One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when treating your bipolar disorder is choosing a therapist or psychiatrist to consult with as your mental health provider. For the best possible outcome for your mental health, be careful to choose a doctor that fits your needs.
Here is how you can choose what mental health provider(s) you’ll need to best treat your bipolar disorder.
There are a number of different types of mental health providers you can choose to visit. You could see a therapist, a psychologist or a psychiatrist. The type you choose depends on you and your therapy and medication needs.
When choosing the type of mental health provider you need and when, take a look at your symptoms, your health insurance coverage and if you need medication for your bipolar disorder, which you most likely will as you can experience mood swings ongoing.
Psychiatrist for treating bipolar disorder. If you have bipolar disorder, you will have to stabilize your moods with medication. A psychiatric can talk with you about the types of bipolar medications you’ll need to keep your mood disorder in check. A psychiatrist can adjust your bipolar medication dosages accordingly.
Therapist / Psychologist for treating bipolar disorder. A therapist or psychologist is beneficial for a person with bipolar disorder that needs to discuss problems and situations going on in their every day life, such as work, family and marriage issues. These mental health providers help to get to the root of issues and provide new ways of looking at things. Family and marriage counseling can include the family of the bipolar patient.
Combination of both for bipolar therapy. Some people with bipolar disorder regular see both a psychiatrist and psychologist to meet their mental health needs. The way you schedule your appointments depends on your specific needs and the frequency you feel you need bipolar disorder therapy.
Even if you don’t know at the beginning what type of mental health team you’ll need for your bipolar disorder therapy, you’ll find out what works for you along the way.
Continue reading about Types of Mental Health Providers for Treating and Managing Bipolar Disorder
A List of Seroquel Side Effects
It’s been several years since the mood stabilizer drug Seroquel, Quetiapine Fumarate, has been approved to treat bipolar disorder. What is Seroquel? It’s an antipsychotic that treats depressive and manic bipolar episodes.
Seroquel offers long term maintenance of the mood disorder and is used alongside drugs such as lithium, which is discussed in the article The Pros, Cons and Side Effects of Lithium to Treat Bipolar Disorder.
If you are considering using Seroquel to manage and treat your bipolar moods, take a look at this list. You’ll learn about the positive and negative side effects of using the medication Seroquel to treat bipolar disorder.
Positive side effects
1. Treats both highs and lows of bipolar. The good thing about Seroquel is that is used to manage both bipolar disorder depression and bipolar disorder mania. As a mood stabilizer a bipolar person can get a handle on both ends of the spectrum.
2. Better mood and overall sense of well being. Patients that take Seroquel see the benefits of more sleep, less sadness and better judgment. Seroquel can help a bipolar person feel more in control over how they feel.
3. Taken once a day. While one may not personally desire taking medication daily, Seroquel is only taken once each day. Each dose comes in tablet form.
Negative side effects
1. It can take several weeks to work. Bipolar patients are urged to be patient when starting Seroquel medication as it can take several weeks to fully stabilizer a person.
2. Seroquel has some common negative side effects. These side effects are dry mouth, dizziness and drowsiness.
3. Could increase cholesterol. Some bipolar patients taking Seroquel have reported a rise in cholesterol levels, triglycerides as well as weight gain.
4. Seroquel can lead to high blood pressure. Some have reported high blood sugar and diabetes with Seroquel XR, Seroquel and similar medications. Bipolar patients with diabetes, risk of diabetes and obesity should ask that a doctor check blood sugar levels before starting treatment with Seroquel. Some symptoms to look for regarding high blood sugar or diabetes are excessive thirst or hunger, weakness, increased urination.
There are rare, but potentially fatal side effects. Things to look for are high fever, sweating, change in heart rate or pulse as well as confusion and shaking. Muscle pain can also occur.
As with any bipolar disorder medication, consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of these negative Seroquel side effects.
Abilify, Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic medication often prescribed to treat mania and manic episodes in bipolar disorder. This drug is also used to treat schizophrenia. It has its positive and negative side effects.
If your doctor suggests that you take Abilify, you may have a few questions on the side effects —positive and negative— of taking Abilify for bipolar disorder.
Here’s a list of Abilify side effects:
Positives of Abilify
1. Relief of Manic symptoms. For many bipolar patients that take Abilify, the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder are improved within several days. The relief varies from person to person.
2. Reduces manic relapse. While Abilify is known to relief manic bipolar episodes, it also helps reduce the instance of manic relapse. The bipolar medication also stabilizes manic or mixed moods.
3. Won’t effect cholesterol or blood level. During a clinical trial of Abilify, both those receiving the bipolar medication and the placebo had the same experiences regarding cholesterol and blood level. Therefore it doesn’t play a factor in effecting either.
Negatives of Abilify
1. Sense of restlessness. Bipolar patients taking Abilify may feel an inner sense to move. This is known as akathisia. They can also experience involuntary body movements. This can also lead to the inability to stay asleep.
2. May make one feel sleepy and tired. This medication is known to make a small percentage of bipolar disorder patient feel sleepy. Wait until you know how this medication affects you before you drive or operate hazardous machinery.
3. Can cause weight gain. A very small percentage of people taking Abilify experience a minor gain in weight while on the bipolar medication.
Other Abilify side effects include headache, nausea, constipation and vomiting. Anyone experiencing these side effects as well as a decrease in mood should contact their doctor for analysis and a possible adjustment in dosage.
Xanax, also known by its generic name alprazolam, is an anti-anxiety medication from Pfizer. Your doctor may want to prescribe this medication for your bipolar disorder. It is a benzodiazepine sometimes used to alleviate anxiety and sleeping difficulties for bipolar patients.
Here is a list of the positives and negatives of using Xanax, alprazolam, medication for bipolar disorder.
Positives of Xanax
1. Xanax helps with anxiety. Anxiety can coexist with bipolar disorder as mentioned in this previous article: Bipolar Disorder and Panic Attacks. The biggest benefit of taking Xanax is that it is expected to greatly reduce the instances of anxiety in bipolar disorder.
2. Helps bipolar patients sleep. People with bipolar disorder may have difficulty sleeping at times. Taking Xanax as prescribed by a doctor can help a bipolar person get the sleep they need. Getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis also reduces irritability.
Negatives, Side Effects of Xanax
1. Xanax can cause clumsiness, drowiness in patients. Clumsiness, drowsiness as well as slurred speech are common symptoms of Xanax medication. You may find that you feel unsteady from taking this bipolar drug. You may also feel drowsy and experience slurred speech while taking this medication. 
2. Xanax can cause depression. While it helps with anxiety, some people experience depression while taking this medication.
3. Xanax is not recommended for pregnant women. Doctors advise pregnant women not to take this anti-anxiety medication because of the high risk of birth defects to a fetus. The only way that it can be prescribed to a pregnant woman is if the risk of going without the medication is greater than using it.
Other common side effects of Xanax are dizziness, lightheartedness and slurred speech. Other less common side effects include stomach cramps, changes in sexual desire, increased thirst, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting and headache. Check with your doctor if you experience any of these negative side effects while taking this medication.
Continue reading about Xanax, Alprazolam for Bipolar Disorder: Benefits and Side Effects
The drug Lamictal Lamotrigine is often used to treat bipolar disorder as a mood stabilizer. There are some benefits to Lamictal, as well a some side effects. You’ll want to be aware of both.
Here’s a list of positives and side effects you’ll find useful if you’re considering taking Lamictal to treat your bipolar disorder. And as always, consult your doctor about the use of bipolar medications.
Benefits of Lamictal:
1. Helps prevent mood swings. For those looking for relief from bipolar depression and bipolar mania, Lamictal can help keep mood swings at bay for longer periods of time. GlaxoSmithKline, the company that produces this bipolar medication, states that 37 percent of patients that received the drug did not need additional bipolar treatment for mood episodes over a course of a year.
2. Lamictal boasts long-term stability. You may want to consider Lamictal if you’re looking for a long-term bipolar medication solution since there is currently no cure for bipolar disorder.
3. No blood monitoring needed. Since there is not need for blood monitoring with Lamictal, this cuts down on the number of doctors visits needed.
4. Doesn’t cause weight gain. Bipolar patients will not gain weight from taking this bipolar medication. 
Side Effects of Lamictal:
1. Could cause blood or liver problems. There have been numerous reports of blood problems and liver problems with Lamictal. Symptoms of these problems are weakness, fatigue, severe muscle pain, unusual bruising or bleeding and frequent infections.
2. Could cause a rash. Those that experience rash with this bipolar medication may be affected within the first two months of starting Lamictal. A rash may become a serious enough reaction that would require hospitalization. There is no way to tell if this will happen though. A serious rash is more likely to occur in children than in adults.
3. Other side effects of Lamictal are headache, dizziness, sleepiness, vomiting, insomnia, double vision and lack of coordination. If you are currently taking Lamictal medication for bipolar disorder and are experiences these side effects, consult your doctor.
Continue reading about The Side Effects and Benefits of Lamictal Lamotrigine for Bipolar Disorder