Treating Bipolar Disorder: A Case Study

The history of bipolar disorder is almost as complex as the condition itself, and dates back to ancient Greece. The first century Greeks and Romans were responsible for the terms “mania” and “melancholia.” These terms are now called manic and depressive by modern day societies. The ancient Greeks and Romans discovered that using lithium salts in baths tranquil manic episodes and left content emotions to people who were depressed. Today, lithium is still a frequent treatment to help calm the nervous system in bipolar patients. During Greek philosopher, Aristotle’s, time “it was common for people across the globe to be executed for having bipolar disorder and other mental conditions. As the study of medicine advanced, strict religious dogma stated

Medication is the first line of defense in treating bipolar disorder. Traditionally, lithium was the drug of choice for bipolar patients. Though lithium is still used

The most striking impact was found for the hospitalization rate, which fell by 82 per cent (3). This has considerable economic significance, as hospitalization accounts for a major proportion of direct costs in major psychiatric illness. It is important to note that all of this evidence far exceeds the available support for possible alternatives to lithium treatment, including application of anticonvulsant, antipsychotic, or sedative agents. Still, investigators have yet to discover the pharmacological effects of lithium that are responsible for its ability to eliminate mania. Many posit that the drug stabilizes the population of certain classes of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain (particularly serotonin receptors), preventing wide shifts in neural sensitivity, and in turn, influencing mood (4).

Lithium Carbonate is the most commonly drug that is prescribed for treating bipolar disorder (May, Hickey, Triantis, Palazidou, & Kyriacou, 2015). It works as a mood stabilizer that significantly reduces excessive behaviors and suicidal tendencies. However, the way that lithium exerts its impact on mood is still unknown. One study suggests that key of lithium therapeutic actions are the neuroprotective effects (Malhi, Tanious, Das, Coulston, & Berk 2013). For instance, lithium has been demonstrated to decrease the oxidative stress that involves in multiple episodes of mania and depression. Other study recommends that lithium stabilize electrical

Bipolar Disorder is an affective disorder, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013), as including both episodes of major depressive disorder and at least one either manic or hypomanic episode in the course of one’s lifetime. Regardless of individual disorder specifiers, or the distinction between Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders, it is a recurrent disorder that requires long-term psychopharmacology as the main source of treatment to prevent condition relapse or deterioration (Hayes et Al., 2016; Sylvia et Al., 2014). According to Preston, Talaga, and O’Neal, 2017) the medications of Lithium and Divalproex (Depakote) are recommended as the 2 primary options for

Even though the symptoms of bipolar disorder have been around for many years, individuals with bipolar disorder had no type of effective treatment until the mid-19th century. In 1949, John Cade, an Australian psychiatrist, made a remarkable discovery on the effects of lithium carbonate on bipolar disorder. The idea began when Cade was studying the effects of various substances on war veterans with chronic psychiatric illnesses following World War II. In 1947, he hypothesized that mania was ‘‘a state of intoxication of a normal product of the body circulating in excess’’ and ‘‘melancholia is the corresponding deprivative condition’’ (Mitchell & Hadzi-Pavlovic, 2000, pg. 515). This lead to the idea that the cause for maniac in individuals were

There are medications that can be prescribed, that can help control the disease, and let people affected lead normal lives. Lithium has been the primary treatment of bipolar disorder since its introduction in the 1960's. Its main function is to stabilize the cycling characteristic of bipolar disorder. In four controlled studies by F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, the overall response rate for bipolar subjects treated with Lithium was 78% (1990). Lithium is also the primary drug used for long- term maintenance of bipolar disorder. In a majority of bipolar patients, it lessens the duration, frequency, and severity of the episodes of both mania and depression. Unfortunately,

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that comprises of both maniac episode and ordinarily one or more depressing episodes. The disorder has a lifetime occurrence of 1-2%. Psychological factors such as family environment, life events social support and cognitive style play an integral role on the onset, course, and the whole expression of the ailment. Pharmacology of the disorder is multifarious and speedily evolving field. The development of new methods of treatment has greatly assisted refine concepts of the disorder subtypes and generated significant new management choices. Although mood stabilizers in conjunction with antipsychotics may arguably be the traditional medical options for bipolar disorder, other alternative

Treating bipolar with medication, such as lithium, has negative effects as well. Lithium is the most commonly prescribed for of medication that's prescribed for this disorder. Even though the is medication works very well for the bipolar disorder, it has some very dangerous side effects. "Toxic levels of lithium produce nausea, vomiting, muscular tremor, coma, and seizures" (Cacioppo & Freberg, 2013). With these dangerous side effects, I believe patients need to be thoroughly examined and tested before just prescribing medications and diagnosing patients with this

Bipolar disorder affects many people worldwide. Lithium is one of the most effective treatments for bipolar disorder. Lithium has made it significantly easier for patients to live healthy and stable lives with this mental disorder. Various psychologists have performed studies to determine the benefits and dangers of lithium and how it can affect patients. Though some of these studies confirm some of the beliefs that led them to conduct the research in the first place, the validity of some of the results can and have been be debated. Through these studies, the efficacy of lithium and its alternatives are evaluated and compared in order to determine which is the best treatment for bipolar disorder.

Manic-depressive is an illness in the brain that causes an unusual shift in moods. It may drastically hinder the ability to complete day-to-day tasks. Bipolar disorder often has its first episode in late childhood or adolescence (Miklowitz). It may be hard to recognize the difference of manic-depressive episodes and normal ups and downs in children or teens, but certain distinct major depressive or manic episodes should be recognizable as they are repeated. Approximately 50%–67% of adults with Bipolar Disorder report onset of their first episode before the age of 18 years and between 15% and 28% before the age of 13 years (Miklowitz). But, it has been proven that 10% of all patients with Bipolar Disorder develop their illness after the age of 50 (Sajatovic). Effective treatments of Bipolar Disorder in adults have been researched and discovered as recent as in the past century. With this disorder dating back to the Greeks and the Romans, the concept of treating Bipolar Disorder is fairly new but has been taken to different levels in society. There are many different types if treatments that have been proven to reduce the amount or how extreme episodes may be. There are different types of medication such as Lithium, a variety of anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. There are human related treatments as well, such as family focused treatment, psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (Zaretsky). It is

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

Lithium is an antimanic agent labeled for acute treatment and maintenance therapy of bipolar disorder. Off-label it is also used for bipolar depression as well as non-bipolar depression as an addition to standard antidepressant therapy. Although the exact mechanism of action is still unknown, it is thought to influence reuptake of serotonin and/or norepinephrine. Lithium, however, has many potentially severe adverse reactions and warnings including: heart failure, impaired renal function, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, thyroid disease, and since lithium has a narrow therapeutic index, lithium toxicity is also common. Despite the risks associated with the use of this medication, it continues to be the mainstay for maintenance

A psychoactive drug is a chemical compound that can change out brain function and results in the changing of one’s perception, mood, or consciousness. These substances can be used for the recreation purpose or therapeutic and can alter one's consciousness. Lithium is one of these psychoactive drugs. The different form of salt lithium is used as mood-stabilizing drugs, primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they have a role in treating depression and, particularly, of mania, both acutely and in the long-term. As a mood stabilizer, lithium is probably more effective in preventing mania than in preventing depression, but it does reduce the risk of suicide in people with bipolar disorder. In depression alone, lithium can be used

Lithium is a top choice for acute mania and for maintenance in ‘classic’ bipolar disorder. Because of its narrow therapeutic range, blood levels must be monitored; also heart and kidney function (EKG, blood and urine tests). Medications such as diuretics, that block its excretion require caution.