Bipolar disorder is a serious mental condition, but treatment options exist that may alleviate some symptoms and enhance quality of life. Alternative therapies may help alleviate symptoms while increasing quality of life.
Research suggests that meditation and cognitive-based mindfulness therapies may be helpful in alleviating depression for people living with bipolar disorder. Acupuncture, yoga and various dietary supplements such as choline, St John’s Wort and inositol may also reduce depression levels.
Exercise
Psychotherapy, medication and lifestyle management are the three pillars of treatment for mood disorders. Exercise falls under lifestyle management; its purpose being lightening depression while redirecting excess energy during mania or hypomania as well as relieving stress.
Madison (not her real name), a Toronto resident with bipolar 1 disorder, practices exercise twice each week through resistance training and cardio. “I like feeling physically exhausted when working out; it reminds me of my strength to overcome obstacles,” she states.
Exercise’s benefits extend far beyond just improving mood; it can also lower cardiovascular disease and obesity risks among people living with mood disorders due to higher rates of obesity and inactivity compared with the general population. Exercise can lower this increased risk by improving cardiovascular health as well as overall functioning in those suffering from depression or bipolar disorder comorbid with depression or bipolar disorder.
Studies suggest that exercise can have a beneficial impact on depressive and manic symptoms when taken alongside antipsychotic medication, even when not used alone. Yet its effect on these symptoms remains poorly researched – we need further studies on this front to ascertain their impact. Specifically regarding session length, frequency, intensity, etc… further investigations must be performed to ascertain these variables’ contribution towards decreasing symptomatology.
One study demonstrated that bipolar disorder participants who were prescribed antipsychotics but not lithium showed more significant improvement in both depressive and manic symptoms when engaging in regular aerobic exercise for six months than those who didn’t exercise regularly at all. Note: this result comes from a retrospective cohort pilot study; further rigorous investigations should be performed in order to confirm these results.
Exercise can be challenging for those living with Bipolar Disorder to begin and continue, due to either lack of motivation or adverse side effects from medications. Furthermore, exercising during a manic episode is especially challenging due to high arousal levels and impaired judgment; hence future studies should take this into consideration when designing and evaluating exercise-based interventions for BD.
Meditation
Meditation has been demonstrated to decrease stress, boost mood and heighten self-awareness – all qualities which may help bipolar sufferers manage symptoms more effectively. Furthermore, it may serve as an adjunct treatment to medication and psychotherapy therapies; further research suggests meditation could even enhance mood stability by decreasing manic episodes and speeding recovery after depressive episodes.
Meditation is an age-old practice with roots in Asian traditions that has now spread worldwide for spiritual and health reasons. Meditation serves to bring one into the present moment while practicing tranquillity and compassion – helping people manage emotions better as well as improve relationships. There are different types of meditation, from focusing on breath to visualization techniques; people living with bipolar can especially benefit from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) programs which incorporate several components of meditation practice into therapy programs.
Meditation involves concentrating on your breathing and being aware of any feelings and sensations that arise, without trying to suppress thoughts or suppress emotions; you simply observe without judgment, gently redirecting attention back towards breathing when it wanders off track. Studies have demonstrated how meditation can lead to physical changes in brain structures related to emotional regulation and stress management.
Studies conducted between CBMT and mindfulness-based meditation revealed positive effects in terms of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder symptoms control, better sleep quality, high blood pressure control and heart rate improvement; combined, the two practices proved more successful than either individually.
Meditation may provide great benefit for those living with bipolar, but it’s essential that they consult their healthcare team regarding how best to incorporate meditation into their treatment. Furthermore, some meditation practices have the potential of inducing psychosis in some individuals with bipolar so it should not be undertaken if this risk exists – however there are ways of moderating this practice without increasing this risk, including by excluding abstract philosophies like cosmic energy or chakras from one’s practice.
Sunlight
Researchers say a sunny room can help improve mood and possibly ease bipolar symptoms, researchers report. Although sunlight-based therapy differs from bright light therapy used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), recent research shows sun lamps positively influenced body regulation of both melatonin (which regulates sleep-wake cycle), as well as serotonin, which regulates emotions by relaying messages between neurons in your body.
Alternate and complementary therapies such as exercise, meditation and sleep management are often combined with psychotherapy to treat bipolar disorder. While such approaches may help some individuals, they should not be seen as replacements for prescribed medication.
Talk therapy (also referred to as psychotherapy) is an essential part of treating bipolar disorder. It helps adults and children to better understand their illness while learning coping strategies, as well as learning the signs of an imminent mood shift and what steps they need to take in order to remain safe.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, may help individuals identify and challenge any unhelpful thoughts or beliefs which are fuelling mood swings, as well as providing effective coping skills and healthy ways of handling stress such as engaging in hobbies and developing strong relationships.
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy focuses on creating stable daily routines around eating, sleeping and exercise to stave off depression or mania. Furthermore, this therapy addresses relationship problems which may exacerbate mood episodes due to substance abuse or poor parenting practices.
Patients living with bipolar disorder should actively pursue supportive communities and foster meaningful relationships outside of therapy sessions in order to feel less alone and better able to cope with their condition. Such relationships may provide emotional support during manic or depressive episodes as well as encourage adherence with prescribed medication regimens.
Other treatment options for bipolar disorder may include medication, light therapy and psychotherapy or talk therapies such as psychodynamic psychotherapy or interpersonal psychotherapy. Medication can come in pill form, injectable form or be inhaled with a nebulizer. Even when feeling better, people living with bipolar should continue taking their medicines in order to remain stable and avoid returning symptoms. In certain instances, an intensive outpatient program or partial hospitalization program may be required in order to bring symptoms under control.
Diet
Alternative therapies have not been proven to assist those living with bipolar. However, healthy diet, ample sleep and physical activity may reduce symptoms and mood swings. Speak to a healthcare professional prior to trying any unorthodox therapies so they can assess whether they’re safe and how they might impact medication use.
Bipolar disorder is treated primarily with medications and psychotherapy (talk therapy). Mood-stabilizing medicines like lithium (Lithobid), divalproic acid or carbamazepine (Tegretol XR, Equetro, etc) may reduce mania and decrease suicide risks while antidepressants help alleviate depression symptoms. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which uses electrical currents to cause temporary seizures that alter brain chemistry changes rapidly, may also be necessary as an alternate measure. ECT can only be taken by those unable to use antidepressants due to health concerns;
Nontraditional therapies for treating bipolar disorder have proven helpful, though more research needs to be done. Examples of such therapies are light therapy, St John’s Wort, Rhodiola rosea, omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), yoga, acupuncture and mindfulness therapies – however keeping a journal describing your moods, treatments, sleep and activities will allow you to better identify patterns and triggers.
Joining a support group for people living with bipolar disorder can also be invaluable in maintaining wellness. You may learn stress management techniques that help build healthier relationships; quitting alcohol or street drugs altogether may even improve your mood while helping prevent negative side effects such as risk-taking behavior or relationship troubles from these substances.
