There are various nontraditional strategies for treating bipolar disorder, including herbal supplements and mindfulness practices. These may also be combined with counseling services.
Before trying any alternative therapies, be sure to discuss them with your doctor as some could interact with medications you are already taking. BetterHelp’s licensed online counselors can also assist in finding the most appropriate combination of therapies to meet your individual needs.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
ECT is most often used to treat severe depression, but can also help manage bipolar disorder. The procedure involves brief electrical stimulation of the brain while under general anesthesia and has low risk for complications; trained medical professionals such as psychiatrists, anesthesiologists and nurse/physician assistants perform it. Before receiving ECT it’s important to discuss symptoms with your physician who may recommend alternative treatments or other forms of psychotropic care depending on your medical history and symptoms.
ECT treatments typically use either intravenous sedation or general anesthesia depending on your health condition and type of ECT therapy you choose. You should avoid food or drink after midnight on the day prior to treatment, and arrive at the hospital on the morning of your procedure where an IV catheter will be inserted into your arm as well as standard monitoring devices (EKG stickers, blood pressure cuff, pulse-oximeter) will be put into place before proceeding directly into an ECT suite.
Before receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), patients must read and sign a consent form. This document describes the purpose, benefits, risks and side effects of treatment for each person undergoing ECT; either they themselves sign the form, or someone authorised to make decisions on their behalf such as their parent or guardian must.
Many individuals with bipolar disorder also turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques in addition to traditional psychopharmaceuticals for help managing mood swings. Nutritional supplements, acupuncture, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy are all proven ways of relieving mood fluctuations associated with bipolar disorder; but before trying any such CAM therapies on your own it is wise to check with a healthcare professional as any new approaches could interact with any medications prescribed to treat their disorder.
When living with bipolar disorder, eating and exercising healthily are of utmost importance in order to maintain a regular sleep schedule and overall better health. Eating healthily also allows you to avoid substances and foods which worsen your mood swings; such as eliminating alcohol, caffeine and unhealthy food from your diet which could worsen symptoms significantly – for instance eliminating alcohol can significantly decrease bipolar symptoms while we work with our clients in teaching the importance of maintaining a balanced diet at Alternative to Meds Center.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Magnetic pulses applied to key areas of the brain may help people suffering from bipolar disorder to overcome depression. This process, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is noninvasive and does not require anesthesia or sedation – many insurance policies cover TMS treatments so consult your physician about this potential solution.
TMS has been shown to alleviate symptoms of bipolar disorder by targeting the prefrontal cortex and resetting brain patterns and pathways leading to mood regulation. With an extremely high success rate and no adverse side effects like traditional medications do, TMS aims at targeting depression’s root causes directly – unlike antidepressants or mood stabilizers which only cover symptoms.
TMS treatment uses a coil placed against the scalp that emits rapidly alternating magnetic fields that pass almost unimpeded through skull bones, producing electric currents to depolarize neurons in the brain. While TMS treatments typically cover large areas of headspace, high frequency TMS can also be targeted to specific locations within brain; for instance, high frequency stimulation usually targets left prefrontal cortex activity while low frequency suppression aims at right prefrontal cortex activity.
A 2020 research study showed that 77% of those receiving TMS treatment responded positively. Individuals meeting response criteria saw their depression scores on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) decrease by 50% or more; considered significant reduction in depression severity.
TMS doesn’t alter your thoughts, feelings or behavior so it is an ideal therapy option for people unable to benefit from medication or talking therapy. Individual response varies; additional sessions may be needed depending on an individual’s response and progress.
Remember that TMS cannot cure bipolar disorder; after a certain amount of time depression will return and TMS may need to be repeated; some individuals may require regular maintenance treatments while others might require booster sessions when experiencing symptoms of depression again.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
MBCT is an alternative therapy that may assist in managing bipolar disorder. This form of meditation involves focusing on the present moment while accepting all thoughts and emotions without judgement or criticism, and letting go of unhelpful beliefs or assumptions that no longer serve us. When practiced regularly, MBCT can improve mental health by decreasing anxiety, depression, mania symptoms as well as increasing cognitive functioning while decreasing relapse rates; it should always be discussed with healthcare providers prior to initiating any therapy regimens.
Studies on MBCT for Borderline Personality Disorder patients have been mixed, with some studies being inconclusive while others not providing enough details to properly assess its efficacy in treating BD patients. Still, research findings indicate that it can improve emotional regulation and cognitive functioning among those living with this condition.
Recent studies revealed that participants with BD who received eight weeks of MBCT experienced significant and sustained improvements across a range of cognitive functions, including attention, executive functioning and memory. Furthermore, this treatment group experienced greater decreases in depression and anxiety; also better overall function and self-efficacy compared with waitlist control groups.
These findings align with previous research on MBCT, which indicates its ability to improve mood and reduce relapse risk among BD patients. More specifically, it improves emotional regulation by decreasing physiological reactivity to negative stimuli while simultaneously decreasing SCR amplitude for negative stimuli; furthermore it decreases dysfunctional attitudes associated with relapse (Atuk & Richardson 2020).
The results of the current review demonstrate that MBCT can significantly improve cognitive functioning in those living with bipolar disorder and reduce symptom severity, particularly when combined with pharmacotherapy. Furthermore, it seems to prevent manic symptoms in those already suffering from them before treatment began; however this review was limited by small sample size of studies which limited statistical power as well as prevented mediation/moderation analyses being implemented.
Additionally, studies examining MBCT utilized various measures of cognitive functioning that made comparing outcomes across studies more challenging. Furthermore, many of them compared MBCT with non-mindfulness-related control conditions that did not incorporate mindfulness exercises.
Social rhythm therapy
Studies have demonstrated that individuals living with bipolar disorder typically display altered social rhythms. These rhythms are linked with daily activities and habits which help the body regulate its circadian rhythm; disruptions to these routines may trigger mood episodes. Therapy designed to alter these patterns may reduce relapses while improving responses to medications and also teach patients how to prevent symptoms from returning.
Social rhythm therapy (SRRT) is a psychosocial treatment approach designed to encourage individuals to establish and adhere to daily routines that are medically healthy. The therapy’s approach centers on the “social zeitgeber,” or how people’s routines impact mood and behavior; additionally, regular sleep, eating and exercise schedules are highly encouraged as part of its practice. In order to make use of it effectively, clinicians take an in-depth history from clients in order to ascertain root causes of mood disturbance and potential contributors of rhythm dysregulation; during an initial session clients learn how to record these habits using an instrument called Social Rhythm Metric.
In an intermediate session, clients learn how to address life events that disrupt their normal rhythm, such as job loss, relocations or major relationship changes. IPSRT incorporates aspects of interpersonal psychotherapy – an effective treatment for depression that has also proven successful at preventing recurrence – into its protocol for treating role transitions, role disputes and interpersonal deficits and sensitivities.
The final stage of IPSRT treatment focuses on maintaining healthy habits and routines through maintenance sessions with clients, where they practice skills they learned during treatment. Therapists tend to schedule less frequent maintenance visits until treatment has concluded – often one or two visits monthly are sufficient.
Relapses for individuals living with bipolar disorder often arise when their daily routine changes, as these changes can trigger depressive and manic symptoms that interfere with daily activities and cause strain in relationships. Luckily, alternative therapies can provide much-needed support in managing these symptoms while helping restore stability to one’s social and biological rhythms. Studies have also revealed that using complementary approaches together with medication significantly enhances effectiveness of treatment.
