Many people around the world are diagnosed to have a certain psychiatric disorder, may it be severe or mild, in some part of their lives. One such psychiatric disorder which is estimated to affect almost 4 % of people around the world is bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is the extreme shift in moods, from a high level to a low level. This psychiatric disorder is characterized by mood swings between depression (feeling low) and mania (feeling very high). Affected people may have episodes of depression followed by episodes of maniac. Depression is characterized by symptoms such as feeling low and worthless, taking less interest in the surroundings, feeling lethargic, reduced appetite as well as reduced sleep and also the occurrence of suicidal thoughts.
Whereas maniac phase of bipolar disorder is characterized by feeling very high and expecting too much, being over reactive, not feel like sleeping or eating, feeling full of energy and enthusiasm, getting irritated and annoyed very easily. Although in bipolar disorder, there occurs transition depression and maniac phase but the depression phase is more common in the affected individuals.
Best Treatments For Bipolar Disorder
The treatment options for bipolar disorder include pharmacological and psychological therapeutics as well as may include psychiatric hospitalizations. The treatment of this psychiatric disorder is necessary as the mood swings can highly affect one’s personal as well as social life.
What the treatment aims is the reduction of the frequency and severity of episodes so that the person leads a normal healthy life.The different options of treatments for bipolar disorder are given as under.
Medications
The drugs prescribed to treat bipolar disorder aim at reducing and stabilizing the mood swings so to improve the quality of life. The medications to treat bipolar disorder are:
Anti-anxiety And Sedatives
These drugs are used to treat the anxiety disorder alone or that occurring with bipolar disorder. They are also known as tranquilizers. These drugs slow down the CNS making it calm and hence, reducing anxiety.
Anti-psychotics
There may also be some symptoms of psychosis in bipolar disorder such as hallucinations and delusions. Hence, anti-psychotic drugs are prescribed to the patients to improve their lives.
Anti-depressants
As the name indicates, these are the drugs used to treat depression. Treating and managing depression is quite necessary as the patient may also develop suicidal tendencies if left untreated.
Mood Stabilizers
Mood swings from one extreme to another is likely to cause the patient stop enjoying their life. Mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder help suppress mood shifts between depression and mania.
Also Read
Treatments For Bipolar Disorder
Home Remedies for Depression
Ways to Fight Bipolar Disorder
Depression Natural Cures And Its Various Types
Psychological Therapies
Psychological therapies are also of great help when it comes to the ‘treatments for bipolar disorder’.
To stabilize the emotions of a person, to help them create bonds with other people, to reduce their negative behavior and to improve their perspective of life are some of the goals of this therapy.
Lifestyle Changes
The above mentioned treatments including hospitalization (in case of patients who require 24 hours care), improvement in life style habits can also reduce the severity of this disorder.
Lifestyle improvement is the kind of self-help treatment in which the patient must avoid situations that can put them into stress; must develop healthy eating, sleeping and exercising habits and must monitor the changes in their mood. The patient must also stay away from people who criticize and enter a circle of people who can encourage them.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.