Being bipolar and living with the illness means that you should have a bipolar disorder treatment plan in place. This usually begins to be formed from the time that a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made. Often the bipolar disorder treatment is split into two types – one for treating manic episodes and one for treating depressive episodes. It is essential that this happens so that the person with bipolar disorder is getting the correct bipolar disorder treatment.

During a manic episode the bipolar disorder treatment will start with the elimination of any substances that might could the sufferer harm – many will turn to stimulant drugs so they should be removed as they can further alter the mood. Next an assessment should be made to determine whether the best form of bipolar disorder treatment is to hospitalise the sufferer. In particularly extreme manic episodes this can happen to prevent the sufferer from coming to any harm.

Then mood stabilising drugs need to be administered as the next phase in the bipolar disorder treatment. Lithium tends to be used at this stage as it is can be a highly effective mood stabiliser. If after a week or so the bipolar sufferer will then be given antipsychotic drugs which should help to stabilise the moods. After this stage of bipolar disorder treatment additional drugs may be prescribed along with any therapy that might be needed. By this point the bipolar sufferer should be quite stable and able to continue with their daily life as usual.

During a depressive episode the bipolar disorder treatment is quite similar with lamotrigine or lithium being given to the sufferer initially. If they fail to respond to these many doctors have the opinion that they will have to cope with the depressive episode for as long as it lasts. Strangely antidepressants are not normally included in bipolar disorder treatment plan for depressive episodes as they don’t tend to work very well.

Once the bipolar disorder treatment is underway the next step could be to begin cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) so that the sufferer can start to recognise what triggers their bipolar disorder and learn ways to avoid these triggers. Therapy of this form can be hugely successful if the sufferer is willing to try this type of bipolar disorder treatment. By being able to manage their different moods a bipolar sufferer is helping to reduce the number and severity of depressive and manic episodes. Alternative bipolar disorder treatments are also quite popular with yoga and meditation being two of the most widely used by sufferers around the world.

Although there is no known cure for bipolar disorder there are a number of ways that bipolar disorder treatment can help sufferers and there is constant research into finding more ways. It may seem as though there is nothing that can be done for someone who is bipolar but as you can see there are several options that sufferers can try to find which is the best bipolar disorder treatment for them.



Thanks to Lina Smith for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

Bipolar Depression Medication

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding bipolar disorder and bipolar treatment that sufferers can expect to receive. One of the reasons for this is too many people feel equipped to talk about people who are bipolar without actually fully understanding the types of bipolar treatment that are available. In fact talk to most people and ask them to name a bipolar treatment and it is likely that they will reply with a one word answer such as “Prozac”. Whilst Prozac can and is used to treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder this drug is just the tips of the iceberg when it comes to bipolar treatment as there is much more out there from medication to alternative therapies.

When someone is diagnosed as being bipolar it is easy to think that a simple pill each day will rid them of their symptoms and life will return to normal in a few days. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case and this is why it takes some time for some individuals to get the correct bipolar treatment which will work well for them.

As previously mentioned Prozac can work well as a form of bipolar treatment, it works by encouraging the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural chemical which when produced lifts the mood and this helps as a form of bipolar treatment as it can stabilise the mood of a sufferer. This type of medication (and others) is in the group of SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which are often prescribed to combat the symptoms and feelings that bipolar disorder produces. Another group of medication that is also used as a bipolar treatment are tricyclic medications which work along the same lines as SSRIs. Lithium can also be used as a bipolar treatment as this too works as a mood stabiliser and this is one of the most well known and ‘popular’ treatments for bipolar disorder.

Cogitative behavioural therapy can be extremely useful as an additional bipolar treatment and many psychiatrists recommend it to people suffering from bipolar disorder. CBT works so well because it helps those with a bipolar diagnosis to recognise the ‘triggers’ that tend to signal the start of a bipolar high or low. Once these triggers are recognised a person who is bipolar is then able to put into practice some of the self help methods and techniques which have been shown to them in CBT sessions.

Some people also advocate a change in diet as a secondary bipolar treatment, as many believe that a healthy diet that is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial for those with bipolar disorder. Complementary therapy’s such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture can also be used as these can play a large and important role in the emotional wellbeing of a person and can also help to lift the mood. Exercise can also help as a bipolar treatment as exercise releases endorphins, the body’s own ‘feel good’ chemicals and these can boost the mood significantly.



Thanks to Lina Smith for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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