Manic Phase of Bipolar Disorder and Its Treatment

The defining symptoms of bipolar disorder is the extreme mood swings a person experiences between mania and depression. These are more than just fleeting episodes and can last up to days, weeks or even months. Manic episodes can cause a person to experience hyper energy, making him/her feel like on top of the world. While extreme depression can even cause suicidal tendencies in a patient. The extreme highs and lows over a period of time takes a toll on a person’s mental health and can interfere with one’s ability to function normally in a day-to-day life.

Bipolar Mania is marked with very peculiar symptoms including

• Recklessness
• Hyper energy
• Euphoria
• Racing thoughts
• Constant distraction
• Increased activity
• Sleeplessness
• Feeling irritable
• Hallucinations in severe cases

Effective treatment of Bipolar Mania can help reduce the frequency and intensity of these episodes. However, the problem is that the symptoms are often misread as a problem than mental illness. Hence it is important to speak your mind to enable quick diagnosis and treatment. The treatment for Bipolar Mania includes:

• Anticonvulsant drugs – These drugs help quickly control hyperactivity, sleeplessness, irritability and reckles behaviour. The anticonvulsant drugs help stabilise the patient’s mood as well as establish a regular routine in daily life. However, the long-term use may bear some side effects like weight gain, fatigue, tremors etc.

• Antipsychotic Drugs – They are often used alone as a long-term treatment for people who cannot tolerate the side effects of anticonvulsant drugs. It mainly helps in controlling agitation, insomnia and hallucinations in extreme manic episodes and also prevents further relapse.

• Lithium – Lithium acts on the central nervous system and helps reduce frequency as well as severity of manic episodes in a patient, preventing further manic episodes. However, long-term use of lithium can adversely affect the liver, kidney and thyroid function apart from other side-effects.

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) – ECT is often prescribed for patients not responding well to the drug treatments. The therapy has quick effect on patient and helps control manic symptoms. It involves sending an electrical shock through the rods placed on either side of a patient’s head.

Bipolar mania treatment often includes hospitalization as the patients are at a high risk due to reckless and unpredictable behavior that can lead to discontinuing the treatment. Hence the treatment is often a combination of therapy and medication, which needs a life-long commitment to be effective.

Talk to our professionals and chalk out the best possible treatment for you or your loved one. Call us on +91 96111 94949 or visit www.cadabams.org

#SpeakYourMind