Principles of Treatment of Bipolar Disorder?

Now that we know something about the illness and how it presents let’s move on to treatment. The treatment of bipolar I and II disorder is essentially the same. The goal of treatment in both cases is to stabilize mood, treat hypomania or mania, treat depression and for the long run prevent relapses back into depression or hypomania/mania. Another key component or goal in treatment is to restore normal functioning. It is not of much value if symptoms appear to have gone away and if the patient is not back to work or a normal life with family and friends.

Before we get to medications a word about therapy. Therapy is important for many reasons not least for ongoing stress management. This illness is very sensitive to stress and it must be kept at a low or at a manageable level. Diet, exercise and sleep are the key components. Diet is important for general wellbeing and to combat the tendency of some medications to induce weight gain. Exercise is important for the brain as it stimulates production of new neurons in key areas. In this it can help the brain to heal literally from the affective episode. Adequate sleep is vital. Sleep deprivation is another stressor. Additionally, it is a frequent culprit in triggering hypomania/mania.