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Bipolar disorder or manic depression, is a mental illness that causes mood swings and cycles of mood. Mood Cycling refers to the transition between mania and depression. Mania or manic episodes, typically consist of feelings of euphoria and invincibility, and cause disorientation, lack of sleep and obsessive behaviors. Depression often involves feelings of overwhelming sadness and low self esteem.
There are many treatments available for bipolar disorder, ranging from drugs to therapy. There are many medications that are discussed here in depth. There are also many forms therapy can take, and the techniques that can learn to help the patient gain some control over their bipolar disorder.
Typically, bipolar disorder is treated with more than one drug. This is because the dual nature of bipolar disorder. Most patients require at least two medications: one to control depression and one for the control of mania. The combination of these two types of medication works to obtain balance in moods and stop mood Cycling. Often, a third drug, called a stabilizer mood, is also indicated. The most common mood stabilizer Topamax.
Popular drugs for the treatment of mania in bipolar patients include lithium, valproate (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and ziprasidone (Geodon). Lithium has been considered the drug the miracle of bipolar disorder. It is a sodium based medication that helps balance the chemical imbalance in the brain that causes manic disorder patients bipolar.
Valproate, or Depakote, originally developed as a medication for seizures. However, its effects on patients with bipolar disorder who have rapid cycling bipolar (moods that cycle every hour or days instead of weeks or months) has been very effective. Carbamazepine, or Tegretol, is another anti-convulsant. While it seems to have similar effects on bipolar disorder as Depakote, which has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Olanzapine, or Zyprexa, and Ziprasidone, or Geodon, are both anti-psychotic drugs, and are especially effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder in which mania becomes so severe that psychotic symptoms are present.
Medicines for the treatment of depression are called antidepressants. Common antidepressants are citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft). All these drugs have proved successful treatments for depression, although Celexa and Prozac are the most commonly prescribed.
Typically, the treatment of bipolar disorder includes a combination medication and therapy or counseling. However, in some cases, medication may not be necessary for milder cases of bipolar disorder. In other cases, medication may not be desired by the patient and the patient may want to look for alternatives to medication to treat his bipolar disorder.
For these patients, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be very effective. CBT is a method of treatment of bipolar disorder that involves teaching the patient techniques to recognize symptoms and triggers your mood cycle, and use that information and recognition to avoid triggers occur, cycling mood to be so serious. Most of these techniques require the patient to develop cognitive thinking skills and critical thinking and the ability to solve problems. If bipolar disorder is severe to the point that the patient is unable to participate in these thinking abilities and skills, CBT can not be a viable form of treatment itself.
In general, there are many treatments available for bipolar disorder. There are many options for the patient who may be discussed with the patient's medical. If a patient is not satisfied with the way your treatment is having, they should discuss with your doctor, and not be afraid to change physician, in order to change treatment methods. In total, effective and successful treatment of bipolar disorder is in the hands of the patient.
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To learn more, check out Bipolar Disabilities Guide.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
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