Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Medication is the most common treatment used for bipolar disorder; however, other types of treatment can and should be used in addition to medication.
Bipolar medication such as mood stabilizers help to stabilize moods and keep other bipolar symptoms under control, so that the patient can live a more functional life. When medication is taken on a long-term basis, the frequency and severity of mood swings are reduced, and sometimes entirely eliminated.
You will need to work closely with your doctor to determine the correct type of medication(s) and dosage(s) to manage your bipolar disorder. Because everyone responds differently to medication, you may have to try several different types of medicine before your symptoms are relieved and side effects are minimized.
Tips for managing your medication
Taking medication won’t fix all of your problems, so psychotherapy is essential to dealing with your disorder and the problems it has caused in your life. Working with a therapist can teach you skills such as how to cope with difficult feelings, repairing relationships, managing stress, and regulating your mood. Different types of psychotherapy can be used to help deal with bipolar disorder, such as talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Education is essential to managing manic depression. The more you and your loved ones know about the disorder, you’ll be able to avoid problems better and deal with setbacks. Begin learning about the illness by reading the links under “Basic Information” on bipolarchic.com.
Managing your lifestyle is also an important part of controlling the illness. You can manage your lifestyle by keeping a regular sleep schedule, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and eliminating alcohol and drugs.
Having a support system is also helpful to coping with bipolar disorder. You need people in your life who will influence you in a positive way and encourage you to continue taking your medication and using other forms of treatment. Joining a bipolar support group can be helpful, whether online or offline.
When nothing else works, some people turn to electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT. The Mayoclinic says that ECT is safe and effective, but I am not so sure. In this form of treatment, the patient is given general anesthesia, and then electricity is used to induce a seizure to the brain. Why anyone would want to give themselves a seizure is beyond me. I had epilepsy as a child and took medication to keep me from having seizures. I am living proof of what seizures does to a person considering memory loss and attention problems.
I knew a lady who had received ECT and she more or less seemed “fried” after the treatments. Her short-term memory had been affected, and she forgot entire months of her life as well. Her speech was slowed and she acted as if in a stupor. She was very different from the way she was before. I was so scared, I vowed never to have ECT.
There are natural remedies used to treat bipolar disorder as well, including herbs, yoga, meditation, reiki, light therapy, and acupuncture, which I will research and report on in the near future.
