"who wants to be normal anyways"
Current Treatment for Bipolar Disorders
If there is a mental disorder that is so perplexing and difficult to treat and to recognize, it would be manic depression (bipolar disorders). Scientists know little information about it. What we do know is that it tends to have a high genetic cause. Of all the mental health disorders, manic depression probably displays the most prominent genetic link. Some suggest as much as 70 percent of persons with manic depression also had a close relative with the disorder. No one knows why some family members get the disorder and others do not.
The consequences of Manic Depressive Disorders are very serious. Individuals with manic depression often lose their family, jobs, and too often their lives. Usually people lose much before they go into treatment. For some, even after they start treatment, they continue the downward cycle due to the ineffectiveness of current treatment strategies.
Only within the last twenty years has mental health practitioners found treatments for Manic Depression. Lithium is still considered a relatively new drug. Since Lithium, newer drugs have been used including anti-convulsion medications such as Depakote and Tegretol. A person might wonder how anti-convulsant medications work to control mood swings.
One theory suggests that Manic Depression is really a seizure disorder. This makes sense if you consider that most acute manic or depressive episodes occur without rhyme or reason. Evidence for this theory exists in some recent practices of diagnosing bi-polar disorders through sleep deprived EEG. The reason the EEG needs to occur after hours of wakefulness is that the brain is more susceptible to epileptic type seizures in a sleep deprived state. If such an EEG indicates seizure like activity then the diagnosis of manic depressive disorder is confirmed. Usually an anti-seizure medication is thus prescribed. Naturally, additional evidence for this theory exists in the fact that anti-seizure medication is just as effective as Lithium in controlling mood swings.
A major problem with the current use of medications for manic depression is that rarely is the same dosage effective for an extended period of time. In most people with manic depression, the medications work for a while, but then are adjusted. Usually medications will need to be adjusted many times. Often the changes involve using harsh drugs such as an anti-psychotic medication that can have severe consequences on the body. Individuals on anti-psychotic medication often gain weight and may develop involuntary muscle movement called tardive dyskinesia. .
Another fact to consider is that medications do not heal the body. Medications are given to reduce symptoms of manic depression. People with manic depressive disorder are often told that they will need to take medication for the rest of their life.
Not taking medication is not the answer either. For most people with serious manic depression, medication is an absolute necessity. They simply could not function without it. Thus when treating manic depression medication should not be excluded.
The goal of holistic psychology in treating this disorder is to completely heal the body. This healing process will reduce the need for medication. Once medication has reduced the amount of manic depressive symptoms, healing techniques can be applied to prevent increases in medications and start the healing process. The ultimate goal of holistic psychology is to heal all body organs associated with the production of healthy brain chemicals and that prevent mood swings. Over time, if the healing techniques are successful, the need for medication is reduced and in some cases, people can eventually overcome their need for any medication. The method of applying holistic psychology is to assist the body to return to normal functioning as naturally as possible.
If there is a mental disorder that is so perplexing and difficult to treat and to recognize, it would be manic depression (bipolar disorders). Scientists know little information about it. What we do know is that it tends to have a high genetic cause. Of all the mental health disorders, manic depression probably displays the most prominent genetic link. Some suggest as much as 70 percent of persons with manic depression also had a close relative with the disorder. No one knows why some family members get the disorder and others do not.
The consequences of Manic Depressive Disorders are very serious. Individuals with manic depression often lose their family, jobs, and too often their lives. Usually people lose much before they go into treatment. For some, even after they start treatment, they continue the downward cycle due to the ineffectiveness of current treatment strategies.
Only within the last twenty years has mental health practitioners found treatments for Manic Depression. Lithium is still considered a relatively new drug. Since Lithium, newer drugs have been used including anti-convulsion medications such as Depakote and Tegretol. A person might wonder how anti-convulsant medications work to control mood swings.
One theory suggests that Manic Depression is really a seizure disorder. This makes sense if you consider that most acute manic or depressive episodes occur without rhyme or reason. Evidence for this theory exists in some recent practices of diagnosing bi-polar disorders through sleep deprived EEG. The reason the EEG needs to occur after hours of wakefulness is that the brain is more susceptible to epileptic type seizures in a sleep deprived state. If such an EEG indicates seizure like activity then the diagnosis of manic depressive disorder is confirmed. Usually an anti-seizure medication is thus prescribed. Naturally, additional evidence for this theory exists in the fact that anti-seizure medication is just as effective as Lithium in controlling mood swings.
A major problem with the current use of medications for manic depression is that rarely is the same dosage effective for an extended period of time. In most people with manic depression, the medications work for a while, but then are adjusted. Usually medications will need to be adjusted many times. Often the changes involve using harsh drugs such as an anti-psychotic medication that can have severe consequences on the body. Individuals on anti-psychotic medication often gain weight and may develop involuntary muscle movement called tardive dyskinesia. .
Another fact to consider is that medications do not heal the body. Medications are given to reduce symptoms of manic depression. People with manic depressive disorder are often told that they will need to take medication for the rest of their life.
Not taking medication is not the answer either. For most people with serious manic depression, medication is an absolute necessity. They simply could not function without it. Thus when treating manic depression medication should not be excluded.
The goal of holistic psychology in treating this disorder is to completely heal the body. This healing process will reduce the need for medication. Once medication has reduced the amount of manic depressive symptoms, healing techniques can be applied to prevent increases in medications and start the healing process. The ultimate goal of holistic psychology is to heal all body organs associated with the production of healthy brain chemicals and that prevent mood swings. Over time, if the healing techniques are successful, the need for medication is reduced and in some cases, people can eventually overcome their need for any medication. The method of applying holistic psychology is to assist the body to return to normal functioning as naturally as possible.