Lithium, a mood stabilizer, is one of the most common medication treatments for bipolar disorder. It helps lessen the frequency and severity of mania. It also helps with bipolar depression.
Here are the pros and cons of taking lithium to treat bipolar disorder:
Pros
1. Lithium stabilizes ones mood. This bipolar disorder medication impacts a person’s central nervous system and helps a bipolar person better control their emotions. This helps slow down the ups and downs of bipolar mania and bipolar depression.
2. Lithium reduces suicide risk. When taken properly, lithium helps reduce suicide risk in a bipolar patient. It also prevents manic episodes. It is a major plus to stick with this medication as prescribed, because the bipolar suicide risk is about 15 percent. Any decrease in suicide risk, the greater chance at survival.
3. Sometimes lithium can be taken alone. For some bipolar patients, a doctor may find that they can use lithium alone as their bipolar medication treatment. This reduced the number of medications one has to worry about taking daily streamlining the treatment process.
Cons
1. Lithium takes one or two weeks to work. One down side to taking lithium to treat bipolar disorder is that it takes a week or two to work its way through the system. If you have been prescribed this medication, continue to take it to give it a chance to work for you.
2. It can affect kidney function. Bipolar disorder patients on lithium treatment will have to take regular blood tests because the medication can affect kidney function. It works best if it remains at a consistent level in the body. A bipolar patient on lithium is also encouraged to drink at least eight glasses of water and to have some regular salt intake.
3. Lithium has its side effects. There are a number of side effects that can result from taking lithium. About 75 of people may experience side effects with some decreasing as the drug works its way throughout the system. These lithium side effects include- diarrhea, vomiting, weight gain, hand tremor, increased thirst and urination, poor concentration, muscle weakness, hair loss, drowsiness and decreased thyroid function.
Those that experience side effects from lithium should consult a doctor before changing the dosage. Give the medication some time to work through your system. You may be pleased with how well it works for you to manage your bipolar disorder, or you may not. It is worth a shot.
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Lots of people with bipolar disorder have wondered at one point or another- Can bipolar disorder be cured? Will I have bipolar disorder forever? Since the depression and mania episodes in this disease can wreck havoc on a person’s life, they look for a bipolar cure.
While there are a variety of ways to treat and manage manic depression, to date there is no known cure for bipolar disorder. Researchers are working everyday to solving the manic depression puzzle.
Some people have very few mania and depression episodes without treatments, while others have symptoms throughout their lifetime. To be completely free from bipolar symptoms after diagnosis is rare. There are some people that go for extended periods of time feeling well and being symptom-free, but there is always a chance for another mania or depression episode to reoccur. This is why it is wise to maintain treatments despite feeling well. It is better to be cautious. Your health deserves it.
There are some people that claim to be cured or healed from bipolar disorder, but they can not know for sure as they could have an episode at any time in the future. It is best to think that these individuals have learned to manage their disorder in a way that allows them to be symptom-free. You should strive to be symptom-free instead of searching for a miracle bipolar cure. Perhaps one day there will be a break-through cure for bipolar disorder.
Since there is no cure yet for manic depression, it is best to maintain a treatment plan your therapist suggests. This will include medication, counseling and a self-management plan you find works for you.
If you’re looking to live a full life despite your manic depression diagnosis, I would suggest reading The Bipolar Advantage by Tom Wootton. It promises that you’ll look at your life differently.
One way to lessen bipolar manic and depression episodes is to avoid stress. Of course, stressful situations are a part of life, but you can do a number of things to keep it at a minimum. Here are some tips you can use to manage bipolar disorder and stress.
Avoid high-stress situations.If there are situations that you know will bring you stress, such as planning a holiday party or a 12-hour day full of activities, it would be best to avoid doing so. Taking extra precaution to keep your stress levels low should be the number one priority.
Balance your work and personal life. You may have periods of high energy where you want to work a lot and other times where you just want to take it easy. Find a balance and stick with it so it’ll be easier to stabilize you moods. Having a schedule will keep your mind focused. It is also ok to say “no” when you feel as though you’re becoming overworked.
Incorporate relaxation techniques. Even before you start to feel tension, there are a number of things you can do to keep yourself calm and relaxed. The last thing you’d want to do is trigger a bipolar episode. These relaxation techniques include yoga, meditation and deep breathing.
Yoga: One way to center yourself when dealing with bipolar disorder is to practice yoga on a regular basis. Yoga not only has physical benefits, but mental benefits as well. You’ll feel much more in control as you lower your risk for anxiety, stress and depression.
Meditation: You may also find that you benefit from meditation as part of your bipolar disorder treatment. You can think of anything when you’re meditating. One thing you don’t want to think about are your potential stressors. Think of peaceful nature scenes or pray as you meditate. Think of yourself living a healthy, stress-free life and conquering your bipolar disorder.
Deep breathing: Take some quiet time to do some deep breathing. Breath in through the mouth and out through the nose in a steady pace. You’ll feel the stress melt away.
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The best bipolar disorder treatment is a combination of medication and counseling sessions. The exact mix of bipolar medication and counseling will vary because bipolar disorder effects people in differently. What works for you may not work for someone else.
Doctors will prescribe one set of drugs to treat the mania symptoms and another set of drugs to treat the depression symptoms. A patient will also receive a mood stabilizer to help maintain a steady mood. One can not take antidepressant drugs alone because it may trigger a manic episode for the depressed person. One example of a mood stabilizer is lithium.
Healthcare professionals have found that most people respond favorably to bipolar medication when taken as prescribed. For others symptoms do not go away even with therapy. However, each end of the mood swing, mania and depression, can lessen and become easier to manage.
For bipolar sufferers that don’t response to traditional therapy or can’t take medications electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a successful method for treating bipolar disorder. ECT works well to treat severe depressive, manic or mixed episodes. It is not a first treatment option.
Treatment during bipolar mania
If you seek a doctor’s help while going through a mania episode, the doctor may prescribe an antipsychotic medication and/or a benzodiazepine. These drugs will work quickly to control some of the bipolar symptoms you might be feeling such as irritability, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. You will also be given a mood stabilizer to prevent mood swings and reduce suicide risk.
Don’t be alarmed if you have to stay in the hospital for a few days while bring your mania under control. This is for your benefit as it helps to reduce your risk for reckless behavior and suicide. It also allows doctors to monitor how you’re responding to treatment.
If the medications do not seem to work for you, the doctor will adjust the drug dosage to find the right balance.
Treatment during bipolar depression
If you need to receiving treatment during a depressive episode in bipolar disorder, this will be more challenging. This is because using an antidepressant alone could cause a manic or hypomanic episode.
Antidepressants can also cause rapid cycling and increased suicidal thoughts. This is why the American Psychiatric Association suggests that doctors use both a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant to treat depressive episodes.
Some bipolar sufferers also try to take the non-drug approach to treating their mood disorder including the use of psychotherapy. Doctors do not feel psychotherapy alone is enough to treat bipolar depression though. Some will only work with patients that are on a medication plan.
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