Treatment For Bipolar Disorder

Due to the damaging effects of bipolar disorder if left untreated, there is a need for ongoing research into the treatment for bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a brain condition that results in wild shifts in mood, which have a negative impact on a person's ability to function at work and maintain stable relationships with friends and family. The mood swings can range from depression to mania. The disorder also has a tendency to be under diagnosed.

Some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder include abnormally elevated states (mania or hypomania) such as abnormally increased energy, decreased need for sleep, reduced attention span, impaired judgment, substance abuse, and aggressive behavior. Bipolar symptoms during the abnormally depressed emotional states include anxiety, sadness, guilt, anger, fatigue, sleep issues, and apathy. The disorder is then also characterized by rapid shifts from one extreme emotional state to the other.

Unfortunately, bipolar disorder usually lasts an entire lifetime. Symptoms generally start to appear during teenage years. As of yet, there is no cure for this condition, and that is why there continues to be ongoing research into the treatment for bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is typically treated with medication prescribed by a medical doctor, such as a psychiatrist. However, not every individual reacts to medications in the same way. Therefore, once diagnosed, the doctor may require the patient to maintain a journal of their daily activities, including details regarding their sleep patterns. This enables the doctor to develop a treatment regimen suited to the individual.

Mood stabilizing medications are the typical first line of offense against bipolar disorder once it is diagnosed. Lithium is one of the more common medications prescribed, and it was the first mood stabilizing drug approved by the FDA for treatment of mania. It is usually effective in controlling the symptoms of mania and in preventing the patient from slipping into depression.

In 1995, the FDA also approved valproic acid as an alternative to lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder. In more recent years, anticonvulsant drugs such as lamotrigine have been employed as maintenance treatments for the condition. However, these anticonvulsant type drugs come with an FDA warning to the effect that their use may increase the risk of suicide.

Atypical antipsychotic drugs such as risperidone and olanzapine, among others, are often used in acutely manic patients. These medications are typically prescribed in conjunction with another medication to assist in the maintenance of the disorder. These drugs are called atypical to set them apart from prior antipsychotic medications. Recently, the FDA has approved olanzapine as a singular therapy for the maintenance of bipolar disorder.

Occasionally, anti-depressant medications are also used as a treatment for bipolar disorder. Normally, this type of medication will be paired with a mood stabilizer. This is because of the increased risk of the patient switching to a mania or hypomania state when taking the anti-depressant alone.

As with any type of medication, all of these medications used in the treatment for bipolar disorder have the potential for side effects. Drowsiness, headache and nausea are common for all three types of medications used in the treatment.

Another form of treatment that may be employed in treating the disorder is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy provides guidance, education and support to the patient being treated as well as their families. Psychotherapy may come in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which allows the patient to learn to make changes away from harmful thoughts and behaviors; family focused therapy which involves family members to act as a support group and to develop strategies in coping with the disorder; and such therapies as social rhythm therapy to help with relationships outside of the family and psychoeducation, which educates the patient all about the disorder.

Other treatments may include exercise, which is known to be effective in treating depression; omega 3 fatty acids; a ketogenic diet which is thought to help stabilize mood; and medical cannabis, although this is a more controversial treatment.

Ongoing research seems to make consistent breakthroughs in the treatment for bipolar disorder. While there is still no cure for the condition, the treatments described previously allow the patient to live a somewhat normal life.


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