Bipolar disorder treatment

If proper treatment measures are adopted substantial stabilization in mood swings can be achieved in people with bipolar disorders. Since bipolar disorder occurs recurrently, it requires a long term preventive treatment.

The two most important types of medication used to control the symptoms of bipolar disorder are mood stabilizers and antidepressants. Physicians may also prescribe other medications to help with insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, or psychotic symptoms.

Mood stabilizers are used to improve symptoms during manic, episodes; they may sometimes also reduce symptoms of depression. Examples of mood stabilizers include:

• Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate, and other brands)
• Valproate (Depakote): Valproate was FDA-approved in 1995 for treatment of mania.
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Psychosocial support

This involves oral counseling from licensed psychologist, social worker, or counselor. Researches has shown that such psychosocial interactions helps a lot in stabilizing moods of bipolar patients. Depending on the level of destabilizations in the mood, psychosocial therapy can be sometimes more effective that medications. A close relative can sometimes serve as counselor to bipolar disorder patients, it might be the patients mother, child or spouse.