The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

The Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

The treatment of bipolar disorder can be a daunting task. Not all types of bipolar disorder are alike just like not all patients are alike. What works for one patient may not work for another. While there is no cure for bipolar disorder, there are numerous medications available to assist a patient in leading a normal life. In addition to medications, psychotherapy is often utilized in conjunction with medications.

Bipolar disorder consists of different cycles. The two main cycles are depression and mania. The degree to which a patient experiences these two factors can differ greatly. Also, while most patients experience cycles which are long in length, there are some patients who are "rapid cyclers". Their cycles alternate from depression to mania in a short amount of time.

Since there are different moods associated with bipolar disorder, some medications alleviate symptoms of mania while others alleviate symptoms of depression. Different classes of drugs are used in treatment. The main types of drugs used are mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.

Mood stabilizers have properties of both antidepressants and antimanics. They should treat both mania and depression and prevent the recurrence of symptoms (Young, Macritchie, Calabrese 2000). The majority of bipolar patients are treated with a type of mood stabilizer. Lithium, Valproate, Carbamazepine, and Lamotrigine are all examples of mood stabilizers.