Bipolar Disorder also known as Manic Depressive Illness involves outstanding mood swings. The individual has periods of depression, and periods when they feel either unusually good or pressured and irritable. It affects 1-2% of the population. Genetics plays a significant role. About 15% of children with one bipolar parent develop the disorder.
Treatments include medication, supportive psychotherapy and occasionally ECT. Medications include lithium, anticonvulsant drugs (carbamazepine (Tegretol), valproate (Depakote), gabapentin (Neurontin) and lamotrigine Lamictal), antidepressants (such as bupropion (Wellbutrin)or sertraline (Zoloft)), neuroleptics (e.g. haloperidol) and benzodiazepines (e.g. lorazepam) Treatment choices depend on the
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It is most often used when medication doesn’t work or is unsafe.
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.
Anticonvulsants have an edge with rapid-cycling and mixed mood states (e.g. depression with racing thoughts). Except for gabapentin (Neurontin) and lamotrigine (Lamictal), they require blood tests. Carbamazepine (Tegretol) is monitored with blood levels; also CBC, platelets and liver function tests. Valproate (Depakote) requires CBC, platelet count and liver function tests; blood levels may be helpful. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) requires caution because of its association with a rare but dangerous skin rash (exfoliative dermatitis); risk can be minimized by starting with low doses and increasing gradually. Use lower doses with medications that slow lamotrigine metabolism (e.g. valproate). Gabapentin is generally safe and does not require blood tests.
It is not unusual for patients to need more than one mood stabilizing medication for best results.
Because bipolar disorders are generally recurrent, maintenance treatment is usually needed. This is especially true when there have been multiple episodes, a clear family history of bipolar disorder or symptom onset before age 18. Effective maintenance
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
There are some treatments for bipolar disorder. The main treatments are medications and psychotherapy. The types of medication used to treat the disorder are antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers (NIMH, 2015). Some other treatments that are helpful in dealing with the symptoms of bipolar disorder are sleeping medications, herbal supplements, and electroconvulsive therapy (NIMH,
“Bipolar disorder, also commonly known as manic depression, is defined as a serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly alternate from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue and confusion. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair functioning. But not all become depressed ” (American Psychological Association, 2015). Bipolar disorder can vary in each individual. The symptoms fluctuate in pattern, severity and rate of recurrence. Some people are more susceptible to either mania or depression, while others change proportionately between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others live through a few throughout their lifetime.
Thankfully, there are various treatments and therapies, which can help manage bipolar disorder in an individual. Since all patents are different, experimenting with multiple treatments is always a good idea, to help figure out what will work best for them. Medication is a main and most popular route, including mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants (“National Institute of Mental Health”). Unfortunately, medications can have their downsides and often getting the patient to regularly take their medication is one of the biggest challenges. Another option for the patient to consider is psychotherapy. This includes different kinds of verbal therapy such as cognitive and behavioral therapy (“Bipolar Disorder”). Therapy is not only helpful for the affected person but also can help the family cope. Lifestyle changes such as healthier lifestyle, organized schedule, and the limitation of alcohol and drug consumption, can contribute to managing this disorder. Overall though, this disorder affects everyone differently, and the patent needs to consult a doctor and psychiatrist to figure out what will help them handle their symptoms the most
Bipolar disorder is a mental health issue that affects millions of people worldwide. It is typically treated with a combination of mood stabilizers and antidepressants. It can take a patient and their doctor a long time to find the right combination of medications to effectively treat their bipolar disorder. Some individuals do not find much comfort in any level of the traditional medications and continue to struggle with their depression. Recently, scientists have been looking into newer ways to help treat bipolar disorder. Two of these new treatments for helping people suffering from bipolar depression are the use of ketamine and olanzapine.
For some people with bipolar disorder a routine is an essential part of their day to day life, therefore an upset of routine because of an episode may worsen the episode or increase the likelihood of it happening again. If a person with bipolar does not have the ability to cope or the medical intervention in the illness the problems that can arise from relapsing include employment difficulties, marriage problems, alcohol or drug abuse, and a higher risk of suicide than the general population (Dinan, 2002).
“The evidence is so strongly compelling that bipolar [disorder] is a largely biologic-based disorder that pharmacologic intervention is the mainstay of treatment,” (p.111) It is crucial to find a wide assortment of ways in order to treat this disorder because every case of the illness varies from patient to patient. In some cases, a medication that works efficiently for a group of patients may have little to no effect or adverse effects to another group of patients. It is important to utilize psychotherapies such as cognitive, behavioral, and psychoeducational approaches in order to supplement the prescribed medications, as medications cannot “teach” the patient different coping skills like therapy can. Even though medication alone is not always the most effective way of treating patients, “some of the most convincing evidence in favor of a biological etiology remains the relatively good response to pharmacotherapy and the extremely poor response to purely psychological interventions,” (p. 110). In turn, those patients have a better probability to enter into remission and transition into more productive and higher quality
“The main concern is that children whose behavior only superficially matches the bipolar checklist get treated with antipsychotic drugs, which can succeed in calming them down, even if the diagnosis is wrong. These drugs can have unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects.” Depending on the person’s mental health diagnosis, other medications can be used to alleviate symptoms. Lithium is a mood stabilizer used to reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts. Lithium reduces the risk of suicide by 60% in comparison to other medications.” Lithium is simply a salt that has been used since the 1950’s according to Dr. R. Chacko MD, professor of psychiatry at Houston Methodist Hospital”. Many other antipsychotic medications are now available for different cases of bipolar disorder. "For treatment of depressive bipolar episodes, mood stabilizers are preferred to antidepressants because antidepressants may cause a switch into a manic episode or aggravate irritability in mixed-symptom mania. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is not a mood stabilizer, but may have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects." Anticonvulsants have been established as having anti-manic or antidepressant properties that are sometimes considered experimental treatments in bipolar disorder. Never the less patients are encouraged to be consistent with taking their medications at all times in order to
Electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, is one of the alternatives to lithium, though not the most favorable largely due to its negative affiliations as well as its side effects. Developed in 1938, this type of therapy involves an electrical impulse sent through the brain (Mood Disorders Association of BC). These impulses result in short seizures (Hauser). A patient usually resorts to this type of treatment if they have not responded well to medication or other treatments or if their symptoms are severe. There are many questionable factors in this type of therapy. A patient resorting to this type of treatment runs many risks not only in the effects it may have on their body but the equipment used for the procedure. One of the dangers could involve the malfunction of the ECT machine used for the procedure. Due to the fact that this is not a drug but an actual physical procedure, a patient must be given anesthesia. As with major surgeries, the patient runs the risk of being given an ineffective amount of anesthesia. Just as with other medication for mental illnesses, ECT has neurological side effects as well. Among these side effects are those in the cognitive areas of the brain, including memory. After the therapy has been executed, the patient will not remember the events surrounding the procedure (Mental Health America). The most common
The Anti-epileptic drugs can suppress mania and/or depression and stabilize mood in a patient with BPD. Drugs including, divalproes sodium, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine
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
Bipolar disorder is defined as a mood disorder that causes drastic emotional changes and mood swings. These mood swings can range from manic highs, to depressive lows. It is also characterized by severe changes in mood. Bipolar
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness affects about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population (8). It is defined by fluctuating states of depression and mania throughout ones life. Those who are depressed may be restless, irritable, have slowed thinking or speech, decreased sexual activity, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, suicidal thoughts as well as other changes. Those in a manic state may have increased activity or energy, more thoughts and faster thinking, grandiose thoughts, decreased sleep and need for sleep, increased sexual activity, elated mood, irritable mood, as well as other symptoms. Mixed state is when both depression and mania are exhibited at the same time in a cycle. Rapid cycling
It is of utmost importance that a patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder is medicated and followed up accordingly, to ensure an effective treatment. In order to do this, it is important to differentiate bipolar disorder from other diagnoses, e.g. attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. Likewise, comorbid conditions need to be taken into account. All of this needs to be considered to make sure the patient receive appropriate treatment in connection to diagnosis and symptoms. (Herlofson & Adler,