When left untreated, bipolar disorder has the potential to wreak havoc on your emotional and physical well-being.
But the right bipolar disorder treatments can completely change your life.
If you think you have bipolar disorder, realize that taking the steps to get diagnosed is really courageous.
Bipolar disorder treatment commonly includes therapy and medications.
As with any health condition, there isnt one magic remedy to ease thesymptoms of bipolar disorder.
In general, experts recommend a combination of psychotherapy and medication to help stabilize a persons mood.
What are the types of bipolar disorder?
There are four types of bipolar disorder, which are based on the types of mood episodes you experience.
Since bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, treatments focus on helping you maintain a balanced mood state.
Right now, theU.S.
Food & Drug Administration(FDA) has approved medications to treat bipolar I and II.
That means theres not enough research on medications that can best treat cyclothymic disorder or unspecified bipolar disorder.
However, your doctor may still prescribe medication to help you manage your specific symptoms.
The general consensus is that an antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer provide a greater benefit.
(Other antidepressants also work by changing the levels of neurotransmitters, theMayo Clinicexplains.)
But antidepressants can sometimes trigger a manic episode in people with bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Alan.
Oftentimes, people with bipolar disorder may also developsymptoms of an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety.
Bipolar disorder therapy
Anyone can findtalk therapy(known as psychotherapy) helpfulincluding people with bipolar disorder.
Often, we recommend therapy in tandem with medications, Dr. Wang says.
Dr. Zimbrean explains that CBT works by helping people connect their moods and emotions with their thoughts and behaviors.
They learn skills to manage the intense emotions they have during bipolar episodes, she says.
This is just a symptom of my depressive episode, and I can work through this.
The goal is to adhere to your medication schedule, improve your social relationships, and reduce bipolar episodes.
These pulses essentially alter your brain chemicals to help relieve depression andpsychosis symptoms, according toNAMI.
During that time, electrodes are placed on your scalp to stimulate electrical pulses to ignite the seizure.
The key is to learn about the disease and manage it.
