3B
LIFE/ Cl[iatlotte $o0t
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Living with bipolar disorder
Continued from page 1B
mania in. and of itself remains
deadly because it can lead to
psychosis and instability
They say that what goes up
must come down, and the
same thing is true for mood
swings in a patient with bipo
lar disorder; mania inevitabiy
crashes into depression.
Briefly, to review information
presented in our previous
mental health article, depres
sion involves feelings of
intense sadness, worthless
ness, and hopelessness. The
prospsx>us future one (per
haps erroneously) perceived
during a manic state sudden
ly seems light years away,
and feelings of helplessness
and desperation replace any
hint of optimism one might
have felt. The high-energy
‘ rush of mania gives way to a
slow, sluggish state of fatigue
and pessimism. Simply mak
ing it through each day
becomes a struggle that
seems almost insurmount
able. People living with
depression may also experi
ence suicidal ideation- that is,
thinking about or planning to
end Iheir lives. Unfortunately,
many people also act on that
idea.
Bipolar disorder has a
handful of sub-tj’pes, so the
exact range and duration of
mood swings and symptoms
experienced will vary from
individual to individual. The
easiest way to think about
bipolar disorder is to consider
a continuum, with extreme
mania on one side and
Contribution by Jaimie Hunter,
MPH
For more infonnalion about the
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Or, for health information call
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Many bipolar episodes can be confrolied with medicines, but
the mistake many patients make is thinking they are healed,
stop taking their medications, and the episodes start all over
extreme depression on the
other. Because the disease
can manifest in different
ways, it is important that a
patient with bipolar disorder
is completely open and hon
est with his or her doctor
regarding disease symptoms;
successful treatment depends
largely on getting the diagno
sis correct.
What treatment is avail
able for bipolar disorder?
Although there is no cure
for bipolar disorder, treat
ment options continue, to
advance. Briefly, the most
critical component of treat
ment for the illness is phar
macotherapy or the use of
prescription medications that
target neurotransmitters, the
chemicals in the brain that
conduct electrical signals.
Usually a variety (or cocktail)
of medicines is prescribed;
these drugs may include anti
depressants, mood stabiliz
ers, and antipsychotics.
Adjunct treatments like psy-
cholherapy and fisb oU may
also prove useful. We will dis-
Your Life,
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Beauty College, Charlotte
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cuss treatment for mood dis
orders in detail in our next
mental health column
The most important fact to
keep in mind when living
with bipolar disorder is that
it is crucial to take one’s med
ications exactly as prescribed
and not to stop taking than
without first talking to a doc
tor. Studies have shown that,
for people who stopped
adhering to their bipolar
medication regimens, 80%
win relapse within one year,
and 90 perceait will relapse
wilhin two years. These num
bers are staggering compared
to the 20 percent of people
who win relapse if they stay
on medications.
Remember, knowledge is
power, but it is what you do
with it that makes all the dif
ference. ,
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