Treatment Options For Bipolar Disorder:
For many people the idea of being diagnosed with any sort of mental illness is extremely frightening. The good news is that mental illnesses are now much more understood than they have ever been before, and there is also a wide array of different treatment options available to help a patient who has been diagnosed with almost any form of mental illness. When it comes to bipolar disorder there are a number of different types of treatment options available. These bipolar treatments can be used individually or can be combined depending on the situation of the patient and what the doctor feels is best.
Initial Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis:
There are many things that may happen once you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder starting with a hospitalization visit. Often, patients who have bipolar disorder are only diagnosed because they have reached a critical point in their illness. They may have become suicidal or they may have become a damaging force unto themselves. If a patient has reached this state, it is more than likely that their doctor will want to hospitalize them in order to even out their moods rapidly. This is especially true if the patient has become suicidal. Once a patient is hospitalized the doctor and a qualified team of nurses and specialists will work together to determine which medications and treatment options are best for the patient.
Bipolar Disorder Medications:
There are two main types of medications that doctors look at when they begin treating patients who have bipolar disorder. The first are mood stabilizers. Mood stabilizers can help to prevent the extreme lows and highs that many people with bipolar disorder experience. These types of medications include well-known names such as Lithium, Depakote, and Depakene. The second type of medication that a patient with bipolar disorder may be prescribed is antipsychotics. Antipsychotic and antidepressant medications are both used to treat a wide variety of different types of mental conditions, but antipsychotics and antidepressants, when used together, tend to help bipolar disorder patients to maintain a more steady level of moods. Medications such as Risperdal, Abilify, and Zyprexa may be prescribed along with anti-depressant medication. A bipolar patient may also be prescribed with anti-anxiety medication such as Ativan and Valium as well.
Other Bipolar Disorder Treatment Options:
While there are plenty of commercials that talk about medication being the perfect solution for a person with bipolar disorder, there are other bipolar treatments that may work well independently or when combined with, medication. Psychotherapy is a very important part of treating any mental disorder and receiving treatment for behavioral therapy. Family therapy has been found to be extremely beneficial too for bipolar patients, especially when it has been combined with medication. Many doctors say that psychoeducation, a large word that basically means allowing the patient to learn about their disorder, is also a very useful tactic to help bipolar patients handle and cope with their condition. In some cases, electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT may be recommended for patients with bipolar disroder, and while it can help some patients it is something that should only be done with a doctor’s order and under a doctor’s supervision.