Manic Depressive Disorder Treatment

Manic depressive disorder, sometimes known as manic depression or bipolar disorder, isn’t one single thing. It’s more a constellation of disorders, mostly characterized by swings between highly elevated moods and severely depressed ones. With variations of the illness manifesting itself in different ways (rapid or slow cycling of moods, for example), finding the best treatments can be a real challenge. Probably the first step in getting a handle on it, in fact, is to find a therapist who knows a great deal about the disorder. Teamwork among the person with the illness and his or her doctors is the key.

Many people with manic depressive disorder have periods in between manic and depressive moods where they can function quite normally. This means that they can work in partnership with their doctors, to recognize signs of the onset of one of these episodes, and actively participate in their own health treatments. One particular danger can be a relapse if the drugs appear to work and the symptoms go away, prompting the person to stop taking the medications. For this reason, psychotherapy may also be a part of the person’s treatment, along with drug therapy, to help them adjust their own behavior and interpretations of their symptoms.

When it comes to the medications prescribed for manic depressives, there are a great many currently available. However, lithium has been used for many years in various forms, and seems to have the best track record for stabilizing the mood swings and even for reducing instances of suicide. One difficulty with this drug, however, is the side effects of high blood pressure, water retention and constipation. So, new treatments are often sought to see if other drugs might work as well, with fewer repercussions. Interestingly, it’s a breast cancer medicine called tamoxifen that has shown one of the best and quickest responses to a manic phase. Other mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs are also among the current treatments.

It’s encouraging that new drugs are always being developed to add to the arsenal of tools that can deal with this illness. And constant research is also being done, greatly increasing the understanding of manic depressive disorder. While researchers and doctors work on that side of the equation, people with the illness can also contribute, by collecting all the depression info they can, working with a therapist, and learning to adjust their own behavior. With this sort of teamwork, a successful depression cure is much more likely to result.