All About Bipolar Disorder Treatment



Bipolar disorder treatment is not new. Men of medicine were treating for it before they even knew what it was. Yet every year new medications and methodologies are added to the bipolar disorder treatment.

Although first recognized in the second century A.D., bipolar disorder has struggled as a diagnosis to become accepted. Bipolar disorder treatment up to and through the 1960's, if any, was usually comprised of either locking the patient away or leaving him or her to fend for him or herself.

In the 1970's manic-depression, as it was then called, began to become seen as an accepted diagnosis and therefore, bipolar disorder treatment began in earnest. At that time, laws were enacted and standards set to help those who sought bipolar disorder treatment.

In bipolar disorder treatment, the first thought may be the use of medications. They are, actually, a powerful tool in the management of the disorder. One only needs look at the vast array of medications that is available to see that medication has been extensively used in bipolar disorder treatment.

Lithium carbonate was the first major breakthrough in the medications for bipolar disorder treatment. It belongs to a class of medications called "mood stabilizers". These medications help to prevent or ease manic episodes. They also help to ward off the extremes of depression, such as suicide.

Bipolar disorder treatment may also include the use of other mood stabilizers that were originally used as anticonvulsants. These have been shown to have a great effect on mood. Some of these, such as valproic acid and carbamazepine, are tried and true. Lamotrigine, gabapentin, and topiramate have also been used for this purpose but not conclusively proven effective.

Caution must be taken in the use of antidepressant therapy as a part of bipolar disorder treatment. Mood stabilizers are usually tried first, because antidepressants can trigger manic episodes or rapid-cycling. If an antidepressant must be used, there are certain ones which are less likely to cause these problems. One of these is bupropion.

The treatment of psychotic symptoms has evolved quickly in modern times. At first, there were powerful anti-psychotics. The first of these were said to put the mind in a "mental strait-jacket". They virtually stopped all thought. They also had an intense side effects known as tardive dyskinesia. This causes permanent neurological damages. Researchers, then were trying to find alternatives that would cause less, or even no, damage in bipolar disorder treatment.

Other anti-psychotics were tried, and found to have fewer neurological effects. The newest of these medications are actually relatively safe when used as prescribed. They are also very helpful in bipolar disorder treatment both in psychotic episodes and even in simple mania. Some of the newer ones are risperidone and olanzapine.

Talk therapy is also used in bipolar disorder treatment. It can be useful to help a person to recognize and deal with symptoms of the disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help a person to identify destructive patterns of thinking and behavior, and help him or her to act in ways that will have a positive influence on his or her disease process.

Other types of talk therapy are used in bipolar disorder treatment to help a person to deal with the devastating consequences of the illness and to explore the history of that person's disease. Talk therapy has been used successfully in bipolar disorder treatment.

All of these components constitute a lifelong process. Medication and talk therapy can contribute to effective bipolar disorder treatment today. No one knows what science will bring to bipolar disorder treatment in the future.


© 2007 Just Great Advice Inc.
 For more free advice on many different topics visit us today @ JustGreatAdvice.com . If you know someone that may benefit from this info, please feel free to forward this site or page to them.



Comments

My 11yr old son is currently taking Lamotrigine 50mg in the morning, risperidone .50mg morning,late afternoon, and .25mg @bedtime (just switched 2weeks ago after Abilify quit working), and also prozac 15mg am. He has been kicked off the school but for the rest of the year, suspended from school for 3days, and an incident where the police were called in, this all in the span of 2 1/2 weeks. His psychiatrist asked if I had considered hospitalizing him, to try and get his meds monitored etc.....I was just wondering what all takes place when you hospitalize your child, and how long will he have to be away from home.
to hospitalize or not - By Marla Speed
20th April 2010 - 9:40pm

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

Borderline Personality Disorder VS Bipolar
What Are The Causes Of Bipolar Disorder?
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Exploring The Various Bipolar Disorders
Famous People With Bipolar Disorder Past And Present
Bipolar Disorder In Children
Childhood Treatment Options For Bipolar Disorder
Pediatric Bipolar Versus Asperger's Disorder
About Bipolar Affective Disorder
Recognizing Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
What To Do If You Have A Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
About Type 1 Bipolar Disorder
Concerns Of Bipolar Disorder Self Injury
Psychiatric Evidence Of Bipolar Disorder
Treatments For Bipolar Disorder
Celexa And Bipolar Disorder
All About Bipolar Disorder Treatment
CBT As Treatment For Bipolar Disorder
Latest Medications For Bipolar Affective Disorder
Prozac For Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, And Anxiety
What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder?






My Articles


Prozac For Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, And Anxiety Prozac is a medication often prescribed for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and..


Famous People With Bipolar Disorder Past And Present There have been many famous people with bipolar disorder,..


Treatments For Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness which causes..


Recognizing Bipolar Disorder Symptoms There may come a time when a person needs to determine if a..



Related Videos:

Related News:

 
Mental Illness Policy Forces Police to Shoot Mentally Ill James Jay Lee at ... - Huffington Post (blog)

    

ABC News

Mental Illness Policy Forces Police to Shoot Mentally Ill James Jay Lee at ...
Huffington Post (blog)
Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. Chalk it up, we're invisible. First of all I don't think the world lost much, second of all there is more money in ...
Discovery Channel Gunman James Jay Lee Was No TerroristFOXNews

all 3,851 news articles »



For Glenn Close, Staglin effort is personal - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

    

For Glenn Close, Staglin effort is personal
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
My sister has bipolar disorder and my nephew has schizo-affective disorder. Of course, if you see someone who you love profoundly suffering, ...

and more »