What is the best mood stabilizer for bipolar?

Are you tired of being on an emotional rollercoaster because of your bipolar disorder? Are you sick and tired of trying medication after medication without seeing any significant improvement in your mood swings? Look no further. In this article, we will explore the best mood stabilizers for bipolar, their benefits and side effects.

What is Bipolar?

Before diving into the topic of mood stabilizers for bipolar, let’s first understand what it means to have this condition. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental health illness characterized by extreme fluctuations in one’s mood. Individuals with BD experience episodes of mania or hypomania followed by depression episodes that are quite severe and last for extended periods.

Manic Episode

Manic Episode: This episode is typically the main characteristic symptom associated with BD – marked by elevated moods, elevated energy levels as well as racing thoughts that individuals can often describe as “out-of-control.”

A manic episode isn’t always unhealthy! Suppose it doesn’t cause someone enough stress or difficulty fulfilling responsibilities- then its considered a ‘hypomanic’ state. Although hypo-mania/mania aren’t the same- many people may lack insight into how their symptoms impact their life quality; As such they might underestimate those problems when discussing them with medical professionals instead preferring only to focus on feelings that feel positive related to hypomania/mania primarily.

Depressive Episode

While not every changing conflict depressive epside has some sorta association anytime somebody experiences elevated change yet ultimately experiences decreased influence-/energy-levels & feeling unmotivated while leading lower social interaction attentiveness where loneliness/stress/anxiety/etc can be stimulated.

Different Types of Bipolar Disorder

Based on various criteria like severity, duration between cycles and so forth- there are five primary types:

  • Bipolar I disorder: Diagnosed with an individual during a manic episode
  • Bipolar II disorder: Diagnosed when someone is currently experiencing or recently experienced a depression episode and hypomanic episodes.
  • Cyclothymic Disorder: Long term fluctuation between hypo/mania w/o any other eventuated major depressive or maniac occurrence- must be present for at least two years.
  • Other specified bipolar-related disorders: The person symptoms clarify that they relate to BD, yet don’t fit diagnostic criteria otherwise specified by DSM5.
  • Unspecified Bipolar Related Disorders: Symptoms but do NOT fall into the details of the previous mentioned.

Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers are medications designed to minimize mood swings, such as periods where someone might feel too happy/grandiose (each day in extreme ways)/irritable/restless as well also increased bipolar tendencies towards depressions significantly much below baseline levels. They help mitigate risk factors like suicide/injury impulse behavior commonly seen in individuals struggling with BD.

Lithium

Lithium carbonate, one of the oldest mood stabilizers on the market produced efficient results across different categories like reducing suicidal thoughts; however it requires their blood checked regularly as excess amounts can become toxic causing risks related kidney function declines seizures & cardiac difficulties/damage because of its narrow therapeutic window meaning safe usage requires taking just enough but not exceeding/falling behind a certain threshold amount.

Anticonvulsants

Anticonvulsants work differently than lithium carbonate by blocking specific receptors inside nerve cells referred to channels for calcium that increase/decrease electrical signal outputs sent across neural highways and thereby influence those nervous system activities prone worsening bipolar conditions instead increasing reactivity via positive activation without resolving inhibitory actions quickly returned back down in response stave off excess impulsivity fluctuating moods either way efficiently – this effect ensures better regulation over time leading dramatic improvements even throughout some cycles.

Two popular anticonvulsants used as mood stabilizers for bipolar are valproic acid and carbamazepine. Both have a high efficacy rate but also tend to cause some side effects like headache, nausea, vomiting, and weight gain.

Atypical Antipsychotics

Atypicals refers to medications outside the older class known an as fractioning drugs alongside current forefront medication changes/developments – coining of this term deserves its own glorification; however it is imperative we move on with present moments related BD treatment procedures!

These newer medicines (also referred to as second-generation) work by hindering dopamine activity- chemical transmitting message functionality in brain through G-protein coupled receptors that research has shown plays key roles within affecting individual’s decision processes/reward perception /expressions among other things associated with behavior influencing overall mood swings quality reduces symptoms such as recurrent manic/hypo-maniac breakdowns significant depression periods. Some atypical antipsychotic medications commonly prescribed these days include:

  • Olanzapine
  • Risperidone
  • Quetiapine

Although most of these drugs produce excellent results in their usage & an efficient strategy promoting stable mental health yet too excessive medical prescriptions can cause sudden substantial weight gain/metabolic syndrome tied-in few cases directly diabetes+anticholinergic action adverse fallouts interactions producing muscle spasms/dystonias or even potential impact QT prolongation cardiac risks especially when mixed taking stimulants.

Conclusion

It is important to understand that every person experiences bipolar differently from another person due many issues ranging from environmental surroundings caused traumatic events genetics hormonal imbalances & response reactions medicine so before deciding which medication would be suitable always talk openly together about treatment options psychiatric doctors thoroughly informing any medicinal history. Lithium carbonate seems best suited fulfilling expectations based on efficiency/cost-benefit analysis between different types available there must always exist patient compliance according to their unique situation.

As always, we recommend that you seek out the guidance of a trained healthcare professional before commencing medication or stopping any ongoing treatments.

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