Bipolar Disorder Medication - What Are Your Responsibilities?

If, after thorough investigation of your symptoms, patterns, and medical history, you have received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder from a mental health professional, he may have prescribed medication to assist in the treatment of this condition. It is important, however, to understand that while medication may alleviate your symptoms, it will not replace the steps that you personally must take to deal with this condition.

Talking To Your Doctor

As some mental health professionals assume that their patients are already aware of this, it is a good idea for you to bring up the subject if he does not. In addition, if he is of the opinion that medication is the only treatment you need, it would be wise to consider consulting one who does not have a medication-only bias.

While medication may be important in the treatment of bipolar disorder, behavior modification is equally necessary. For that matter, there are many patients who, if adequately informed about behavior modification and have the ability to put it into practice, will not need medication at all. This factor is one reason why you should be selective in whom you choose to oversee your health care.

Environmental Stressors

As both manic and depressive episodes, or states, can be precipitated by stressors-- in plain language: external influences -- one of the most important steps in learning how to deal with your condition is to learn to identify and regulate these stressors.

In bipolar disorder, stressors which precipitate an episode can generally be categorized as "extremes" and/or "intensity" in your everyday life or environment. The most important step you can take in dealing with bipolar disorder is to lessen your risk of having these episodes by doing whatever you can to reduce, and, whenever possible, eliminate, extremes and intensity from your everyday life.

A More Orderly Life

A second factor of importance is to reduce, and whenever possible eliminate, chaos in your everyday life. While the previously-mentioned stressors can bring on "full blown" manic and depressive episodes, the bipolar condition "thrives" on a chaotic lifestyle. What this means is even when you are not in a manic or a depressive state, chaos will cause you to feel and act unfocused, not sure of what you should be doing from one minute to the next.

The best way to reduce this problem is to keep your life as routine and orderly as possible. Such things as going to bed at approximately the same time each night, getting up at the same time every day, and having a basic plan of what you will be doing each day, will work wonders in reducing this problem.

Responsibility

When you have become able to do this, the next step is to begin taking responsibility for not only making decisions but following through on them. The chaos of indecisiveness is a very destructive factor in the bipolar condition; and, as it usually leads to being unreliable, it has quite a negative effect on a bipolar person's interactions and relationships with other people.

The key in dealing effectively with bipolar disorder is to understand that you need not be a helpless victim to it-- that you can take control of your life.