Thanks to aggressive media campaigns from the pharmaceutical companies, public awareness of bipolar disorder has been raised significantly. However, television and radio spots are limited in the information they can convey. So, while more people have become aware of bipolar disorder, they may not truly understand what exactly the condition is and what the common bipolar symptoms and bipolar medication are.

Of course, before delving into the comprehensive it is helpful to understanding some of the basic bipolar symptoms and bipolar medication treatments. Therefore, a brief overview of both the common bipolar symptoms and medications is provided.

On the most basic of levels, bipolar disorder involves “swinging” from extremes of highs and lows. That means a person afflicted with the disorder can experience high, elevated moods followed by low, depressed moods. (Hence, the condition was originally called manic depression) The distribution of the highs and lows are not 50 – 50. In other words, one does not shift moods from day to day. A person could be manic for weeks on end, then shift into days of depression, followed by weeks of mania. Regardless of the duration of the mood swings, they are quite pronounced as bipolar disorder is serious enough to be labeled a disability. A brief overview of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is 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.

-People commonly experience an increase in energy and a decreased need for sleep.  A person’s speech may be pressured, Attention span is low and a person in a manic state may be easily distracted. Judgment may become blurred.

-With thoughts experienced as racing. The “racing thoughts” of bipolar disorder are also sometimes described as “crowded thoughts”.

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

Depressed Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder

-A person may have a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.

-Excessively tired or irritated with difficulty maintaining proper sleeping patterns.

-Excess shame or guilt pervades one’s thoughts.

-Eat a lot or hardly eating anything (from one extreme to the other).

-Persistent thoughts of death or suicide.

Medication Treatment for Bipolar

There is no uniformed, standard combination for bipolar medication that will give the same results to different patients when it comes to treating bipolar with medication. There are lots of drugs that are utilized to aid bipolar patients calm their illness down. These medicines are for anti-depressants, anti anxiety, mood stabilizers and anti psychotic.

Anti-depressants are employed to help raise the individual’s mood and energy levels. Common anti-depressant medications include Wellbutrin, Effexor, and Zoloft and these medications are frequently prescribed to bipolar patients.

The most prescribed drugs to calm down the mania side of the bipolar illness are Lithium, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Geocodon. These anti-psychotic and mood stabilizer drugs are used to restore and calm down patients or tone down people with bipolar manic disorder.

While some doctors do not like to give anti-anxiety drugs to their patients there are others who still prescribe Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin to their patients. These medications help in bringing down excessive highs and panic attacks in the manic side of bipolar.

A monthly visit to your psychiatrist is advised to determine whether your medication should be modified or continued, because drugs are prescribed in various dosages and combinations.

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