What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder, formerly DSM classified as manic depression, is a psychological mood disorder. Those afflicted have an impaired ability to regulate their mood and are prone both to the depths of major clinical depression and head-spinning manic highs.
These aren’t the typical ups and downs that everyone goes through. The mood swings of bipolar disorder extend far beyond the norm. Left untreated, this mental illness can profoundly affect a patient’s quality of life; destroying relationships, resulting in unemployment, financial ruin and even suicide.
Bipolar Mood Stabilizing Medications
Lithium was the first effective drug therapy used to treat bipolar patients. In the 1980s and 1990s some anticonvulsants were found to also be effective in stabilizing the mood of bipolar patients, reducing the extremes of emotional highs and lows of this patient population. More recently atypical antipsychotic drugs are being used to treat bipolar disorder and appear to be particularly helpful for controlling the episodes of acutely manic patients.
A new study suggests that, for those with Bipolar Disorder, antidepressants may not be a useful addition to the mood stabilizing drug regimen.
Bipolar Information & Resources
This article is only meant to provide information on the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder and some of the medications used to regulate this mood disorder. It is not intended to be used for self-diagnosis. Only a trained mental-health professional can diagnose and treat mental illnesses.