How I was Treated for Bipolar Disorder

Treatment for bipolar disorder is not simple. Even if a treatment for bipolar disorder works for awhile, it may stop working. There is no one treatment for bipolar disorder, although there are some preferences. My story of treatment for bipolar disorder indicates how hard it is to come up with just the right mix of medications that will treat both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder and also all the variations of the bipolar spectrum.

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after an episode of depression that was treated successfully with Zoloft. I then experienced about five months of feeling very good and then, suddenly I was agitated, violent, feeling great one hour and feeling suicidal the next. I saw my psychiatrist immediately and he diagnosed bipolar disorder, mixed. He began treatment with Depakote 500 mg. I still felt terrible and he quickly titrated the Depakote up to 2000 mg. I finally felt in control of myself although this treatment for bipolar disorder made my feet feel very leaden and my brain did not work properly. For example, I couldn’t do the simplest arithmetic, but it was worth not having the horrible symptoms of bipolar disorder.

I still couldn’t work but I did feel better. I coasted along like this for about four months and then began to feel depressed. My psychiatrist attempted to treat the depression with Zoloft since it had worked before. This time it didn’t. He tried Prozac with no improvement for me. He took me off Depakote and put me on Lithium and Tegretol. The depression worsened. I could barely make it from my bed to my couch and I spent much of my time thinking up various ways to kill myself. I felt like a knife was cutting my soul. I tried Wellbutrin, which initially worked but then left me depressed and anxious. We tried Remeron with no improvement.

About this time my disability insurance ran out and along with that, my ability to pay for health insurance. I went to a public mental health clinic. Their psychiatrist tried Celexa, which did help for awhile.