Treatment for Bipolar II hypomania
Sometimes it is very difficult to detect Bipolar II hypomania as the symptoms can be easily confused by a person who may feel very happy and onlookers just feel that he or she is having a very good time. Although it is evident on the outside the person is having a real good time it is often the aftereffects of that good time that causes regret in these individuals. These individuals are often goodhearted to the point that it becomes a fault. They like to have a good time and they want everyone else to have a good time around them. That could translate to spending lavishly on other people, or over extending themselves to do chores and other favors. They may find that after all is said and done they are now overextended on their credit cards or they are physically and emotionally drained.
The other side of a hypomanic episode is the very creative and very temperamental hypomanic individual. They are usually the brilliant minds whereby you must tread lightly when around them because the slightest thing could send them into a whirlwind of slurs and accusations. These are the people who must have everything done according to their specifications often on time schedules that are very hard to accomplish. These people are high energy and high goal oriented and lose patience with people who cannot keep up with them.
If the hypomania episode is not too noticeable or does not cause any unhealthy behavior it often goes unnoticed and therefore remains untreated. However, it can lead to full-blown mania in which case it should to be treated to avoid the devastating symptoms of hypermania. Sufferers with hypermania can be so out of touch with reality that they can experience hallucinations and delusions. People suffering from hypermania are often hospitalized to get their moods under control with medication.
However, people who have episodes of hypomania can still benefit from medication. Medication will circumvent the possibility of the illness developing into the more severe symptoms of hypermania. It will even out the moods and lessen the possibility for a depressive episode.
Types of medications used for Bipolar II
Mood Stabilizers
The most common form of medication given to Bipolar II patients is mood stabilizers. Lithium has been used for century as an effective mood stabilizer for manic and depressive episodes. Lithium is a metal, which is prescribed in pill form. It takes a while for lithium to work and so it is deemed a good long-term approach for treating mania. Lithium will also treat depressive episodes. Lithium works by leveling off the moods so they are more normal. However, lithium does have many side effects and doctors now monitor the blood to keep the amount of lithium in the body down, and to lessen or prevent some of the known side effects.
Depakote is an anti seizure drug which is effective in regulating moods swings. Depakote does not take as long to work as lithium does and it has also been found that Depakote is a good preventative medication. Lamictal, Tegretol, Topamaxare, Gabitril, Neurontin, and Trileptal, are used.
Newer antipsychotic drugs such as Abilify, Zyprexa and Seroquel are used as effective mood regulators.
Antidepressants
Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac can also be used as an effective mood stabilizer as well. What usually happens is that the patient is started on Lithium, Depakote or an antipsychotic medication. If they fail to take effect, an antidepressant may be tried.
Benzodiazepines can be used for a short-term treatment for acute hypomania. Benzodiazepines are tranquilers such as valium or Xanax and Ativan.
People with Bipolar II disorder will benefit from psychotherapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy to help them cope with the stressors of life and learn better coping skills.
Hypomania is a condition where the sufferer is in a constant state of elation. They can be in a high-energy feeling on top of the world good mood, or they can be high energy and irritable as well. People who are experiencing hypomania have racing thoughts and ideas running through their head all the time. They have trouble focusing or concentrating on one idea at a time. They often lose focus because they have so many thoughts and ideas going on in their brain. They are very goal oriented people and can be highly creative. They can also get irritated or even angry at people they feel are dimwitted or slower than they are. Everything has to be done at a fast pace.
People in a hypomania mood are task driven and wanting to get everything done at once. They may not be able to delegate chores or work with other people because they feel they can do it better and faster. They are impatient and want everything immediately. They also require less sleep than other people because they don.t want to miss out on anything that they can be doing. They also are prone to be adventurous and daring. Their moods are not as extreme as found in the condition called hypermania. They do not get into such reckless behavior that could lead to seriously hurting themselves or others. They don.t have hallucinations and delusions and they are not usually hospitalized. People experiencing episodes of hypomania are fully functional.
Hypomania is a feature of Bipolar II Disorder, and Cyclothymia. Hypomania can also be present in schizoaffective disorder.
According to the DSM-IV-TR the symptoms of hypomania which relates to a very good or elated mood must be present for at least four days and must include at least three of the following symptoms to be considered hypomania: rapid talking (or pressured speech), grandiose thinking or inflated ego, very little requirement for sleep, racing thoughts, and many ideas, attention deficit (poor concentration), distractibility, psychomotor activity such as pacing the room, wringing hands, and pleasurable but reckless behavior such as sexual encounters, spending money, and risky business deals.
People in this state often feel they cannot slow their mind down. They can improvise, talk in rhymes on the spot, and do many things they don.t normally do that require quick thinking. People in the hypomanic phase are still in touch with reality and so they do not have delusions or hallucinations, but they can still make poor judgments. They overestimate their capabilities and can take on more than they can handle. People who are in the hypomania stage may have a lot of good ideas that they want to accomplish, but do not follow through on them. They may be great people to be around as long as they have their own way. If not they can become very cranky and irritable. Usually people in a hypomanic state do not seek medical help. They will when they are in a depressive state. Then they are likely only to report the symptoms of depression and will more than likely be given a diagnosis of depression only.
If the hypomanic phase is left untreated, over time it may develop into the more severe state of mania known as hypermania.
There seems to be some benefits of this state of euphoria. People in the hypomania state are high energy, very creative; goals oriented, and are able to accomplish great things. They are positive thinkers and willing to take on challenges without fear and doubt. These people are often visionaries able to think outside of the box.
Bipolar I is the category for people who suffer from major severe mania (hypermania) and major depression. Bipolar II is the designation for people with milder mania (hypomania) and major depression. Cyclothymia is the designation for people who swing between episodes of hypomania and milder episodes of depression.