Bipolar Disorder And Treatment Of Bipolar Depression

Bipolar I is identified by the length and severity of the manic and depressive episodes. The manic episodes must last for at least seven days or they must be so severe that a person requires immediate hospitalization. The depressive episodes last around two weeks. These episodes, both manic and depressive, must be an extreme, major alteration from the person’s normal behavior. An effective treatment plan for bipolar I includes medication and psychotherapy. The medication helps with stabilizing a person’s mood and the psychotherapy is for the prevention of relapse and the reduction of symptom severity. Many people with bipolar I take combination medicine treatment. The treatment includes a mood stabilizer; sometimes an anticonvulsant other times a non anticonvulsant, and an antidepressant, to help reduce depression episodes. Doctors prescribe both an anticonvulsant and an

Not taking medicine at all or taking the wrong medication will increase mood swings, lower the performance in school, work, and other activities, effect one’s social life. Medicines usually include mood stabilizer such as risperidone, anticonvulsant like lamictal. Some patients who is diagnosed with bipolar II may need antidepressant. The patient has to give the medicine time to work it may take four to six weeks. Along with medication, the patient needs psychotherapy. Therapy is constant help and support for the patients, which may help influence and help cope as well.

There is more to the treatment of bipolar disorder than medication, but the medication Lithium has been the primary treatment since the 1960’s. In four studies

Before the pharmacotherapy era, bipolar disorder was not a very common disorder until the use of legal and illegal drugs. According to Whitaker, “… 60 percent of those with a bipolar diagnosis said they had initially fallen ill with major depression and had turned bipolar after exposure to an antidepressant” (181). Antidepressants are used to treat bipolar disorder, but it seems that instead of treating it, it makes it worse.

Client reported that he is currently attending to a psychiatric session once a month due to his bipolar disorder and that it is very helpful for him. He also stated that was prescribe Seroquel 30 mg once a day for the bipolar disorder, Luvox 30 mg for anxiety and depression once a day as well and one B12 for energy. He has been taking Seroquel and Luvox for more that tree yeas since he was diagnose with bipolar disorder and the B12 since he had the bypass surgery.

Jann States that sufferers of BPD are three times more likely to suffer a depressive episode than a manic or hypomanic episode. (Jann, 2014) The Joanna Briggs institute Identified that the suicide rate for bipolar suffers are 15 times higher than that of non-affected individuals of the same age and sex. Eighty percent of these suicides occur during a depressive episode. (Hung Chu, 2016). Therefore appropriate pharmacological therapy not only during the maintenance period to reduce reoccurrence but also during these acute episodes is highly important. Pharmaceutical treatment includes the use of medication such as mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics and anti-depressants. The Joanna Briggs institute recommends that combination therapy involving both mood stabilizers such as Sodium valproate or lithium valproate and antipsychotics risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine and haloperidol is best to treat acute mania associated with Bipolar. As it increases adherence to medication regime. (Tufanaru, 2016) The same institute encourages the use Olanzapine as a monotherapy or in combination with fluoxetine in the treatment of Depression associated with Bipolar disorder. (Hung chu, 2016) Lithium continues to be the first line mood stabilizer under current guidelines but may be used in conjunction with Carbamazepine where depression is evident. (Hung chu, 2016) The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2015 also shows preference for combination therapy

Psychiatric mood disorders of such as Bipolar are often complex to diagnosis. Bipolar I is differentiated from Bipolar II by a history of at least one manic episode in a person’s life, with Bipolar II being diagnosed and characterized by a history of major depression with at least one episode of hypomania (Sadock, Sadock, and Ruiz, 2015). Bipolar is often misdiagnosed as major depression, especially in the presence of a dual diagnosis of substance use disorders. Individuals with Bipolar often have a history of self-medicating their mood symptoms of mania and

As stated in the article "Bipolar Disorder: Myths and Facts", for a treatment plan, "an individual cannot just snap out of [bipolar disorder]". As with other conditions, treatment for bipolar disorder may need to be changed or modified if a woman is pregnant or planning to become pregnant because of the complications that medications can cause for the fetus ("Bipolar Disorder Health Center"). A "combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and social support" is recommended for the treatment of bipolar disorder (Smith and Segal). For the medication part of a treatment plan, a few medications that can be used are Lithium, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics, Symbyax, or Benzodiazepine. Lithium and anti-convulsants are mood stabilizers and they try to prevent the highs and lows of episodes from occurring in an individual. Anti-psychotics can assist people who aren't helped by anti-convulsants or anti-depressants. A downside to this type of medication is the individual may go into a manic episode, but this effect may be halted if taken with a mood stabilizer. Symbyax is a medication that combines an anti-depressant and anti-psychotic together to work as a treatment for depression and mood stabilization ("Bipolar Disorder" Mayoclinic). Several therapies have been used for

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an alternating or shift in moods of elevation and depression. It is also known as manic depression. This mental illness is that brings severe high and low moods, it can cause changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior. “Bi” which means two or alternating between two, explains the two common episodic moods that occur in individuals with this disorder; mania and depression. According to the DSM there are multiple forms of bipolar disorder, coming in four major forms; bipolar I, bipolar II, bipolar disorder and Cyclothymia. Bipolar II which is a “major depressive episodes alternate with hypomanic episodes rather than full manic episodes.”(Barlow et al., 2014). Individual with bipolar I are similar, “except the individual experiences a full manic episode.” (Barlow et al., 2014). Lastly Cyclothymia is just a mild form of bipolar disorder. Mania episodes take into account the high elevated moods; where an individual’s is extremely energetic, excited, may partake in usually activities, for example excessive spending, promiscuity or dangerous behavior. On the other hand, there are depressive episodes, which are mark by similar symptoms as the common disorder of depression, such as extreme sadness, lack of motivation, constant fatigue and irritable. More prevalent in women, although it can occur in children and older adults, this disorder is seen to suddenly develop in ages ranging from 18 to 24. Although similar men and

There are not nearly as many treatments for bipolar disorder. In fact, there is only one treatment that seems to have lasting effects. This treatment uses therapy with a professional coupled with medications. “Antibipolar drugs, also called mood stabilizers, help steady the mood of those with a bipolar disorder” (Chapter 2, 2009). The advances in treatment are due to the discovery of lithium as a medication. This drug works extremely well to eliminate manic episodes and even help with the depression. The drugs