes, but the plan is built with you. Dr. Pri reviews it over time and adjusts as your symptoms and life change.

Do you accept insurance?

This is an out of network practice, which keeps your records private and allows for longer visits. You receive a superbill after each visit to submit to your insurer for possible out of network reimbursement.

Start Bipolar Treatment Today

Book your free 15 minute consultation and we will reach out within one business day. You can also call (646) 389-0538 or email [email protected].