A Guide to Bipolar Disorder Treatments
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Bipolar disorder is a medical illness which causes periods of depression and mania. These periods, or episodes, can last anywhere from a few days to several months. Some sufferers experience periods of normal emotional functioning in between the manic and depressive episodes. There are four types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic Disorder and Unspecified Bipolar disorder. They are all primarily the same in that the sufferer experiences highs and lows. There are several different bipolar disorder treatments that may be used by your doctor or psychiatrist.
Medication is often used to treat this disorder. There are three different categories of medicines that may be used -- antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Antidepressants are sometimes used to treat this disorder, although they have been shown to potentially increase the risk of manic episodes. Sometimes antidepressants are used in conjuction with mood stabilizers. Examples of common antidepressants include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Effexor and Celexa. Mood stabilizers are used to keep the mood at an even level and may help prevent or delay manic or depressive episodes. Lithium is a commonly used mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder. Then there are antipsychotics like Haldol, which are sometimes prescribed when episodes are extremely severe.
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT is sometimes used as an alternative or addition to medication. During ECT, electric current is sent to a certain area or areas of the brain. While this may sound extremely uncomfortable, it's quite tolerable for many patients. Usually before the procedure begins, a short-term anesthesia is administered. On average, a patient will need multiple sessions of ECT each week.
Talk therapy is another treatment option for bipolar sufferers and is commonly used along with medication. During talk therapy, the sufferer talks to a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist about their lives and anything that might be bothering them. They may also find it helpful to discuss their disorder and how they feel about it. Some therapy sessions are held in a one-on-one format, while others are held in a group format. Many people choose to attend both individual and group sessions.
Bipolar disorder treatments are usually only effective if the bipolar individual is willing to give them a fair try. In addition to medication and therapy, self-help may provide various benefits as well. This may mean reading more about their medical condition and keeping a journal of thoughts and feelings. Keeping track of symptoms and triggers may also be helpful for many bipolar individuals. Often, therapists will give homework to their patients as a way to continue the benefits of therapy at home.
Copyright 2007 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved
Family-Focused Treatment for Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder . - Archives of General Psychiatry
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Study Links Older Dads To Bipolar Disorder In Kids Washington (dbTechno) - According to a new Swedish study published in the Archives of Psychiatry, children who have older fathers are more likely to develop bipolar disorder. The study carried out by Swedish researchers looked at a ... | ||
Paternal age determines bipolar risk - PRESS TV
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Older Fathers Linked to Bipolar Children Sc., of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues identified 13428 patients in Swedish registers with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. For each one, they randomly selected from the registers five controls who were the ... | ||
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Alternative and Complementary Treatments for Bipolar Disorder The standard approach to treating bipolar disorder calls for a combination of medication and psychotherapy EUR a mood stabilizer for the mania, an anti-depressant to treat the depressive side, and psychotherapy to deal with the stressors ... | ||
Older dads linked to bipolar disorder - Chicago Tribune
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Study links bipolar disorder with older fathers Children born to older fathers face a greater chance of developing bipolar disorder, according to one of the largest studies linking mental illness with advanced paternal age... | ||
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Advancing Paternal Age and Bipolar Disorder - Archives of General Psychiatry
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Bipolar disorder more likely in children of older fathers (New Kerala) Washington, Sep 2 : Bipolar disorder is likely to be more common among children of older fathers, according to a study... | ||
Children of Older Fathers Have Higher Risk of Bipolar Disorder (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Children with older fathers are more likely to develop bipolar disorder , a mental illness once known as manic depression, as genetic errors become more frequent with age, Swedish and British researchers said in a study... | ||
Add-On Therapy Improves Depressive Symptoms In Bipolar Disorder (Science Daily) Lingering depression is a serious and common problem in bipolar disorder, and does not resolve well with existing treatments. Because individuals with both depression and bipolar disorder experience a glutathione deficiency, an antioxidant that protects cells from toxins, researchers sought to evaluate whether N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter supplement that increases brain ... | ||
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