Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a serious mental illness that affects many people's social lives and careers as well as day-to-day functioning. Being a life-long hereditary disease, it is not preventable but it is manageable.
Mood Stabilizers
Bipolar disorder sufferers struggle with controlling their moods and most brain functions. Constantly stabilizing moods with prescription drugs has been shown to increase level of functionality as well as a eightfold decrease in suicide.
Education
Upon being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, patients are often advised to take classes to develop coping skills which allow them to consciously work towards bettering their situation. Patients are also advised to monitor their moods, in time learning to notice the small signals and triggers of an episode. This allows the patient to be proactive in her treatment.
Structured Goal Planning
Manic episodes are characteristically described as an uncontrolled intense interest in goals above all else. Structured goal planning allows sufferers to learn how to successfully plan to obtain desirable objects.
Diet and Exercise
Like everyone else, people who suffer from manic depression need to eat healthy and maintain fitness levels to obtain optimal mental activity.
