How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?

What is Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as manic depression and is a psychiatric disorder that causes dramatic shifts in mood, energy and the ability to carry out activities of daily living. Though everyone has ups and downs, a person with bipolar disorder has them much more severely. They go through phases of mania and depression, usually with stable episodes in between. Mania is when a person feels overly euphoric or agitated. They tend to have rapid speech, easy distraction, little need for sleep and engage in high risk behaviors such as spending or promiscuity. The depressive episodes are very similar to what a person might experience with major depression, however they can get drastically depressed and possibly even suicidal. Bipolar disorder is hard to treat. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Though there is no cure, it is possible to improve the amount or severity of mood fluctuations and improve quality of life.

Medications

First line treatments often include more than one medication. The most common are mood stabilizers (such as lithium), atypical antipsychotics (such as seroquel), and antipsychotics (such as haldol). Most of these medications require constant blood monitoring, to ensure that the patient is at a therapeutic dose and to monitor liver and kidney function. It may take multiple medication changes to find the right combination. Since everyone has a different chemical makeup, what works for one person may not work for another. Medications may also stop working or lose effectiveness, requiring adjustments or changes at that point. Antidepressants are often not indicated as they can sometimes induce a manic state.

Therapy

Therapy is recommended to help the patient deal with the mood instability and learn healthy coping techniques. It is very important to learn to detect the fluctuations as much as possible and to build a positive support system. Support groups can also be helpful because everyone can relate on some level as to what they are going through.

ECT

ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) or shock therapy is sometimes used in severe cases that do not respond to medication and therapy. It is often a last resort, as it has many drawbacks. It is a relatively short procedure, but usually requires more than one treatment. The patient is administered a muscle relaxant and anesthesia. They are then "shocked" with electrical impulses. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, treatment usually lasts 30 to 80 seconds and recovery only takes 5 to 15 minutes. It is an outpatient procedure unless the patient is a patient in a psychiatric unit. ECT can cause many negative effects, including permanent memory loss. The effect is usually not permanent, which is why it requires multiple treatments.