Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Treatment Goals

• Restore normal mood
• Decrease the severity and number of relapses
• Prevent relapses or increase the time between relapses, should they occur

A number of obstacles can stand in the way of achieving treatment goals, such as drug costs, lack of awareness of the illness, and resistance to taking medication.

Drug Costs: When drug costs are a problem, it is a good idea to contact the drug company that provides the chosen medication to see if they have a plan available to help patients who are experiencing difficulty affording their medications.

Awareness of illness: It is important for patients, their families, and trusted friends to become familiar with the symptoms that appear as warning signs for the illness.

Resistance to treatment: Patients who are experiencing a manic episode feel great. Frequently their thinking is not clear enough for them to realize the problems associated with their wonderful mood, such as excessive spending, or reckless behavior. They may resist treatment because they do not want to be robbed of such wonderful feelings. Some patients will develop contracts with those they trust; giving them the right to make decisions on their behalf, especially in situations where the illness has not reached a level of severity that enables the state to control the patient?s behavior through medical certification. Early treatment can significantly impact the outcome of an episode.

A second type of resistance is seen when people prefer partial improvement over increasing the dose of their medication or adding another drug. People who choose only partial control of their symptoms have a higher likelihood of experiencing another episode which will be earlier and more severe than those who are on full treatment.

The third form of resistance to treatment concerns the length of treatment. Patients often want to stop treatment soon after they feel better. This will most likely result in a relapse. Bipolar Disorder is a chronic illness. For most patients, ongoing treatment can decrease the number and severity of episodes of illness and increase the time between episodes. Long-term treatment is recommended for patients who have experienced two major episodes, a severe episode, or rapid onset of illness.