Treatment

An estimated 51 percent of people with bipolar disorder are not receiving treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.1 If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or suspect that you may have it, treatment is essential to maximizing your potential. One 2016 study indicated that the longer bipolar disorder remains untreated, the … Read more

Trauma is unfortunately much too common and can have long lasting effects. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) website, an estimated 5.2 million Americans aged 18 to 54 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a given year. Unresolved trauma can produce many different responses, ranging from anxiety, panic, and hypervigilance to depression, numbness, … Read more

Often an overlooked factor in one’s life, especially the older one gets, is continuing to set and work toward achieving goals. For recovering addicts, learning how to set realistic goals, both short and long-term, is key to the success of their recovery. If the recovering addict sought treatment, she likely had to set some goals … Read more

Recovery is an ongoing process. After you’ve been sober a while and have achieved “advanced recovery,” you will have developed many new habits to replace the old, destructive ones. To help avoid relapse, you will want to find more and more healthy activities with which to fill your time to help you maintain your sobriety. … Read more

Unlike substances that are commonly abused and illegal to possess (such as cocaine, heroin and mediations that require a prescription), alcohol is legal for adults to purchase and abuse as they wish. This fact means that drinking is common, so it will often be in an individual’s environment where consumption and abuse are prevalent. For … Read more

Drug and alcohol addiction is a powerful disease that hijacks the brain, so it inhibits people from making clear decisions. While rehab is essential to addiction recovery, it often takes more than one attempt to overcome addiction and to experience long-term recovery. Understand that multiple stays in rehab do not discredit a rehab facility, they … Read more

To manage their symptoms, many people with bipolar disorder take prescription medications. Medications can be invaluable resources for this condition if used in moderation and under the direction of a doctor, but it is not the ultimate solution. Rather, medicine should augment other methods, including talk therapy and positive lifestyle changes. Find the Right Medications … Read more

Normal changes in mood are an expected and routine aspect of life. However, bipolar disorder can cause moods to swing so dramatically that they interfere with an individual’s ability to maintain relationships, jobs, and mental and physical health. If left untreated, bipolar disorder can negatively impact one’s life in numerous ways. Learn more about how … Read more

Depression is a serious mental health illness that can significantly interfere with one’s quality of life. However, research has made it easier to diagnose and treat depression. By further understanding the causes of depression, medical professionals have had the opportunity to develop numerous effective treatments for patients who deal with depression. Physicians do not recommend … Read more

Bipolar disorder is a serious ailment that is painful for both the person who suffers and the family who cares. When you are struggling with bipolar disorder, life can feel like a rollercoaster of emotions. It can be tempting to self-medicate bipolar symptoms, or it may be difficult to tell the difference between bipolar disorder … Read more

Keeping a written record of daily thoughts can be a useful tool for organizing a recovery lifestyle. Since living in recovery involves building new habits and using coping skills, a journal can offer a daily catalog of actions that work or should be tossed to the side. Journaling and Sober Living Through writing a person … Read more

An individual’s gender often has a potential to affect several critical factors along their path towards seeking substance abuse treatment. Often, identification of the problem is often the first step towards treatment, whether it is by the individual themselves, a loved one, health care professional or employer. The likelihood that one’s substance abuse problem is … Read more

As you continue to make progress in your recovery, you have grown in many different ways. Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to think about how far you’ve come. The great news is that a lot of these skills are completely transferrable to other parts of your life, and the better you are … Read more

During the course of your life, some form of trauma will happen to you. At some point you will face it as some form of abuse, injury, the death of someone you love or some other kind of difficulty. All of these different events will affect you in some way at some time. Because the … Read more

When you are in any form of danger, it is totally natural to feel afraid. Whether you are involved in a car crash or face some kind of injury, the body’s response is in many cases shown as fear. This emotion then starts a chain-reaction in your body to prepare you to defend against the … Read more

Recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction can be one of the most difficult tribulations any individual can go through. Unfortunately, many of those who seek sobriety and seem to be doing well end up relapsing, which means falling back into their old lifestyle of drug abuse. When this problem occurs, the addict can experience a … Read more

According to the Mayo Clinic an individual who has survived a traumatic event may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), causing him to continually think about and relive the event.  Fear along with anxiety, anger, depression and guilt are all extremely common emotions and reactions to trauma.  However, the majority of individuals have experienced trauma do … Read more

By balancing and blocking chemicals in the brain, the antipsychotic drug Seroquel helps people with bipolar disorder work through this mental illness. By increasing levels of dopamine, it alleviates many issues the disorder causes. However, the downside to Seroquel is that it can be addictive, causing more health problems than before. This does not mean … Read more

ECT (electro convulsive treatment) is a highly effective last resort for patients who suffer from severe depression, psychosis or who endanger themselves or others. It is a greatly refined version of the shock treatments, but it is far less dramatic, painful and dangerous. Despite this increased safety, it is still only used when other medical … Read more

Veterans have unique risks for addiction and other mental health challenges for the following reasons: Extended time away from loved ones can cause depression, anxiety or other emotional distress Exposure to combat can cause posttraumatic stress disorder Alcohol and drug abuse are common in the military Readjusting to life at home can be emotionally difficult … Read more

Aftercare is one of the most important parts in the process of addiction recovery. Once an addict has gone through detoxification and rehab, now it is time to continue making an effort to stay sober. There are many ways to accomplish this, but one of the most effective methods is by participating in an aftercare … Read more

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating problem that affects people who survive traumatic events. It is normal to react to trauma, but, when symptoms last longer than three months and interfere with other areas of life, then people may have PTSD. This condition affects life and can lead to further complications if left untreated. … Read more

These days it seems as though almost everybody has been diagnosed with a condition, along with a prescription medication for their symptoms. There is some controversy over whether or not medical doctors are utilizing their prescription pads too much, and some of the controversy may be apt when it comes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder … Read more

Everybody has sad moments in life, but according to the Mayo Clinic, a lasting and debilitating sadness that impacts one’s ability to function normally in daily life may be depression. Compiling information on Americans aged 18 and older, the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that nearly 16 million people experienced … Read more

According to the International Review of Bipolar Disorders, several assessments scales can determine if someone struggles with bipolar disorder and to what degree. The scales discussed below may help you understand your condition and how to treat it, so seek a professional diagnosis to begin recovering from this devastating condition. Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) … Read more

People with bipolar disorder and addiction often face difficulty finding and excelling in treatment. The reason for this is that each component can worsen the other. In addition, some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and addiction can make it difficult to get an accurate diagnosis, because these two conditions are so similar. With a … Read more

Grief is a powerful emotion with significant psychological ramifications. The brain tends to seek respite from emotional distress in any way possible. Prescriptions drugs such as narcotic painkillers and antidepressants provide this kind of relief in a potent but short-lived way. Once the brain experiences that relief, however, it will crave it in a psychological … Read more

Having dependent personality disorder can make life much more difficult, as the disorder impacts many areas of a person’s life. A person with dependent personality disorder (DPD) doesn’t always recognize that they are experiencing signs of this type of personality disorder, which can make it complicated to get treatment and/or accept the disorder in general. … Read more

One of the most common battles that a person faces when diagnosed with bipolar disorder is consistently complying with the medication that their doctor or therapist has provided them. This is either referred to as medication noncompliance or medication non-adherence, and can lead to a vast number of problems for both the patient and those … Read more

African-American women with depression often believe they lack the time to put their needs first. When careers, families and community obligations accumulate, the associated stress can lead to depression. This can be disastrous, as it can lead to self-medicating and overlooking the benefits of professional treatment. African-American Women and Depression Many women expect themselves to … Read more

Being a parent is a hard job without a mental disorder, but bipolar disorder can make parenting seem impossible. Thankfully there is help for parents who are struggling to provide the best life for their children. Talking to Your Kids about Bipolar Disorder While you may want to avoid the topic, you should discuss your … Read more

Major life changes like a divorce are jarring for anyone, and are especially hard for those of us living with bipolar disorder. The stress that often accompanies these types of life changes can also trigger mania or depression. Learning how to handle stress and bipolar disorder issues is a skill that you will gain with … Read more

Bipolar disorder is an extremely complex mental illness, as it not only impacts many areas of an individual’s life, but also the people around her. Symptoms of this disorder include extreme euphoria, deep depression, intense mood swings, pressured speech, loss of interests and impulsivity. These symptoms can create many problems that often require professional help … Read more

Lithium salts are frequently used to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium is a medication known as a mood stabilizer, and the use of it to treat bipolar disorder was first described in medical literature by Australian psychiatrist Dr. John Cade in 1949. However, use of lithium predates this significantly: ancient physicians and healers advised their mentally … Read more

Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose because the illness shares many symptoms with other mental health disorders. Depression, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are a few of the mental health issues that share many similar symptoms as bipolar disorder. People may find it difficult to self-diagnose or summarize … Read more

Bipolar disorder causes many symptoms, including grandiosity, racing thoughts, thoughtlessness and behavior problems. While many of these symptoms are expected, a few can fly under the radar. Pressured speech is one of the most problematic symptoms of bipolar disorder, because it affects not only the patient, but also those around her. When pressured speech occurs, … Read more

Many people receive bipolar disorder as bad news, which stems from the negative stereotype of the unpredictable, angry and even violent behavior of many bipolar individuals. Thus, younger people who come from families with a history of bipolar diagnoses may wonder if there is anything they can do to prevent this disorder from surfacing. Unfortunately, … Read more

The similarities between bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) confuse both sufferers and physicians alike. Notable differences in the moods of people with these problems give medical professionals the ability to zero in on more accurate diagnoses. With an accurate diagnosis, patients can effectively treat their symptoms and begin living a normal life … Read more

A controversial issue in healthcare is the question of involuntary hospitalization. If an individual’s family has confronted him or her repeatedly about the damage that addiction and a struggle with bipolar disorder is causing, and loved ones have joined together to stage an intervention to let him know how bad things really are, and he … Read more

Bipolar disorder affects moods, behavior and energy level. Depression and mania are a continuous cycle, causing problems with normal life and possibly leading to substance abuse. Some individuals with bipolar disorder deny that they need medication: they may worry about how the medication will make them feel, or that it will destroy their personality. The … Read more

There are a number of ways to effectively treat bipolar disorder. Some are considered traditional and others alternative. A typical or traditional treatment plan for bipolar or manic-depressive disorder might include both therapy and medication.  These two methods coupled together have proven to be amongst the most effective. Depression Medication A person with bipolar disorder … Read more

Choosing the right bipolar disorder treatment center is extremely important. A failure to do so can cause further problems and will delay the proper treatment of the condition. A delay might negatively affect the person with bipolar disorder as well as their family and friends. When someone you love is experiencing wild mood swings and … Read more

A person who is caught in the downward spiral of an emotional disorder often tries try to fix the problem themselves. Too often, any form of “self-medication” can actually compound the original problem. For example, someone who has been diagnosed as a manic depressive might turn to alcohol to find escape from their pain. Because that … Read more

Holistic bipolar disorder treatment centers are very similar to holistic drug rehab programs. They seek to treat and care for the entire person. They utilize a methodology which suggests that the enrichment of the entire person will help to get over their disease, whether it is drug addiction or a mental disorder. A holistic bipolar … Read more

Doctors and mental health professionals have a lot of pharmacotherapy options at their disposal when they are attempting to treat individuals with bipolar disorder. Some of the most common include mood stabilizers, antipsychotic, anti-depressant and anticonvulsant drugs. Calcium channel blockers may be used as well. Depression Medication Options Mood Stabilizers: Mood stabilizers are used to … Read more

Bipolar disorder therapy centers can be excellent place for those with the mental condition to go and get help. Such facilities will offer treatment and care that an individual likely wouldn’t be able to achieve on their home. Bipolar disorder is not a condition that lends itself well to self-care. Typically, medication of some kind … Read more

Which types of bipolar disorder medications are best? The answer is, it depends. The severity of ones condition as well as how often they experience episodes will help determine which type of medication is best. The types of symptoms a person has will also have an effect on which medications a doctor or psychologist will … Read more