Best drug for bipolar disorder
Best drug for bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder which is best controlled by the use of medication in combination with psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is required because it helps the patient understand his condition better and learn how to control it in a large way by changing thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It is also useful in helping patients adjust and re-establish relationships with those around him. However psychotherapy alone is not useful sometimes. Medication is required, in most cases on a long term basis as bipolar disorder is a condition that has no definite cure and lasts a lifetime. Hence the medication that you take for bipolar disorder is extremely important as it the one thing that will keep the symptoms of bipolar disorder suppressed and allows you to lead a normal life. So what is the best drug for bipolar disorder? It is difficult to determine one best drug for bipolar disorder for a multitude of reasons. The primary reason why one best drug for bipolar disorder cannot be specified is that every individual is different. Even though the condition may be the same, the same medicines may not work effectively for different persons. Since there are various kinds of medicines under several brand names available for bipolar disorder, the psychiatrist has to check to see which seems to be the most effective for any given patient. The patient and the families also have to give it some time before the best drug for bipolar disorder can be realised. This involves trying out different medicines recommended by the doctor and monitoring the effects. Usually the best drugs for bipolar disorders are divided into those used for mania and those for depression. For mania, drugs used include lithium, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. For depression, the medications used are lithium, mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Some people feel that the best drugs for bipolar disorder are mood stabilisers because they are effective in preventing the mood changes that are typical of bipolar disorder and which is the primary symptom. One of the cheapest and most easily available mood stabilisers out there is Lithium. It is available as a capsule, a tablet or even liquid under the generic name of lithium carbonate and lithium citrate. Lithium has been seen to be effective in reducing the frequency and symptoms of episodes upto 70-80% and even reduce the risk of suicide at least sixfold. Whatever medication you use for bipolar disorder, to make sure they work at their optimal level, it is best to take them at the same time everyday or check with your doctor what is the best time to take them. It is also important that you never stop your treatment without consultation with the doctor.
