[?] Subscribe To This Site

Bipolar Treatments

What bipolar treatments are most effective and right for you?

Bipolar treatments are constantly evolving, but not all are equally effective against bipolar symptoms.

Get accurate info on bipolar, discover what really works, and conquer bipolar today. We will look at 6 categories of treatment for bipolar symptoms:

1. Bipolar medications.

2. Talk therapies.

3. ECT: Electroconvulsive/Electroshock Therapy

4. Diet and nutrition.

5. Natural Treatments for Bipolar Disorder

6. Treatment Centers.

It is important to know that Bipolar Type 2 treatment may need to be different.

In Bipolar Type 2, treatment may focus more on depression (some folks use depression treatment centers) because mood swings are less common and less extreme. A bipolar disorder test will help you figure out "Am I bipolar", your type of bipolar, and the best bipolar treatment for YOU.

Bipolar medication

The most established medication for treating bipolar is lithium.

One drawback to lithium is that although it works very well to treat mania and prevent suicide, it is not as useful in combating bipolar symptoms of depression. The combination of lithium and Lamictal is becoming a popular approach as the two medications complement each other - Lamictal is mainly effective for bipolar depression, and lithium of bipolar mania.

Anti-convulsant medications, such as valproate (Depakote) also can have mood-stabilizing effects. Depakote has been shown to be useful for otherwise hard to treat mania, and was approved in 1995 by the FDA for treating mania.

The drug Seroquel is the only single agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of the spectrum of bipolar symptoms - both bipolar depression AND bipolar mania. Seroquel is the brand name for Quetiapine, an atypical anti-psychotic. Side effects can include pronounced sedation and weight gain. This in turn can contribute to non-compliance as many people find these side effects difficult to tolerate.

The use of antidepressants such as SSRIs like Prozac and Lexapro are increasingly discredited for treating bipolar as both ineffective, and dangerous because these antidepressants can trigger mania.

Learn more about medication treatment for bipolar ii and bipolar i.

What happens to people when bipolar medications do not work? Learn about treatment resistant bipolar disorder.

Talk based bipolar disorder treatments

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) provides great info bipolar, including a good overview of psychotherapy treatments for bipolar. After trying several talk therapies as bipolar treatments, the approach I personally found to be most effective for my own bipolar symptoms focused on identifying the stressors and triggers of my manic and depressive episodes.

Stress is a major trigger of bipolar illness so this approach makes a lot of sense. I learned important information about bipolar as it applies to me personally. I can identify the common or typical triggers of episodes, as well as my own personal triggers. Now I have developed strategies for dealing with stress, and identifying the start of an episode so it did not get a chance to escalate into serious depression or mania.

Self-help strategies are crucial. I especially recommend resolving any issues around bipolar sleep, and keeping your own bipolar mood chart.

ECT - Electroshock

ECT was introduced in the 1930s. Due to the sledge hammer nature of early ECT therapy, and the dramatic movie portrayals in films, ECT frightens many people and has come to be regarded as a treatment of last resort. However, today ECT is more refined and is regaining popularity.

ECT treatment is especially useful where:

ECT is one of the less common bipolar treatments.

1. Medication is ineffective.

2. Urgent intervention is needed, e.g. cases of severe psychosis or suicide risk.

3. A patient is having serious episodes but medication is too risky, e.g. pregnant women.

Today the risk of memory problems has been significantly reduced with modern ECT techniques. However, it can be an expensive treatment and often is required on an on-going basis.

Learn more about contemporary ECT treatment for bipolar.

Bipolar diet

Diet and nutrition are increasingly being recognized as effective treatments for bipolar and depression. Discover powerful strategies and the optimal bipolar diet for mood stabilization and weight management.

Bipolar and "talk" therapy

Please see our more detailed discussion of the various "talk" therpies / psychotherapies for bipolar disorder at Bipolar Therapy Treatment. This includes descriptions of ten therapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT), Functional Training and so forth, as well as personal information on my favorite bipolar disorder amnagement tools, and what has WORKED for me.

New treatments for bipolar

Alternative or new treatments for bipolar include:

1. The breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.
Tamoxifen effects the hormone estrogen (hence its breast cancer benefits), and also effects the protein kinase C enzymes (PKC). PKC activity is more pronounced in bipolar mania, leading researchers to successfully experiment in using Tamoxifen to treat bipolar mania.

2. TMS: Transcranial magnetic stimulation.
TMS is the use of strong magnetic pulses to induce weak electric currents n highly targeted segments of brain tissue. Unlike in ECT, there is no need for an anesthetic, and the patient remains awake and alert. Also, unlike ECT, the magnetic pulses are not strong enough to induce seizures, and there is no memory loss.

3. Art and other creative/expressive therapies.
There is a strong relationship between bipolar disorder and creativity. An unusually high proportion of people with bipolar disorder are very gifted. Expressing rather than repressing creativity can be a crucial part of maintaining wellness.

Treatments for Bipolar from the MayoClinic

Latest on Treatments for Bipolar from the NIMH

Bipolar treatment centers

Bipolar treatments sometimes include a stay in a bipolar treatment center.

New treatments for bipolar also include innovative and specialized programs being developed at bipolar treatment centers.

Get the personal, one-on-one attention and support you deserve.

Discover the power of:

- effective

- professional, and

- holistic intervention in a beautiful, nurturing treatment center.

Click here to learn about some of the best bipolar treatment centers in the US.

In summary, whether "classic" Bipolar 1 or Bipolar Type 2, bipolar symptoms require targeted bipolar treatments. It is important to take a bipolar test to confirm your diagnosis.

Bipolar Depression Treatments

Bipolar Mania Treatment

Summary of bipolar disorder treatment options

Return from Bipolar Treatments to Bipolar Lives home page