Online Bipolar Support provides useful
information about bipolar disorder or
bipolar depression, four different types, bipolar symptoms and bipolar treatment.
Bipolar Treatment – What to Expect
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding bipolar disorder and bipolar treatment that sufferers can expect to receive. One of the reasons for this is too many people feel equipped to talk about people who are bipolar without actually fully understanding the types of bipolar treatment that are available. In fact talk to most people and ask them to name a bipolar treatment and it is likely that they will reply with a one word answer such as “Prozac”. Whilst Prozac can and is used to treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder this drug is just the tips of the iceberg when it comes to bipolar treatment as there is much more out there from medication to alternative therapies.
When someone is diagnosed as being bipolar it is easy to think that a simple pill each day will rid them of their symptoms and life will return to normal in a few days. Unfortunately this isnât always the case and this is why it takes some time for some individuals to get the correct bipolar treatment which will work well for them.
As previously mentioned Prozac can work well as a form of bipolar treatment, it works by encouraging the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural chemical which when produced lifts the mood and this helps as a form of bipolar treatment as it can stabilise the mood of a sufferer. This type of medication (and others) is in the group of SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which are often prescribed to combat the symptoms and feelings that bipolar disorder produces. Another group of medication that is also used as a bipolar treatment are tricyclic medications which work along the same lines as SSRIs. Lithium can also be used as a bipolar treatment as this too works as a mood stabiliser and this is one of the most well known and âpopularâ treatments for bipolar disorder.
Cogitative behavioural therapy can be extremely useful as an additional bipolar treatment and many psychiatrists recommend it to people suffering from bipolar disorder. CBT works so well because it helps those with a bipolar diagnosis to recognise the âtriggersâ that tend to signal the start of a bipolar high or low. Once these triggers are recognised a person who is bipolar is then able to put into practice some of the self help methods and techniques which have been shown to them in CBT sessions.
Some people also advocate a change in diet as a secondary bipolar treatment, as many believe that a healthy diet that is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial for those with bipolar disorder. Complementary therapyâs such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture can also be used as these can play a large and important role in the emotional wellbeing of a person and can also help to lift the mood. Exercise can also help as a bipolar treatment as exercise releases endorphins, the bodyâs own âfeel goodâ chemicals and these can boost the mood significantly.
Online Bipolar Support provides useful
information about bipolar disorder or
bipolar depression, four different types, bipolar symptoms and bipolar treatment.
Have you Been Diagnosed as Being Bipolar?
Being diagnosed with an illness can often bring a sense of relief. It can help a person to make sense of the way they have been feeling for some time and draw a line under the frustration of not knowing what their condition was. At the same time though it can also bring up a whole host of new questions and worries, and this certainly happens when a person is diagnosed as being bipolar.
Bipolar disorder or disease as it is also known is a type of mood disorder that can send the bipolar person into manic highs and depressive lows. In between these periods, or episodes, the individual who is bipolar can feel totally normal and this is what can make having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder so hard to cope with.
Unfortunately being diagnosed with bipolar is seen as something as a stigma and this is due, in part to society not fully understanding the impact that being bipolar has on a person. Being diagnosed with bipolar is just the start of a long journey for a person who is striving to become well again and wants to function just like anyone else. It is all too easy to think that as soon as a person finds out they are bipolar all they have to do is to start taking their pills for the disease and this will miraculously cure them in no time. This assumption is wrong.
Instead being diagnosed with bipolar means that the person can now start to find what type of treatment will work the best for them and move forward with their lives. If you have had a recent diagnosis of bipolar you might have mixed feelings about what this will mean for your future so it is essential that you find out all you can about the condition.
Bipolar disorder can be treated in two main ways – with drugs which are prescribed specifically to the individual based on their own needs and the severity of their bipolar disorder and psychosocial treatments. Lithium is often used as it works very well as a mood stabiliser and there are different strengths of this available for doctors to prescribe for people diagnosed as being bipolar. Lamotrigine is also used if the patient has severe episodes of depression as this can help to alleviate the symptoms and further stabilise the mood. There is currently a strong debate over whether or not antidepressants should be used to treat those people who are bipolar as they have been known to be a trigger for depressive episodes, so it is quite unlikely that these would be prescribed.
Psychosocial treatments can come in the form of cognitive behaviour therapies and similar as these work at the core of bipolar disease and help to highlight emotional triggers for a sufferer. In fact many people believe that when used in conjunction with the correct drugs psychosocial therapy can make a big difference to the quality of life for a person who is bipolar.
