Bipolar Disorder Treatment

First off there is a Hodgepodge post  here:http://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/01/its-hodgepodge-time.html

Now for today's post

This week we are looking at the treatment for bipolar disorder. There are two major parts to managing bipolar disorder: acute management and long-term management.

Treatment needs to be ongoing and tailored for each person.   

You also need to remember that treatment for bipolar disorder needs to factor in any conditions you have such as anxiety or substance use disorder. Other medical illnesses such as hypertension, obesity and thyroid problems sometimes occur together with bipolar disorder.

Mental health practitioners need to work out your treatment according to whether you’re experiencing hypomania, mania, depression or euthymia (absence of depression or mania). A highly qualified mental health practitioner needs to prescribe your treatment. Each person needs a treatment plan tailored for their individual needs, as everyone with bipolar disorder experiences it differently.

Do not try to self-medicate or develop your own treatment plan.

Acute management aims to stabilise someone currently experiencing mania or depression.

Medications like mood stabilisers and antipsychotics are the main focus of acute management of bipolar mania and depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be effective for treatment-resistant acute mood episodes, especially in people experiencing depression with psychotic features.

Long-term management involves maintenance and prevention of relapse, and optimised functional recovery socially and at work. Medications and psychological and lifestyle approaches are aimed at providing long-term prevention of relapse, building resilience, and improving quality of life.

There are specially trained mental health professionals such as psychiatrists and psychologists who can help you with bipolar disorder

You need a thorough check from a health professional before treatment is prescribed and specially prescribed medication is the most effective way to treat and manage bipolar disorder. However, psychological and lifestyle therapies can be helpful additions to your treatment.

Some may experience ‘rapid cycling’ can go between depression and mania a few times a week (some even cycle within the same day). While others might have mood changes less often and less severely.

There are also some who can have very severe episodes of mania with psychotic symptoms (hallucinating or delusions) and need hospitalisation.

Some people can experience normal moods in between their swings, though the majority of individuals experience some low-level symptoms between episodes.