It's not uncommon to see a person who suffers from bipolar disorder go undiagnosed for close to eight years. Though proper treatments are available, they are still going undiagnosed or are getting inadequate treatment.
When the illness is left untreated, it can cause an assortment of trouble in the person's life. It is important they be diagnosed soon as symptoms start so treatment can get started.
There are numerous treatments for bipolar disorder and while some may fail, others are very triumphant in controlling the illness.
Sometimes patients tend to give up on medicines because they feel it's just not working. This can be dangerous because any lapse from taking the medication can cause a relapse in episodes. Compliance is another factor in the dealing of the disease.
Treatment Stages - Acute and Preventive
In the Acute stage, the idea is to end current depression, hypomanic, mixed mood swings and manic. Preventative measures calls for a continuation in the therapeutic process to handling future episodes.
Medication, psychotherapy and education are all forms of treatment. Medication therapy is important for all of the patients during both stages.
Patients and families can find relief in more than usual bipolar disorder symptoms during psychotherapy sessions.
Because this disease is complex, families and patients need to be aware of what its symptoms are and how it can be managed. Education of this disease is important so people know what to expect.
Despite which treatment the patient, family and physician chooses, the main goal is to decrease the amount of episodes the bipolar person has...prevent it from cycling from each mood stage. It would be beneficial to have the mood disruptions decrease in intensity as well as frequency. This would also help the patient while they are in between episodes.
During talk therapy before medication or other treatment is prescribed, the physician must first identify what caused the initial outburst. The, the doctor will assess for other problems such as emotional or medical that could hinder the patient's treatment and recovery.
Treatments available
There are several medications that can be used to help bipolar patients in their daily lives.
1. Mood Stabilizers - this is the core of bipolar medicinal treatment. They are efficient in acute stages of depression and even psychotic mania. It can also be used as a maintenance drug. The most commonly prescribed drugs in this area are Lithium and Valporate. The drugs act as a stimulate.
2. Atypical Antipsychotic- this is a mood stabilizer that can also be prescribed for schizophrenia. There are five kinds of medication offered in this treatment. They are: Olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone and ariprazol can be used for bipolar mania and mixed episodes. However, only Quetiapine is only allowed for mixed episodes.
The best thing about the drugs is that they can be used alone or combined with other drugs to help ward of the symptoms of the disease.
3. Antiseizure medications - this is typically given to patients who have rapid bipolar cycling with mixed episodes of mania, depression and those who have suffered from substance abuse. Three antiseizure medicines given are: carbamazepine, lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine.
4. Electroconvulsive therapy - ordered on patients who suffer from acute emotional stages.
5. Sleep Management and Psychotherapy - used with medications for bipolar disorder.
There are side effects with the medication like anything else. Some of these can include: weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes. A diet should be followed and education on dietary intake is necessary. This can help in the reduction of these effects.
With friends and family behind the loved one, then it is possible for the patient to live a "normal" life.
When the illness is left untreated, it can cause an assortment of trouble in the person's life. It is important they be diagnosed soon as symptoms start so treatment can get started.
There are numerous treatments for bipolar disorder and while some may fail, others are very triumphant in controlling the illness.
Sometimes patients tend to give up on medicines because they feel it's just not working. This can be dangerous because any lapse from taking the medication can cause a relapse in episodes. Compliance is another factor in the dealing of the disease.
Treatment Stages - Acute and Preventive
In the Acute stage, the idea is to end current depression, hypomanic, mixed mood swings and manic. Preventative measures calls for a continuation in the therapeutic process to handling future episodes.
Medication, psychotherapy and education are all forms of treatment. Medication therapy is important for all of the patients during both stages.
Patients and families can find relief in more than usual bipolar disorder symptoms during psychotherapy sessions.
Because this disease is complex, families and patients need to be aware of what its symptoms are and how it can be managed. Education of this disease is important so people know what to expect.
Despite which treatment the patient, family and physician chooses, the main goal is to decrease the amount of episodes the bipolar person has...prevent it from cycling from each mood stage. It would be beneficial to have the mood disruptions decrease in intensity as well as frequency. This would also help the patient while they are in between episodes.
During talk therapy before medication or other treatment is prescribed, the physician must first identify what caused the initial outburst. The, the doctor will assess for other problems such as emotional or medical that could hinder the patient's treatment and recovery.
Treatments available
There are several medications that can be used to help bipolar patients in their daily lives.
1. Mood Stabilizers - this is the core of bipolar medicinal treatment. They are efficient in acute stages of depression and even psychotic mania. It can also be used as a maintenance drug. The most commonly prescribed drugs in this area are Lithium and Valporate. The drugs act as a stimulate.
2. Atypical Antipsychotic- this is a mood stabilizer that can also be prescribed for schizophrenia. There are five kinds of medication offered in this treatment. They are: Olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone and ariprazol can be used for bipolar mania and mixed episodes. However, only Quetiapine is only allowed for mixed episodes.
The best thing about the drugs is that they can be used alone or combined with other drugs to help ward of the symptoms of the disease.
3. Antiseizure medications - this is typically given to patients who have rapid bipolar cycling with mixed episodes of mania, depression and those who have suffered from substance abuse. Three antiseizure medicines given are: carbamazepine, lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine.
4. Electroconvulsive therapy - ordered on patients who suffer from acute emotional stages.
5. Sleep Management and Psychotherapy - used with medications for bipolar disorder.
There are side effects with the medication like anything else. Some of these can include: weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes. A diet should be followed and education on dietary intake is necessary. This can help in the reduction of these effects.
With friends and family behind the loved one, then it is possible for the patient to live a "normal" life.
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