Apr 11 2009
Being Bipolar: Treatment for bipolar disorder
After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you will likely have many questions concerning treatment. While treatment for bipolar disorder can vary greatly, it will likely consist of one or both of these options: drug therapy and talk therapy.
Today, there are many medications available. One of the oldest drugs used to treat bipolar disorder is Lithium. It is relatively inexpensive and has far less side effects than many of the newer medications. However, it does require regular blood tests to ensure that you are getting the right amount to avoid toxicity. More and more medications are being given to people with bipolar disorder. There are far too many to list. Each medication works differently on everyone and you simply cannot expect to have success with one drug just because someone else did. It is also important to remember that the dosage will often need to be slowly increased to minimize side effects and it may take several adjustments to reach a dosage that will work for you. Be patient, but do report any unpleasant side effects to your doctor and be open and honest about how a medication is or is not helping you.
Talk therapy is often used to monitor moods and the effectiveness of medications. Most doctors prefer to combine medication and counseling in order to achieve the most effective treatment of bipolar disorder. The disorder itself can cause rapidly changing moods and it is important that your doctor knows what type of bipolar disorder you have in order to prescribe the proper plan for treatment. Therapy can help this process. Evaluating the moods of a person with bipolar disorder can help your doctor decide what medication is best for you. Some medications are used to control manic episodes and some are more effective in controlling depressive episodes. It is all an important part of the process.
Hospitalization is considered in the event that you become a danger to yourself or others. Someone who becomes suicidal or homicidal will most certainly be recommended for evaluation for potential hospitalization. This will allow doctors to very carefully monitor your moods and development a plan for treatment that will stabilize your moods. This is a crucial part of recovering from severe depressive episodes where a person has attempted or considered suicide.
It is very important that you select a doctor or doctors that you entrust with your care. If you are not willing to discuss your condition openly and honestly it is hardly likely that you will find effective treatment even with the most capable of doctors.
If you are seeking or beginning treatment for bipolar disorder, I urge you to stick with it as their isn’t a magic formula to fix this and it often takes a little bit of time to find the right medication. Best of luck to you!
Have a great day!
