Subscribe To
This Site
Alternative Medicine Bipolar Disorder Treatmentalternative medicine bipolar disorder treatment, alternative health bipolar disorder Bipolar Disorder: Causes and Conventional Treatments The normal reaction of the person who is suffering with bipolar disorder asks "Why?" Why do I have this problem? Family members also question the cause. Parents tend to blame themselves and siblings very often feel guilty for a variety of reasons. The answer to that question is unfortunately that nobody really knows. Medical science has yet to uncover a reason why some people develop bipolar disorder. It is believed that a variety of biological, genetic and environmental factors seem to work together to trigger these episodes. It appears that bipolar disorder may stem from chemical imbalances in neurotransmitters – the nerve cells in the brain. In some cases, bipolar disorder is partially the result of a genetic disposition, but that's not the case for every individual. There are certain factors that raise a person's risk of developing the disorder. In up to almost 90 percent of the cases, it appears that there's a family history of depression – however this is not necessarily bipolar. In most cases the illness suddenly appears with little warning. Some experts say that it could be triggered by stress. However, it is not unheard of that some individuals have developed this condition gradually. Thankfully, even the most severe forms of bipolar are treatable. The characteristic mood swings can be stabilized and the other symptoms alleviated with continued treatment. Usually this is done with a combination of medications and other therapies. The acute episodes of the mania and depression are treated with medications commonly called mood stabilizers. Lithium is generally used for the manic episodes and appears to be very effective for most individuals. Lithium is not without side effects. Those taking lithium may complain of nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, muscle weakness as well as fatigue. Some individuals find they have an increased thirst. Some even complain of being dazed and unusually sleepy. As the dosage is increased some people notice a marked, but mild hand tremor. Lithium is not a medication that should be taken lightly. It is extremely important that the proper dose is provided. It is possible to take toxic levels of this drug. Symptoms of toxicity include vomiting, severe diarrhea as well as slurred speech, blurred vision, confusion, stupor and an irregular pulse. Lithium is also a viable option for the depressive episodes of bipolar disorder as well. In addition to this drug, antidepressants can be used even though there seems to be a bit of controversy with this class of medication. Some experts claim that antidepressants, while working on the depressive episode only increase the intensity of the next manic episode. However, lithium is still the only medication shown to reduce the rate of suicide among those individuals suffering with bipolar. For more on treatment of bipolar disorder: Bipolar Disorder – Nutritional Approach to Treatment Bipolar Disorder – Maintaining Healthy Lifestyle Bipolar Disorder – Herbal Remedies Bipolar Disorder – Overview and Symptoms alternative medicine bipolar disorder treatment, alternative health bipolar disorder
Go Back from Alternative Medicine Bipolar Disorder Treatment to Home
Articles displayed on this site are for information purposes only and may not be |