Though it can be managed, when left untreated,bipolar disordercan completely disrupt a persons life.
Thats where treatment comes in.
Theres no one magic way to ease symptoms of bipolar disorder.
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Instead, experts generally recommend that people with this condition undergopsychotherapyand take medication to help stabilize their mood.
There aretwo main forms of bipolar disorderbased on the combination of episodes you experience.
Hypomanic episodes consist of less extreme but still elevated and prolonged mood and energy levels.
Depressive episodes involve having a downcast mood lasting at least two weeks.
Some are also good for preventing episodes, she says.
Here are the different kinds of drugs doctors often recommend for treating bipolar disorder.
Mood stabilizers generally work by decreasing abnormal brain activity, according to theNIMH.
However, the amount of time it takes for mood stabilizers to work depends on the specific medication.
Mood stabilizers may also cause more serious side effects.
National Library of Medicine.
Antipsychotics
Psychosisinvolves losing contact with reality, and it can include delusions and hallucinations.
Severe episodes of mania or depression may prompt psychotic symptoms, according to theNIMH, and antipsychotics might help.
There are two kinds of antipsychotics: first-generation (typical) and second-generation (atypical), theNIMHexplains.
First-generation antipsychotics include chlorpromazine, haloperidol, perphenazine, and fluphenazine, theNIMHsays.
Your doctor may prescribe an antipsychotic alone or along with a mood stabilizer.
The general consensus is that an antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer provide a greater benefit.
Antidepressants
As youre probably aware,antidepressantshelp managedepression.
This can be vital for those with bipolar disorder.
(Other antidepressants also work by changing the levels of brain neurotransmitters, theMayo Clinicexplains.)
Thats why theyre usually prescribed along with a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic.
Antidepressant-antipsychotics
Theres only one antidepressant-antipsychotic out there right now.
Like many other drugs used for treating bipolar disorder, experts arent totally sure how this drug works.
National Library of Medicine.
Benzodiazepines work by increasing signaling of GABA, aneurotransmitter that reduces the activity of your neurons, Alan says.
These are helpful in the manic stage, she adds.
However, Dr. Ghaemi points out that anti-anxiety medicationwhile helpful in some casesis irrelevant to the underlying illness.
It can help with some bipolar disorder symptoms, but it wont treat the underlying problem.
