Bipolar Treatment – 3 Steps to Successfully Managing Bipolar Disorder
Posted by Charles Kelley
Bipolar treatment can be an arduous process for anyone suffering from this mental illness. Bipolar disorder has no cure at this time, and the causes are not completely known. Nevertheless, with a few simple steps it is possible to maintain control of the mood swings and depression, as well as your life.
Before even looking into the steps there is one prerequisite, the desire to get better. Without it, attempting treatment is a lost cause.
Step 1
The first step necessary to overcome the symptoms of bipolar disorder is to learn. Bipolar disorder is very complex and each individual case is different. This means to receive effective treatment you must have an understanding of the disease and how it is affecting YOU. The more you are aware of, and understand, what exactly is going on with your condition, the easier it will be to diagnose and treat.
Step 2
The next step is to get medicated. A wide range of medication is used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. These consist of mood stabilizers anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. This is without a doubt the hardest step in bipolar treatment. Since there are so many combinations of medicine used in treatment, and the medicines themselves take weeks to start working, it could take months or more to find the right mix for each individual.
When you visit your doctor, make sure to be as descriptive as possible about things like frequency and severity of mood swings, behavioral changes, and thought processes. This will give a better chance of finding the right medication faster.
Step 3
The third step is to get counseling, or group therapy. This allows you to gain more insight into bipolar treatment, and helps develop coping and management skills that are crucial to taking control of this illness. Besides the added comfort of not going through it alone, it helps to discuss your condition and how you are working to manage it whether it is with a professional or others with firsthand experience.
Bipolar treatment is a lifelong process, and all of these steps are imperative to success. Without knowing what you are up against, you cannot possibly fight it. Medication will help control the episodes of depression and mania, but they will never completely go away. Counseling will teach you the necessary skills to maintain control during these episodes when they do happen. All the pieces have to go toether.
The reason most people fail at treatment is simply not taking all the necessary steps. If you have read this far, you no longer have a reason to be one of the people who do not get better. You and your loved ones need not suffer any longer should you just take action.
Bipolar Treatment – General Bipolar Information
Posted by Charles Kelley
For the average person, it is normal to experience ups-and-downs, good days and bad days and the occasional ‘I should never have gotten out of bed day’ but as general idea or rule, it is important to retain an inner calm or a middle ground to which we always return, our normal self. The following bipolar information details how differently the day to day life is of someone who is suffering from this disorder.
Individuals with bipolar disorder experience extreme fluctuations in their mood. They often find that they lose their inner balance, and instead, they find themselves at the far end of the emotional scale.
They may even find themselves alternating between a moment of time when they feel elated – on top of the world – as if anything is possible and a moment of deep despairing depression that leaves them shut up in their bedroom, lying in their bed for weeks and unable to do the normal day-to-day tasks they’re used to doing.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder differ widely between different people. Some many enter a state of hypomania which is a milder form of mania, while others may have full blown manic periods. These episodes often involve elaborate ideas, an elevated state of happiness and wild plans. For example, a sufferer having a manic episode may max out five credit cars and then start tearing down walls of their house as they plan to turn their two bedroom terraced cottage into a modern 100% glass mansion.
At the time of having a manic episode, these quite clearly irrational ideas seem possible and the sufferer will believe that their ideas will lead to success and fortune. People will bipolar disorder may have a contagious optimism where is life limitless and so is their energy.
Some individuals with bipolar disorder may experience mixed states where the symptoms take the form of great restlessness, agitation and even rage. But, what goes up must come down and, as a result of all these highs, these manic episodes are often followed by long periods of deep depression, as the individual comes down from their high.
This bipolar information should provide much insight into the disease that cripples so many.
Bipolar Disorder Help – The Role of Medications in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Posted by Charles Kelley
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes tremendous mood and behavioral changes resulting in bouts of depression and/or mania. This condition is believed by most experts to be caused mainly by chemical imbalances in the brain. There is currently no cure for this disease, and treatment is a lifelong battle. However, with the proper usage of medication and psychotherapy bipolar treatment can be successful.
Types of Medication Used
The causes of bipolar disorder, whether from failed neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) or as in some evidence suggests, biological or environmental factors, must be treated with medication. The most common medications used in bipolar treatment are mood-stabilizers. What mood-stabilizers do is try to balance back out the brain functions making it less likely to encounter depressive and manic episodes and lessen the severity when they do occur.
Anti-depressants can also be used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Due to other factors being involved with this condition, anti-depressants may be used to help neutralize depressive episodes and also prevent them from triggering. Usually anti-depressants are taken in conjunction with mood-stabilizers to control bipolar symptoms.
In some cases of extreme mania, anti-psychotic medication is used. The main purpose of this type of medication is to help relieve symptoms of manic episodes. It is most often taken with other medications for bipolar treatment. If left untreated, manic episodes could become psychotic.
Since everyone’s body chemistry is different and the symptoms and severity of bipolar disorder vary from patient to patient, medication strategies will be different as well. Whatever combination works for one person might have a lesser effect on another and so on. It could take months or longer of trial and error to determine the accurate combinations and dosages of medicine per individual.
Remember, it just takes time. Even if you got the right medicine on the first try it would take weeks or more for it to show effective results, so don’t give up if you try something for a while and the desired results are not achieved. Talk with your doctor and come up with another plan. Bipolar treatment is not an easy task, but with proper medication, therapy, and patience, it can have positive results!
Bipolar Treatment – Side Effects in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Posted by Charles Kelley
Prescribed medicines used in the treatment of bipolar disorder are effective. However, there are negative effects on the body from bipolar treatment that alarm patients.
According to the FDA, antidepressants are generally safe but some studies suggest that they may have unintentional effects on some people, particularly in adolescents and young adults. It is important to observe patients taking antidepressant drugs closely regardless of age particularly in the first two weeks of treatment for possible side effects. Observe for worsening depression, onset of suicidal thinking or behavior, or any unusual changes in behavior such as sleeplessness, agitation, or withdrawal from normal social functions. The family or caregiver should report any suspicious change in behavior to the patient’ doctor immediately.
If a patient is taking mood-stabilizing drugs like lithium, he can suffer from its common side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, mood swings, stuffed or runny nose, or other cold-like symptoms.
Patients taking antipsychotic drugs should refrain from driving because of the following side effects, drowsiness, and dizziness when changing positions, blurred vision, and rapid heartbeat, sensitivity to the sun, skin rashes and menstrual problems for women.
There are rare cases wherein the long-term use of atypical antipsychotic drugs causes tardive dyskinesia or involuntary muscle movement usually around the mouth. In severe cases, patients only partially recover after stopping the drug.
Studies show that patients taking olanzapine, an antipsychotic drug, develops a tendency to gain weight. Side effects like this may increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.
A patient who develops side effects from medication during bipolar treatment
must tell his doctor about it immediately so that the doctor may alter the dosage or prescribe a different medicine. Under no circumstance should a patient stop his medication because it may lead to a rebound or a dangerous worsening of his condition.
Bipolar Treatment – Psychotherapy Treatment for Bipolar Disorder Patients
Posted by Charles Kelley
Psychotherapy is a non-medical approach in the bipolar treatment process. Patients who undergo psychotherapy can learn systematic methods of coping with their condition. It is much like an athlete taking instructions from his coach.
However, the effectiveness of psychotherapy may vary among patients depending on a number of underlying factors. These factors range from physical and psychological components, which can be resistant to psychological intervention most particularly in cases of bipolar disorder in comparison with unipolar depressive illnesses that respond to psychotherapy without difficulty.
In view of this, doctors use psychotherapy treatment in conjunction with medications in cases of bipolar disorder due to the complexity of the disorder and the seriousness of the symptoms. Bipolar patients may refuse to accept psychotherapy at the onset of the illness. Thus, psychotherapy approaches like the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may become beneficial to bipolar patients only when they start to undergo the period of recovery from the symptoms. Still, it may vary in individual cases.
Psychotherapy has many benefits for bipolar disorder patients. Patients see therapy as a good venue to unload their inhibitions and talk about how their disease has affected their lives, relationships, and families. Psychotherapy also provides factual monitoring, analysis, and encouragement from a trusted therapist of their condition and state of mentality. Therapists can motivate patients to maintain their medications especially in times when they seem to get tired of taking them. Psychotherapy could offer valuable coping mechanisms, which could strengthen their ability to socialize with other people and help them have productive lives.
There are multiple approaches in psychotherapy with different tools that medical professionals have used in the treatment of mental disorders. In the case of this disorder, studies have developed three effective approaches for bipolar treatment: the cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, and interpersonal or social rhythm therapy.
Bipolar Treatment – Recognizing and Understanding the Different Types of Bipolar Disorder
Posted by Charles Kelley
One of the toughest parts of proper bipolar treatment is actually determining the correct diagnosis. One of the largest reasons for this is the fact that there are several types of bipolar disorder. Also the characteristics of the episodes are so diverse from patient to patient that it could take a long time to determine an actual pattern in which to base a diagnosis on.
The different types of bipolar disorder are characterized by the patterns in the frequency, length, and severity of episodes of depression and/or mania. Determining which type of bipolar disorder is present is necessary to accurately prescribe medication for treatment.
Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I Disorder
This form of bipolar disorder is the most severe of all the types. It is characterized by having at least one episode of both mania and depression with each lasting more than a week with little to no break in symptoms. The most extreme cases of mania are found in bipolar I disorder.
Bipolar II Disorder
Unlike Bipolar I, this type of the illness consists of milder episodes of mania, known as hypomania, along with depression. The mania involved here is so mild that it is often overlooked as a problem, and could go unrecognized for quite some time. Long periods of no symptoms often occurs in this form of bipolar disorder.
Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
This is made up of at least 4 mood episodes in a single year. It is not uncommon for patients with rapid cycling to experience these mood shifts as frequently as weeks or even days. Rapid cycling most commonly develops over time and can occur even after diagnosed with another type of bipolar disorder.
Cyclothimic Disorder
This disorder is characterized by extremely mild episodes of both mania and depression. It is possible for this condition to worsen over time.
Mixed Bipolar Disorder
Mixed Bipolar is determined by experiences of both mania and depression occuring at the same time. A patient with this form would have upshifts in mood and energy with depressive thoughts present, or vice versa. This has a potential to be very dangerous for suffers, as being pulled in both directions at once is such a physical and mental strain, moreso than other forms of bipolar disorder.
Uncatagorized Bipolar Disorder
Uncatagorized is for bipolar suffers whose mood shifts fall into no pattern identifiable with other types of bipolar. This makes bipolar treatment difficult because with most forms you develop a pattern and you tend to become aware of whats coming, but with uncatagorized you are constantly guessing.
Understanding and recognizing the different types of this disorder helps tremendously with bipolar treatment.
Bipolar Treatment – Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Posted by Charles Kelley
Bipolar disorder is characterized by periods of alternating high (manic) and low (depressive) moods. The “mood swings” between mania and depression can come on quickly and without warning, and with many different levels of intensity. There are a wide range of signs and symptoms for each end of the spectrum. This makes bipolar treatment somewhat difficult to get a handle on due the wide variety of each individual case. Recognizing the symptoms is key to understanding how to effectively treat bipolar disorder.
Symptoms
The manic phase of Bipolar disorder may last several days or even months and can include the following symptoms:
- High levels of agitation or irritability
- Elevated mood
- Hyperactivity
- Increased energy
- Lack of self-control
- Racing thoughts
- Inflated self image (delusions of grandeur, false beliefs in special abilities)
- Sleeplessness
- Over-involvement in activities
- Easy loss of temper
- Reckless behavior
- Binge eating, drinking, and/or drug use
- Impaired judgment
- Risky sexual behavior
- Spending sprees
- Inability to focus
The depressive phase of bipolar disorder involves very serious symptoms common to major depression:
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Eating disturbances
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Overeating and weight gain
- Fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and/or guilt
- Loss of self-esteem
- Persistent sadness
- Persistent thoughts of death
- Sleep disturbances
- Excessive sleepiness
- Inability to sleep
- Suicidal thoughts
- Withdrawal from activities that were once enjoyed
- Withdrawal from friends
If you or someone you love is suffering from Bipolar Disorder, it is imperitive that treatment be implemented. Knowing the signs and symptoms early on will give the upper hand in bipolar treatment.
Bipolar Treatment – Benefits of Psychotherapy Treatment for Bipolar Disorder Patients
Posted by Charles Kelley
A crucial part of the bipolar treatment process, aside from medicines, is psychotherapy or “talk” therapy. The goal of psychotherapy is to lessen the manifestation of symptoms by recognizing what causes manic depression incidence, improve how patients handle their relationships and recognize probable early signs before a full-blown recurrence and put into practice the factors that help maintain the remission.
Since brain function is involved in bipolar disorder, it severely affects the way patients think, and behave. This makes it difficult for other people to relate with them. It is important to understand that bipolar disorder is not a character flaw but a serious medical condition that requires special attention and treatment, especially in cases involving children and teens.
Psychotherapy treatment for bipolar disorder patients includes:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) centers on the pattern of behavior in people with bipolar disorder. The goal of the therapy is to teach the patient to change negative or harmful thoughts and actions.
Family-focused therapy focuses on family relationship. It helps the family find coping strategies, teaches the family to detect the onset of probable new episodes and encourages helping their loved one. It improves communication within the family.
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy helps patients improve their relationship with other people. It also helps them handle their day-to-day activities.
Psycho-education therapy explains to patients the details of their illness and the process of treatment. The therapy aims to teach early signs of recurrence so that they can seek medical attention immediately before a full-blown episode occurs. It is usually in groups.
Children and teens with bipolar disorder would benefit from therapies especially when they are experiencing problems at school and community or have learning disorders or language problems. The frequency of psychotherapy bipolar treatment depends on the need of the patient.
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