A Guide to Treatments for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder might not have a cure at this point, but there are a few treatment options that can help individuals with bipolar disorder lead a healthy and stable life. Relapse may occur on occasion, but that option is far better than the alternative of going without treatment. Here are the treatment options for an individual diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The first line of treatment for bipolar disorder is usually medication. There are three types of medication that are usually administered to bipolar patients in varying doses. Different combinations work for different patients, and it usually takes sometime to find the perfect combination for a particular patient. Every body works differently.

The first type of medication is called a mood stabilizer. Naturally, it stabilizes moods. Everyone has days of feeling up or feeling down, but the mood stabilizer helps to prevent bipolar patients from experiencing either of the extremes of depression or mania. It is necessary to administer a small dose before gradually increasing the dose size because some individuals do not react particularly well to some of the mood stabilizers currently on the market. Some mood stabilizers are used as maintenance drugs to prevent episodes even when there are no symptoms.

The next type of medication is referred to as atypical antipsychotics, to set this drug class apart from first generation antipsychotics. Atypical antipsychotics are frequently used to treat episodes of mania or mixed states, as well as states of psychosis that may occur during manic states. Some of the current atypical antipsychotics are also used to treat severe depression. Just like with mood stabilizers, it is important to increase the dosage slowly. A few of the drugs may be used as maintenance drugs, even when a patient does not present symptoms.

Antidepressants are used to treat bipolar depression, but it is very important that an antidepressant is not administered to a bipolar patient without a mood stabilizer. Otherwise, the patient may "swing up" into mania. Antidepressants may be used just during a depressive episode or as maintenance for patients that experience depression often. These drugs must also be increased in dosage slowly.

An option that is generally reserved for patients that do not respond well to medications is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). During ECT, a patient is administered a muscle relaxant before being put under anesthesia. A short electrical pulse is emitted. Patients should experience relief from bipolar symptoms or become more receptive to medications. Maintenance drugs may be required after ECT treatments.

Psychotherapy is a very important part of any bipolar treatment. This traditional "talk" therapy helps patients deal with issues that may be hindering treatment and stability, such as events that occur during an episode.

Those are the three primary types of treatment, though the use of ECT is a bit more rare than medication and psychotherapy. Treatment is an important part of living an stable life as a bipolar individual.

NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health. 2009. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index