WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER 1?

A chronic, treatable mood disorder with a relapsing and remitting
course marked by manic episodes, with most patients also experiencing
major depressive episodes.

Manic episodes are periods of elevated mood, elevated self attitude, and increased
vital sense (physical and mental energy).

Depressive episodes are characterized by the triad of low mood, self-attitude and vital sense.

TREATMENT & PREVENTION

The foundations of treatment include medications and psychotherapy.
Treatment occurs in three stages:

Acute treatment: Treatment of an acute manic or depressive episode focuses on
diagnosis, safety, initiation of pharmalogical treatment, support and education.
The mainstay of pharmacological is mood stabilizers. Although, if the patient is severely agitated,
they may be given antipsychotic medication aswell.
Electrocutive Therapy (ECT) can be used in patients whose symptoms worsen in spite of medication.
The Acute phase usually lasts 6-12 weeks.

Improvement phase of treatment: This phase of treatment lasts about 6 months on average.
Treatment during the Improvement Phase consists of frequent assessments, medication adjustments based
on response and side effects, and psychotherapy.
The patients mood symptoms during this treatment have improved but they're still
vulnerable to mood instability.
Psychotherapy during the improvement phase focuses on identifying and addressing stressors
that can trigger mood symptoms and dealing with damage to relationships, work or
finances that occured during a mood episode.
If the patient doesn't relapse during this phase, he/she is said to have recovered from the episode
and can enter the maintenance phase of treatment.

Maintenance Treatment: The overall goal of maintenance treatment is to prevent future manic or depressive episodes.
The focus of maintenance treatment is long-term medication management, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.
Because of the relapsing and remitting nature of Bipolar 1 Disorder, maintenance treatment is indicated
after the first manic episode.
Mood stabilizers are the mainstay of pharmalogical treatment as many
patients benefit from being on them.
Psychotherapy focuses on medication adherence, education, lifestyle changes, and addressing
potentially devestating consequences of the illness.
It is important to monitor for symptoms of mania, hypomania or depression.
It can be helpful if the patient keeps a journal or mood chart.

There is no exact "cure" for Bipolar 1 Disorder, but episodes can be prevented by
avoiding drugs and alcohol, taking medication and
checking up on yourself and others.