Past Tense

Pharmaceutical companies have been aggressively campaigning and raising awareness of bipolar disorder to the public. Although radio and television has been limited in the information they can convey to the public, a lot of people have come to hear and know about this illness, but have not really understood this sickness or its medication.

First, it is important to understand the basic bipolar symptoms and bipolar medications before delving on the whole issue of bipolar. A brief overview of bipolar illness and its medication is provided.

From overly high/and or irritable to sad and hopeless and then back again bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings, often with normal mood in between. Severe changes in behavior and energy go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs is called mania and lows depression episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings from mania to depression. The pattern of highs and lows varies for each person. For some people, episodes of mania or depression can last for weeks or months, while for others, mood swings are shorter and more frequent. Coping with bipolar disorder and the mood swings it brings can be difficult. Symptoms of bipolar disorders and its brief overview are as follows:

Bipolar Disorder – Manic Symptoms

-Many people in a manic state experience severe anxiety and are very irritable (to the point of rage), while others are euphoric and grandiose.

-When in this state of illness patients have a lot of energy but has difficulty in concentrating, sleeping, making good judgments or decisions. Understanding what is being said can be difficult because speech is so rapid.

-Racing thoughts travel through the mind so fast that ideas move from one to the other with little coherence.

-Impetuous actions are undertaken with little worry of the consequences.

Depressed Mood Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

-Extremely low energy levels combined with feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or despair.

-Usually these people are very tired and quickly irritated, and do not have any sleeping patterns whatsoever.

-Guilt pervades ones thoughts with excessive shame.

-Loss of or increase in appetite.

-Always contemplating suicide.

Medication Treatment for Bipolar

There is no standard, uniformed combination of bipolar medication that will deliver the same results in different patients when it comes to the pharmaceutical treatments of bipolar disorder. To aid in the calming effects of bipolar disorder, however, there is a finite pool of drugs that are utilized. Included in these drugs are anti anxiety, mood stabilizers/anti-psychotic and anti depressants drugs.

To help raise the individuals mood and energy levels, anti-depressants are prescribed. Wellbutrin, Effexor and Zoloft with other anti-depressant medicines are the most prescribed drugs given to patients with bipolar.

Lithium, Seroquel, Risperdal and Geocodon are the most commonly prescribed drugs for anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers. These drugs are used for the toning down of the manic side of the bipolar illness. With this medication the patients life is somehow restored not to 100% at least to near normal level.

Some psychiatrists as a treatment for bipolar disorder have fallen out of favor with anti-anxiety drugs. But there are others who still prescribe Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin to bring down excessive highs and panic attacks in bipolar patients.

These drugs are prescribed in various dosages and combinations. Monthly visits with a psychiatrist are then conducted to determine whether the treatment should be modified or continued.