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Alternative Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

© Colleen Sullivan

Alternative Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?

It is past twenty years now since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), and to be honest with you, I have always been treated conventionally. My treatment plan has consisted of regular visits to my psychiatrist, medication, visits from a case manager, supportive psychotherapy when needed, hospitalization when necessary, and on one occasion electroshock (ECT) treatments.

I had watched my mom suffer with Manic Depression at a time when no treatment was available, other than ECT and heavy brain numbing anti-psychotic medication. Even though she remained at home she had no real life. The discovery of lithium and anti-depressant medication gave me hope...and it was a hope I clung to. Though not perfect, the treatment gave me periods of normalcy I had never seen in my mother. I wasn't about to go trying anything new!

In recent years there has been more and more discussion among the bipolar population about alternative treatment methods. Many are unhappy with the medication side effects they must endure - the fatigue, memory loss, weight gain and other effects combine to make the individual frustrated with following the treatment prescribed by their doctor. Many others are simply against putting "chemicals" into their body, regardless of how they improve their condition.

The book Prozac Free written by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman, explains the use of homeopathic medicine in the treatment depression, anxiety and other mental and emotional problems. For regular depression they promise a way to throw away the antidepressant medication and live free of the sadness, and gloom of prescription medication, thus eliminating their side effects.

The book also clearly states that in the case of more severe mental illnesses (bipolar affective disorder was specified), that alternative medicine must be used in combination with conservative treatment. Patients symptoms may be alleviated by alternative medicine, they may feel better, but may never be able to stop taking the lithium or other mood stabilizer they need. Drug interactions can also occur. The authors recommend consultation with both a homeopathic practitioner and the patient's own psychiatrist.

The question of whether to change to alternative medicine was posed at Mental Health Info's Ask the Expert web site at http://www.mhsource.com/expert/exp105269.... Please read the reply by clicking on the link.

It appears at this time that alternative treatment for Bipolar Disorder is not really "alternative," but more an adjunctive therapy for those who wish to reduce psychiatric drugs to a minimum. Alternative treatment is not a panacea or a cure, any more than the conventional medications and treatments used today.