Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression) causes extreme shifts in your mood and energy level, with episodes of depression and episodes of euphoria and abnormally high activity (mania). There is no cure for bipolar disorder and it is a lifelong condition, but a combination of medication, psychotherapy and lifestyle changes can control your condition.
Considerations
If you have bipolar disorder, you might not want treatment. You might enjoy the periods of mania because of the intense euphoria and the energy that makes you more productive, or you might not realize the extent of your problem. However, if you do not treat your bipolar disorder and continue your treatments even when your mood has stabilized, you risk severe consequences, including financial or legal problems, alienating your loved ones, and failure at school or your job. Untreated bipolar disorder also puts you at increased risk for suicide.
Medication
Bipolar disorder results from changes in your brain chemistry. Medications can help correct the imbalance. Your doctor might suggest a combination of different types of medication to achieve the best effect for you.
Lithium has been used to treat bipolar disorder for years. It stabilizes your mood, but it can cause problems with your kidneys or thyroid gland. Anticonvulsants (for example Depakote or Lamictal) also stabilize your mood. If you cannot take anticonvulsants, your doctor might recommend antipsychotics (like Risperdal) to stabilize your mood. Antidepressants can help some people with bipolar disorder who mainly suffer from depression, but they can also trigger manic episodes in some people.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (psychological counseling) combined with medication can help most people to control bipolar disorder and lead a normal life. Different types of therapy focus on various aspects of bipolar disorder. Psychoeducation teaches you more about your condition and how to recognize warning signs. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you to change negative thoughts or behaviors and helps you recognize the triggers for bipolar episodes. Family therapy helps you and your loved ones to interact in more positive ways and to reduce sources of stress that can cause a bipolar episode.
Lifestyle
Several things that you do can significantly affect your brain chemistry, triggering or worsening a bipolar episode. If you have bipolar disorder, you should not drink alcohol or use drugs. You should exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. Incorporating omega-3-fatty acids (fish oil) into your diet might also help stabilize your brain chemistry.
Children and Teens
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, at least half of all cases of bipolar disorder start before 25 years of age. Despite that, doctors lack adequate information about how to best treat children and teens. Only lithium and the anticonvulsants Risperdal and Abilify are approved to treat bipolar disorder in children and teens, but the use of lithium is controversial because of the risk of lithium poisoning.
