Prevalence

It is estimated that about one to 5 percent of the population suffer from Bipolar Disorder depending upon the different subtypes such as cyclothymia, which is a milder form of Bipolar II disorder. The cyclothymia sufferers bounce between episodes of hypomania and dysthymic mood, which is a milder form of depression. The onset of Bipolar Disorder usually occurs in late adolescence and early adulthood. The diagnosis is based on observed behavior and self reports. The disorder can spur on some great moments of creativity or it can render a person totally incapacitated and suicidal. The hypermania phase of the disorder can be misdiagnosed for schizophrenia because of the tendency for bizarre thinking.

There is a link between bipolar disorder and family history. Research is going on to find chromosomal links, but the findings are inclusive at present. There are some studies showing that children with depression, irritability, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may later go on to contract Bipolar Disorder, also a history of stimulates ingested by young children seems to point to the possibility of later developing Bipolar Disorder. Again these studies are relatively new and nothing conclusive can be extrapolated at this time.

However, equally important are the environmental factors such as stress, family and job related problems. Treatment includes mood stabilizing drugs and therapy. However, much of the problem, is the social stigma and lack of compassion by the general public which adds to the emotions or moods of bipolar disorder sufferers.

Cognitive impairments are very rare, if any exists; they are only picked up through diagnostic testing. However, it is not really known if cognitive impairment is caused by Bipolar Disorder as the order is primarily a mood disorder.

Creativity

Many people afflicted with Bipolar Disorder are very creative people and often work in the arts. The classic example is that of Patty Duke Astin. There are studies pointing to the correlation between great creativity and Bipolar Disorder, though the connection has not been sufficiently studied to make any real conclusions at this time.

There has been over 25 years of neurological studies going on to find any brain abnormalities associated with Bipolar Disorder. Different areas such as the amygdala and hippocampus areas of the brain are implicated in this disorder. The Kindling Theory purports that people who are predisposed to Bipolar Disorder and who are exposed to a series of stressful events will experience changes in the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis of the brain.

The Bipolar Disorder diagnosis is often difficult because the disorder could also co-exist with other conditions such as social phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorders, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder can also be misdiagnosed for Schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and abused and neglected children may just be reacting to the atrocities that are recurring in their lives when they are given this diagnosis.

You cannot just will these moods away, they are product of mental illness and they require medication and therapy. People with Bipolar Disorder when treated and managed can live normal lives without too much disruption caused by their disability.

What are some of the signs and symptoms of this disorder that can alert individuals who suspect that they may have or a member of their families may have Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder will be different in different people, some people will have more manic episodes where they are having great moods more than anything else, and others may have unipolar moods meaning they have only one of the two mood extremes, of mania or depression. Depression as a unipolar phase must have included at least one manic episode in a lifetime to differentiate it from major depression. Some people will experience rapid mood changes, some will have gradual mood changes, some will have extreme moods and some will hardly have any serious mood swings. Still others will have a episodes of mania and depression together. Some people have many episodes and some have very few in a lifetime

Here are the symptoms of the four types of mood episodes:

Mania

The symptoms of this phase of the illness is characterized by being on high, people will talk quickly, sleep little, and their thoughts will be racing jumping from one idea to another in quick succession. They will also have trouble concentrating due to their racing thoughts. They can be creative, have big dreams and aspirations. They are high energy to the point of being hyperactive. They feel they can take on the most impossible of tasks, such as painting an entire house in a day, or starting and operating a business with a profit margin of a million dollars in a year. Though great things can be done during this phase, the estimation of what can be done is often times illogical. People experiencing mania will feel they are totally invincible and are able to do superhuman feats. It is for this reason, people in the hypermania phase of bipolar illness are often misdiagnosed for having schizophrenia because they may experience delusions and hallucinations.

Manic symptoms will also lead to irritability, annoyance with people who do not stand by their grandiose ideas, picking fights, gambling, drinking, and doing everything in excess. People going through this phase are reckless, wasteful, and totally out control.

Hypomania

This is milder form of mania, which just appears to be a very good mood. People experiencing these symptoms can carry on with everyday life without too much disruptions from irrational thoughts and behaviors though they still can make bad decisions based on an overly optimistic point of view.

Bipolar depression

The symptoms of bipolar depression include irritability, feeling hopeless, sad, or empty, having problems eating, sleeping too much, feeling sluggish and tired, feeling worthless and guilty, having trouble concentrating or or memory loss, and thoughts of death and suicide.

Mixed episodes

In this type of bipolar illness sufferers can experience mania, hypomania and depression all at once. This particular type of bipolar illness is very volatile and can lead to suicide if not treated.

There are as we know different mood swings. Mania is the high end of the spectrum and there are two types of mania one is called hypermania and the other is called hypomania.

Hypomania is almost normal functioning where the person appears to be in a great mood, but does not appear to be otherwise incapacitated. However, hypermania can have serious affects on cognitive functioning due to poor judgment and reckless living.

People who are in the manic phase will feel they are invincible and think they are able to do things which are often impossible. They will show poor judgment in what they actually can handle and volunteer to do jobs that would take 3 people to accomplish; thinking they can do it all by themselves. They can be highly creative, with big dreams and aspirations. Even though they can accomplish a lot in this phase of bipolar disorder they can also be wasteful, destructive, display addictive behavior such as alcoholism and gambling. They are impatient with others, irritable and reject any criticism of their reckless behavior. Their symptoms are so severe they many even have hallucinations and delusions.

Bipolar depression

Bipolar depression is so debilitating that the sufferers may lose all interest in life. They may not eat or bathe, they may have trouble sleeping, have trouble concentrating and they may experience memory loss. They may isolate themselves from family and friends and shut the entire world out while hibernating in their bedrooms for days on end. They feel helpless and worthless. They may have persistent thoughts of death and suicide ideation.

Some Treatments for Bipolar Disorder

ECT – Electro convulsive Therapy, was once used. This therapy was also called shock therapy and was used to stimulate the brain. It had very serious side effects such as memory loss.

TMS – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is an alternative therapy which is also very new and still in the experimental stage. The idea behind this therapy is to pass a coil with an electrical charge over the scalp of the patient to stimulate the brain.

Medication

Lithium is used to control manic and even depressive episodes. Now, there are newer anticonvulsant drugs that are used such as carbamazepine and valproate. Psychotherapy, and cognitive therapy are used to treat these patients. Psychologists will work with the patients to build good coping skills and provide support groups and other valuable resources.

Herbal remedies

Various herbal remedies are used as an alternative therapy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and so on. A qualified herbalogist would be able to direct interested individuals to good herbal supplements. Also, bipolar depression sufferers should let their doctor and pharmacist know about their intention to use herbal remedies to make sure what they take is helpful not harmful and will not react with their prescribed medications.

A trained medical professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist will be able to determine if you have Bipolar Disorder and you can commence treatment immediately and avoid the dire consequences this disease can lead to if left untreated. The good news is that even if you do have Bipolar Disorder, not all the symptoms are that extreme as the hypermania stage mentioned above. Hypomania will make you feel like you are in a very good mood, and you can do anything you put your mind to doing. You don.t have the racing confusing thoughts that often accompany hypermania, your thinking is clearer, and though you can make some poor decisions you can also learn how to make better decisions with counseling.

Bipolar means 2 poles or mood extremes frame extreme elation (mania) to depression at the opposite end of the mood spectrum. When the right treatment plan is selected you will have help to control the symptoms, reduce the frequency of your bipolar episodes and help you manage your life.

Treatment

People with Bipolar Disorder will have this condition the rest of their lives, and the ups and downs associated with the mania and depression episodes will make them feel like they are riding a roller coaster ride. Finding the correct treatment plan sometimes takes time, but will pay off in the end. Here are the components that will be needed for a comprehensive treatment plan:

Medication

Medication can even out the intense mood swings and help you have a more managed life. However, treatment requires more than medication alone. People with Bipolar Disorder must also have counseling and therapy to help them stay on course and learn some effective coping skills for dealing with this disorder. Different medication such as lithium and the newer anticonvulsant drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine are used to control the various mood swing episodes. Medication will remain the building block of treatment for Bipolar Disorder sufferers.

Psychotherapy

Therapy is of utmost importance. When working with a therapist you will learn to deal with the many stressors facing your life. You will learn to maintain or rebuilt broken relationships that were hurt because of the affects this disabling disease has had on your life, you will learn to deal with your uncomfortable feelings, you will learn to cope with issues as they arise and you will learn to manage your life in a more orderly fashion.

Education

Education not only includes gaining a thorough understanding of your illness and how to cope with it, it involves educating your family and love ones to help you through this process and to understood that they are not to blame for your mood swings. It is the illness that is causing much of the disturbance. They can also learn how to deal with the issues as they come up, including helping you to get back into control of your life.

Life Style Management

Learning to differentiate between good behaviors and less productive behaviors such as excessive smoking, drinking, sexual promiscuity, and so on is also essential in combating Bipolar Disorder. You will learn to be good to your body, get exercise, sleep, eat well, get in sunshine and enjoy the outdoors.

Support System

An important element of managing the illness is to have a good support team in place. Although you are learning how to cope and control your symptoms and manage your life, you cannot do it alone, you do need the help of others who are working with you to achieve the same goals. If you join a Bipolar Support group you will learn from others with the same condition. You will learn the strategies, which has worked for them. You will be able to share your experiences, your feelings, and concerns, and you will have a group of people there to encourage and motivate you to do things you need to do to have the productive life you want.

People with Bipolar Disorder can feel very isolated and alone especially since they are well aware of the prejudice in society. Bipolar support groups are a wonderful way to ease the pain of isolation and a means to be among people who not only understand the issues; they are facing the same issues on a daily basis as well.

Bipolar support groups will help with any issue pertaining to every day life of a bipolar sufferer. Bipolar support groups will supply resources, tips on every day living management, personal testimony, success stories, personal experience, and generally information about symptom management and coping skills. In a support group the members learn and grow together and sometimes make friendship that last a lifetime. In a bipolar support group members have a chance to voice their concerns, let out their feelings, and talk about some very personal matters in an intimate and protected environment. Like most therapeutic groups, everything that goes on in therapeutic support groups is expected to remain in that group if it pertains to personal information shared about the members. Of course resources and general information can be shared outside the group.

Types of bipolar support groups

It is important to note that even though there is surge in therapeutic support groups that help people suffering from a bipolar disorder, there may not necessarily be a specific bipolar support group in your area. However, there will be a support group for people with different kinds of mental illnesses. Do not pass up the opportunity to benefit from these more generalized groups. Many of the same issues affecting people with other mental illnesses will be facing a person who is suffering from bipolar symptoms as well. On the other hand, you may have found a specialized bipolar disorder group, but you would also need help with other mental conditions that would not be the focus of the group. Depending upon circumstances and lifestyles, some individuals may not have the time to belong to more than one group, some people may find it overwhelming and some people would just want to concentrate on the bipolar group.

There are different types of bipolar support groups

The first kind is a clinical group in a hospital setting often with a mental health professional such as a doctor sitting in and following the discussions. This type of group would be recommended by the psychiatrist or psychologist as part of the treatment plan.

The second and third type of support group is the type that is open to the bipolar community. These groups are comprised of members who have the condition themselves, while some groups are specific to family member of bipolar sufferers. These types of groups are more educational in focus and do not have a claim to clinical treatment.

The final type of bipolar support group is for people who are unable to physically visit brick and mortar site. Online bipolar support groups are becoming more and more popular and although they have great benefits for people who would not otherwise be able to get the information otherwise, they do lack the social face to face contact which is often one of the aspects lacking among Bipolar Disorder sufferers.

Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness, which affects children and adults alike. Many times it starts in childhood and progresses as time goes on if left untreated. This illness is a part of a group of illnesses called mood disorders. The mood swings go from extremely happy and very energetic, which is called mania, and very low to unenergetic, tired and unhappy called depression. Each of these moods swings will occur in degrees and each time it happens it is called an episode. These ups and downs are not the usual ups and downs that we all experience in life. It is very debilitating for adults and even more so for children. It will interfere with home and school life. Children with bipolar disorder have trouble maintaining friendships and may even try to hurt themselves including attempting suicide. However treatment and early intervention can save a lifetime of struggling with a serious illness

What causes Bipolar Disorder

Anyone can be afflicted with Bipolar Disorder. When it starts in childhood it is called early-onset bipolar disorder and it affects kids and teens differently than it would when the illness is experienced in adulthood. The younger the child the more severe the illness may be. Younger children may also experience more frequent moods swings as well.

Genetics might attribute to Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Disorder runs in families. Usually if a parent or sibling has the illness, chances are other siblings will have it as well.

There is some research pointing to anomalies in brain structure and brain functioning

Children who are prone to having anxiety disorders may also have Bipolar Disorder.

Still, the causes for this disorder remain unclear at this time. Researchers are constantly trying to get a better understanding of the causes and in term continue to perfect better treatment methods for the illness.

Symptoms

The manic mood or depressed mood is called an episode and each episode may last about a week. They will be constant for that period and sometimes they will be mixed, meaning both mania and depression may be seen together. Children may exhibit more mixed episodes than adults.

Children and teens going through a manic episode may talk extremely quickly, be hysterically happy or silly, be short tempered, have trouble sleeping, seem too wired to sleep, have trouble concentrating, talk a lot about sex and do some risky things.

Children going through a depressive episode may feel very sad, get too little or too much sleep, feel worthless and feel guilty, have no interest in life, people, sports, or anything they normally do as children. They may complain of stomachs and pains and they may even entertain thoughts of death or suicide.

Bipolar Disorder and other illnesses

Diagnosis

A doctor will determine if a child has Bipolar Disorder based on case history. They will question the child, learning about family medical history including history of alcoholism, and question the family about the child.s behavior. The doctor will do some diagnostic testing as well.

Treatment

Treatment includes medication. Doctors will try different medications before finding the one that is just right for your child. Make sure the doctor is giving the lowest dosage first to see if the child responds to that medication. Also make sure you discuss the side affects with your doctor. You want your child to be as comfortable as possible.

Therapy

Children are often seen by a child psychologist for counseling and therapy to help them overcome their fears and concerns. Treatment plans will change as the child.s symptoms and responses to treatment changes. It is wise to keep a journal of your child.s moods as a running log for the therapist to work with.

As a parent try to understand what your child is going through. Try to be patient, and support he or her. Talk to your child and most importantly listen to what your child has to say.

Caring for a child with an illness is very stressful, make sure you also take care of yourself to be strong for your child. Talk to your own personal doctor about help for yourself and help to deal with the child.

Medication is not the only thing you require to stay balanced and lead a normal life you need therapy as well. However, the doctor often starts with medication to get you balanced and to a point where you can benefit from therapy.

The function of medication in bipolar treatment

Medication is what keeps you grounded, it brings your symptoms of mania and depression under control and it helps prevent them from recurring. You may not like the idea of taking medication however, you are much better taking it and being in control of your life then to go without it and face all the horrors of dealing with uncontrolled mood swings that can make you so depressed you just want to die or so high you feel your on top of the world.

When your mind is racing with all kinds of thoughts, sometimes it is just very difficult to make the right decisions. You end up doing things that you regret later. By staying on your medication you can avoid these pitfalls of the mania episodes associated with Bipolar Disorder.

Sometimes especially in the beginning of treatment, it is very difficult to find just the right medication and the right dosage to keep you balanced. This can get very discouraging as you struggle through life dealing with your symptoms and the side affects of a medication that just does not agree with you. It is hard at the beginning, but don.t give up, eventually the right medication will be found and you will start feeling better and getting your life back on track. On the other hand even though you must be patient for your doctor to find the right medication, he or she cannot work in the dark. You will need to let him or her know how you are doing on the medication, if you feel better, worse, or no different at all.

Bipolar Disorder is all about moods as you already know and when your moods are out of control it affects your life. However, did you know that there are natural mood stabilizers, which don.t require medication? You can learn to live a healthy lifestyle by getting in plenty of sleep, eating good healthy food, exercises, getting enough sunshine and fresh air. These changes in your life are natural mood stabilizers and they not only help when practiced in conjunction with therapy, and medication, living a healthy lifestyle may even decrease your need to be on so much medication.

Other areas where you could change your life and stabilize your moods are doing relaxation exercises such as, yoga, meditation, and Tai Chi. You should also connect with a social network. Bipolar support groups are wonderful groups to help you get the support you need to keep you in a healthy mood.

There have been various studies that show that therapy as a treatment for Bipolar Disorder has helped patients maintain a good healthy mood and has helped them to learn better coping skills and manage their lives more effectively. Therapy will address the daily issues and help find healthy solutions for the issues that arise at home, in a social situation and on the job.

Using all these resources available to you along with medication will keep you on the right track.

Tips for managing your medication

Take your meds on time every day, if you have trouble remembering to take them put them in a pillbox with a date on it. Throw away old medication that has expired. Do not mix medications without informing your doctor and your pharmacist to see if it is safe to do.

Types of medication

Lithium is the oldest medication prescribed for mania. Lithium is not effective for rapid cycling or mixed episodes (mania and depression together). Lithium can be used in combination with an anti depressant to relieve symptoms of depression. Some known side effects include: excessive thirst and urination, weight gain, diarrhea, stomach pain, thyroid problems, drowsiness, fatigue, or weakness, tremors, nausea, memory loss and lack of concentration issues and vertigo.

Anticonvulsants are now being used because they have fewer side effects than lithium. There is Valproic acid, Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine and Topiramate currently in use.

Clinical definitions of Bipolar Disorder can vary from the actual accounts of the people who have to go through it on a daily basis. One woman states that people with Bipolar Disorder feel like they are bending the properties of time. She gives the analogy of a being stuck in a traffic jam, cars are piled up everywhere and everything is moving in slow motion. They Bipolar person in this situation feel frustrated and trapped (mania episode). The people all around are dull or slow witted, the bipolar person cannot get through to them and may get so frustrated that he or she goes into a rage.

In the beginning of the car analogy, some people will help you and let you weave through the car pileup to reach your destination, just like in real life. As time moves forward, fewer people will help to the point that no one will give you a break and you are just hemmed in, trapped, unable to get any assistance, unable to move and unable to do anything about it. You get so nervous and anxious that you just want to lay your head on the dashboard and cry. In the real life day-to-day activities of bipolar people, they too may just want to give up and have a good cry (depressive episode).

The bipolar people may not want to escape in others situations they may not even want to get out of bed. They may just want to be left alone and do absolutely nothing at all. Bipolar people may have all kinds of thoughts racing in their heads at once, which makes the whole world a jumbled pile of confusion. Or it feels like having just one thought and try as they might they can.t get another thought in their head even if they want to. They want to move, they want to think, and do different things, but when they are having a depressive episode they just cannot do it.

The bending of time is always present, sometimes you feel like a ball player swinging at the ball and the ball is just traveling through the air oh so slowly. You swing and miss because the ball is not anywhere near you, but you have to swing that ball and you get frustrated because it is not coming to you fast enough. Life is like the ball always in slow motion and you are racing but time doesn.t catch up and you get angrier and impatient and you go into a rage. Or the time bends in the opposite direction, and you are the one out of sync and in slow motion.

Are you feeling that nothing goes right

You are just not in tune with the world. You are frustrated and lonely and feel so out of touch. Time is always bending one way or the other and somehow your coordination is off. Your world is chaotic and you don.t know how to feel or think anymore. It seems that whatever you feel or think it is wrong, just not in sync with everyone else.s thinking. You are just so out of touch that you do not know if you will ever find your way back.

The good news is that you can and you will get in sync with proper medication and therapy. There is help out there and you are entitled to it. Now is the time to get back in tune with the rest of the world.

Another reason for the difficulty in detection is that sometimes people go for about 10 years suffering from the illness, not realizing they have one, yet knowing they just do not seem to be on par with other people. Their moods are so extreme that their life often goes on hold while they battle periods of high elation where they can do some really crazy things that even they do not understand, and then periods of deep depression when they do not want to face the world or get out of bed.

Even when people do go to their doctors, they never do when they are high and in a happy mood, they go when they are depressed and then they do not report the happy moods only the depressed ones and that leads to a wrong diagnoses such as clinical depression, because this is the only information in which the doctor has to work with.

The Bipolar I category is a tricky one; the doctor can misdiagnose this manic phase of the illness because it resembles schizophrenia when hallucinations and delusions are involved. Bipolar I also shares some of the same characteristics of other disorders such as anxiety disorders thus, making wrong diagnosis extremely easy to accomplish.

Mood Disorder Questionnaire

A doctor will provide the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) for people who are suspected of having Bipolar Disorder. This questionnaire is a checklist to help the doctor diagnose Bipolar or any other mood disorders which may be present. Unfortunately there are no laboratory tests available that can isolate this illness from any other.

Doctor.s evaluation

The doctor is going to complete a psychiatric evaluation of the patient, and ask about the family history of any psychiatric conditions within the family. There is a genetic component between family members suffering from Bipolar Disorder. A parent or sibling can already have the illness and there may be a history of other anxiety disorders present as well.

The doctor is going to do a complete medical examination including bloods tests to rule out any physical condition, which might be causing the mood swings. Certain illnesses such as AIDS, thyroid condition, diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, epilepsy, or a brain injury can mimic the symptoms.

Once a physical or any other mental disorder has been ruled out then the doctor will diagnose Bipolar Disorder if the patient has the classical symptoms. Patients must have both episodes of mania and depression to be given this diagnosis if only depression is present then the diagnosis would be depression and not Bipolar Disorder.

Early diagnosis

It is so important to get an early diagnosis. The sooner the illness is detected the sooner treatment can commence and the individual can get his or her life back on track. There is no cure for Bipolar Disorder, it is a lifelong illness but there is treatment for managing the symptoms allowing individuals to live a normal life. Without treatment the symptoms only get worse and the individual enters a down whirl spiral of destruction caused by reckless behavior, unclear thinking, and terrible, terrible, mood swings. Getting the treatment necessary will help thwart off suicide ideation, alcoholism, gambling, illegal drug use, family problems, school or work related problems, and social problems.

Once a diagnosis has been made the treatment plan will include medication, therapy and education. Medication will help balance out the moods and diminish their frequency and therapy and education will help the individual suffering from Bipolar Disorder to cope with the stressors and cope with the essentials of everyday life.

Lithium

Lithium remains the oldest and most prescribed medication for Bipolar Disorder. It is mostly used to reduce the symptoms of mania. However, can be used to relieve depression in combination with anti depressants. Lithium has been shown to effectively reduce suicide risk, and it also reduces the frequency of manic episodes. It is effective for long-term use even between episodes. It is not known how lithium works on the brain and spinal chord, which is the nervous system, but it even outs moods and so sufferers has more control over their mood and more control over their lives.

Side effects from lithium

Roughly 75 percent of patients will have side affects from using this drug. Sometimes just tweaking the dosage of the drug will reduce the side affects. The side effects associated with lithium use are: hand tremors, increased thirst and urination, vomiting and nausea, poor concentration, loss of memory, gain in weight, hair loss, acne, drowsiness and thyroid problems. You must tell your doctor if you have any serious conditions such as kidney problems, heart problems, epilepsy, allergies and so on. If you experience any persistent side affects, you must notify your doctor immediately especially if they are fever, rapid heartbeat, slurred speech and confusion. Actually always inform your doctor about any side effects that way he can steadily monitor your progress on your medication.

Lithium is not recommended for women who are breastfeeding or for pregnant women as it can cause birth defects.

Anticonvulsant medication

This medication used to treat seizures is now used for Bipolar Disorder as well. Anticonvulsants can treat mania and some of them are effective in treating depression. Anticonvulsants will calm down brain activity, which makes them effective for disorders such as epilepsy, migraines and some other mental illnesses. They are prescribed for people who have four or more episodes of mania and depression (rapid cycling) within the same year.

Anticonvulsants include: divalproex, valproic, and valproate sodium, carbamazine, which is sold as tegretol, and oxcarbazine. The side effects are less than lithuim and include: weight gain, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, rash, nausea and tremors. Side effects will vary with the drug and the long term side effects will also vary. Pregnant women should not take anticonvulsants for bipolar disorder. Anticonvulsants can contribute to liver problems after long term use. Anticonvulsants can also contribute to a bad reaction when taken with other drugs such as aspirn or even some herbal remedies so it is important to advise your doctor about any herbal remedy or other drugs you are taking even if they are over the counter.

Antipsychotic medication

Antipsychotic medicaton will be used to relieve the symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. They are also effective sedatives to control anxiety or agitation. They are sometimes used in conjunction with mood stabilizers until the stabilizers begin to kick in and some of these drugs lessen the effects of depression. Antipsychotic drugs help balance the neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for moods. Some of the side effects from the use of antipsychotic drugs are rapid weight gain, risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dry mouth, blurred vision, facial tics, drowsiness, muscle spasms or tremors.

Calcium Channel Blockers

These drugs are sometimes used but have not been proven to be that effective for Bipolar Disorder.

Benzodiazepines

These drugs may be used to control mania symptoms until the mood stablizers can take effect.

Antidepressants may be used especially for treating depression.

Electroconvulsive therapy

Also called electric shock therapy is used to control the mania symptoms such as hallucinations. It is performed by having an electrical current run through the scalp of the brain. This is done through the used of ECG and it is usually the last treatment for individuals who are not responding to other forms of treatment for mania. It is also not as bad as it sounds, nothing like what you see in the movies.