Why do people with bipolar disorder have to take medications. And what medications are commonly given to them.

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When a person is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder there is already a lot of information running through their mind.  What do I do now?  Is the psychiatrist going to hospitalize me?  What’s the next step?  It may feel like there’s a lot of unanswered questions.  I would highly recommend that you ask every question you can think of.  You need to take control of your illness and education is the best step in helping yourself through this rough time.

The main reason a person diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder is given medication to control the symptoms.  To either stop the manic high or bring the patient up out of a depressed state.  It is pretty common for a person with Bipolar Disorder to be diagnosed wrong initially with just depression or unipolar depression.  The psychiatrist hasn’t seen the patient in the high state so he has no clue and treats the symptoms at hand.

Then the patient goes up into the manic phase and the next time he/she sees the Doctor he realizes that the patient needs a different medication or medications.  Sometimes, it takes a while for medications to become stable and for the patient to start to feel well again.

Most of the time the next step would be start a medication regimen that your Psychiatrist has prescribed.  Usually, the psychiatrist will start with a mood stabilizer. If the patient is having psychotic symptoms an anti-psychotic medication could be added, too.  The goal is to get the patient stable enough to function.  Granted, many patients who first start treatment might feel strange or slow at the beginning.  That is quite common if you are coming down from a manic high.  If the Doctor treats with an anti-depressant as well then you will eventually start to feel good again.

No medication regimen is fool-proof.  Don’t get discouraged.  Sometimes it takes a while for the medications to become stable in your system and for them to work like they are supposed to. And many patients stop taking their medications because they feel good.  Let me assure you that just because you feel good isn’t a reason to stop taking them.  It’s like with other conditions, too.  We will use Diabetes as an example.  The patient feels good and blood sugars are low so they stop the insulin/pills they are given and then their blood sugar goes up.  It’s the same with Bipolar Disorder.  If you stop the meds then you will relapse.

The key things to help you are to be sure and keep in good communication with your treating psychiatrist.  I recommend finding a support group in your area if there is one.  Educate yourself as much as possible regarding your Bipolar condition.  Education is power.  It can help you accept it.  Find somebody who will support you through the thick and the thin.  Everybody needs solid support through a time like this.

And, you need to be proud of yourself for seeking help.  Many people do not due to fear or other reasons.
For that, give yourself a pat on the back.

We all deserve it at some point or another!

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Post written by guest author Shari. Shari is a newer follower of Ask a Bipolar and was more than excited to help us out. It’s great to have other opinions, especially when it comes to topics of this sort! Show Shari some love in the comments!

Thanks Shari!!!!

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