Alternative Treatments For Bipolar Disorder

There are numerous treatment options available for those who have bipolar disorder. The usual course of treatment is a combination of medication and therapy. There are also several alternative manic depression treatments.

Phototherapy, also known as light therapy and light box therapy, is the use of light to treat disorders. Light therapy may be used for short periods to alleviate the severity or shorten the length of a depressive episode. The advantages of light therapy include the fact that it is non-invasive with relatively few and minor side effects. Additionally, a significant number of people respond very quickly to this treatment. The disadvantages of using light therapy to treat bipolar disorder are the possibility it can trigger a manic episode. There is also the daily commitment of time and the monetary investment in the equipment.

Herbal remedies are sometimes touted as manic depression treatments. Lecithin and the amino acids, L-Taurine and GABA, are considered mood-stabilizing substances. B-complex vitamins, folic acid, Magnesium, manganese, calcium, and zinc are said to fight depression. Other vitamins and minerals are thought to help with depression. Some of these vitamins and minerals can be found in multivitamins. The effectiveness of these in controlling bipolar disorder is questionable at best. No studies have proven the effectiveness of herbal remedies in treating bipolar disorder. Using herbal remedies alone or in conjunction with medication can be dangerous. Allowing a condition like bipolar disorder to remain untreated effectively by medication can expose the patient to the threat of suicide. Also, bipolar disorder tends to worsen when left untreated. St. John’s Wort is a home remedy for depression that can be lethal when taken in combination with antidepressants.

Omega-3 has shown to be helpful in managing the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in fish, fish oil and flaxseeds. Researchers would not suggest using Omega-3 as a first line treatment, but would try it for patients who failed to improve with other medications. Omega-3 should only be used alone in patients with a very mild form of bipolar disorder.

There is a surgery that can be a used to treat bipolar disorder that fails to be controlled by any other means. Bilateral cingulotomy is a surgical procedure that could be performed in cases of treatment-resistant bipolar disorder and major depression. Only when psychotherapeutic techniques, medication, and possibly electroconvulsive therapy have been unsuccessful in relieving the patient's condition should psychosurgery be evaluated as an option. This surgery targets the cingulate gyrus, which is a small area in the brain connecting the limbic system that is involved with many emotions, and the frontal lobes, whose functions include reasoning, impulse control, and judgment.

Candidates for cingulotomies or other forms of psychosurgery undergo a rigorous screening process to ensure that all possible non-surgical psychiatric treatment options have been explored. Studies show that as many as 62% of patients with severe affective disorders achieved "worthwhile improvement" from the surgery. As with any type of brain surgery, psychosurgery carries the risk of permanent brain damage, though the use of non-invasive neurosurgical techniques, such as the gamma knife, which uses focused beams of radiation to produce an incision, has significantly reduced the risk of brain damage. Side effects of this psychosurgery include deficits of focused and sustained attention as well as mild executive dysfunction.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and acupuncture are experimental therapies being studied as possible alternatives to medications to treat bipolar disorder. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used to effectively relieve symptoms of major depression. The only side effect is a mild headache. Acupuncture is used to treat a large variety of ailments. It is being studied to determine how useful it can be in treating bipolar disorder.

When choosing a treatment for manic depression, the individual should educate themselves about the treatment they are considering. No decisions regarding the treatment of bipolar disorder should be made without first consulting a doctor.

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