While sodium and potassium are the sixth and seventh most abundant elements on Earth respectively, comprising 2.6% and 2.4% of the planet’s known elemental mass, lithium,  is much less abundant, and therefore, figures for its part of Earth’s known elemental mass are measured in parts per million (ppm). The total lithium in Earth’s crust is about 17 ppm. Swedish chemist Johan August Arfvedson (1792-1841) discovered lithium in 1817, and named it after the Greek word for “stone.” Four years later, another scientist named W. T. Brande succeeded in isolating the highly reactive metal. Most of the lithium available on Earth’s crust is bound up with aluminum and silica in minerals. Since the time of its discovery, lithium has been used in lubricants, glass, and in alloys of lead, aluminum, and magnesium. In glass, it acts as a strengthening agent; likewise, metal alloys that contain lithium tend to be stronger, yet less dense. In 1994, physicist Jeff Dahn of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, developed a lithium battery. Not only was the battery cheaper to produce than the traditional variety, Dahn and his colleagues announced, but the disposal of used lithium batteries presented less danger to the environment. One of the most striking uses of lithium occurred in 1932, when English physicist John D. Cockcroft (1897-1967) and Irish physicist Ernest Walton (1903-1995) built the first particle accelerator. By bombarding lithium atoms, they produced highly energized alpha particles. This was the first nuclear reaction brought about by the use of artificially accelerated particles, in other words, without the need for radioactive materials such as uranium-235. Cockcroft’s and Walton’s experiment with lithium thus proved pivotal to the later creation of the atomic bomb.

The most important application of lithium, however, is in treatment for the psychiatric condition once known as manic depression, today identified as bipolar disorder. Persons suffering from bipolar disorder tend toward mood swings: during some periods the patient is giddy (“manic,” or in a condition of “mania”), and during others the person is suicidal. Indeed, prior to the development of lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder, as many as one in five patients with this condition committed suicide. Doctors do not know exactly how lithium does what it does, but it obviously works: between 70% and 80% of patients with the bipolar condition respond well to treatment, and are able to go on with their lives in such a way that their condition is no longer outwardly evident. Lithium is also administered to patients who suffer unipolar depression and some forms of schizophrenia.

It is said that the great Greco-Roman physician Galen (129-c. 199) counseled patients suffering from “mania” to bathe in, and even drink the water from, alkaline springs. If so, he was nearly 2,000 years ahead of his time. Even in the 1840s, not long after lithium was discovered, the mineral—mixed with carbonate or citrate—was touted as a cure for insomnia, gout, epilepsy, diabetes, and even cancer. None of these alleged cures proved a success; nor did a lithium chloride treatment administered in the 1940s as a salt substitute for patients on low-sodium diets. As it turned out, when not enough sodium is present, the body experiences a buildup of sodium’s sister element, lithium. The result was poisoning, which in some cases proved fatal.

Then in 1949, Australian psychiatrist John Cade discovered the value of lithium for psychiatric treatment. He approached the problem from an entirely different angle, experimenting with uric acid, which he believed to be a cause of manic behavior. In administering the acid to guinea pigs, he added lithium salts merely to keep the uric acid soluble—and was very surprised by what he discovered. The uric acid did not make the guinea pigs manic, as he had expected; instead, they became exceedingly calm. Cade changed the focus of his research, and tested lithium treatment on ten manic patients. Again, the results were astounding: one patient who had suffered from an acute bipolar disorder (as it is now known) for five years was released from the hospital after three months of lithium treatment, and went on to lead a healthy, normal life. Encouraged by the changes he had seen in patients who received lithium, Cade published a report on his findings in the Medical Journal of Australia, but his work had little impact at the time. Nor did the idea of lithium treatment meet with an enthusiastic reception on the other side of the Pacific: in the aftermath of the failed experiments with lithium as a sodium substitute in the 1940s, stories of lithium poisoning were widespread in the United States.

Were it not for the efforts of Danish physician Mogens Schou, lithium might never have taken hold in the medical community. During the 1950s and 1960s, Schou campaigned tirelessly for recognition of lithium as a treatment for manic-depressive illness. Finally during the 1960s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began conducting trials of lithium, and approved its use in 1974. Today some 200,000 Americans receive lithium treatments. A non-addictive and non-sedating medication, lithium—as evidenced by the failed experiment in the 1940s—may still be dangerous in large quantities. It is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and carried to all tissues in the brain and body before passing through the kidneys. Both lithium and sodium are excreted through the kidneys, and since sodium affects lithium excretion, it is necessary to maintain a proper quantity of sodium in the body. For this reason, patients on lithium are cautioned to avoid a low-salt diet.

Dr.Badruddin Khan

While sodium and potassium are the sixth and seventh most abundant elements on Earth respectively, comprising 2.6% and 2.4% of the planet’s known elemental mass, lithium,  is much less abundant, and therefore, figures for its part of Earth’s known elemental mass are measured in parts per million (ppm). The total lithium in Earth’s crust is about 17 ppm. Swedish chemist Johan August Arfvedson (1792-1841) discovered lithium in 1817, and named it after the Greek word for “stone.” Four years later, another scientist named W. T. Brande succeeded in isolating the highly reactive metal. Most of the lithium available on Earth’s crust is bound up with aluminum and silica in minerals. Since the time of its discovery, lithium has been used in lubricants, glass, and in alloys of lead, aluminum, and magnesium. In glass, it acts as a strengthening agent; likewise, metal alloys that contain lithium tend to be stronger, yet less dense. In 1994, physicist Jeff Dahn of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, developed a lithium battery. Not only was the battery cheaper to produce than the traditional variety, Dahn and his colleagues announced, but the disposal of used lithium batteries presented less danger to the environment. One of the most striking uses of lithium occurred in 1932, when English physicist John D. Cockcroft (1897-1967) and Irish physicist Ernest Walton (1903-1995) built the first particle accelerator. By bombarding lithium atoms, they produced highly energized alpha particles. This was the first nuclear reaction brought about by the use of artificially accelerated particles, in other words, without the need for radioactive materials such as uranium-235. Cockcroft’s and Walton’s experiment with lithium thus proved pivotal to the later creation of the atomic bomb.

The most important application of lithium, however, is in treatment for the psychiatric condition once known as manic depression, today identified as bipolar disorder. Persons suffering from bipolar disorder tend toward mood swings: during some periods the patient is giddy (“manic,” or in a condition of “mania”), and during others the person is suicidal. Indeed, prior to the development of lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder, as many as one in five patients with this condition committed suicide. Doctors do not know exactly how lithium does what it does, but it obviously works: between 70% and 80% of patients with the bipolar condition respond well to treatment, and are able to go on with their lives in such a way that their condition is no longer outwardly evident. Lithium is also administered to patients who suffer unipolar depression and some forms of schizophrenia.

It is said that the great Greco-Roman physician Galen (129-c. 199) counseled patients suffering from “mania” to bathe in, and even drink the water from, alkaline springs. If so, he was nearly 2,000 years ahead of his time. Even in the 1840s, not long after lithium was discovered, the mineral—mixed with carbonate or citrate—was touted as a cure for insomnia, gout, epilepsy, diabetes, and even cancer. None of these alleged cures proved a success; nor did a lithium chloride treatment administered in the 1940s as a salt substitute for patients on low-sodium diets. As it turned out, when not enough sodium is present, the body experiences a buildup of sodium’s sister element, lithium. The result was poisoning, which in some cases proved fatal.

Then in 1949, Australian psychiatrist John Cade discovered the value of lithium for psychiatric treatment. He approached the problem from an entirely different angle, experimenting with uric acid, which he believed to be a cause of manic behavior. In administering the acid to guinea pigs, he added lithium salts merely to keep the uric acid soluble—and was very surprised by what he discovered. The uric acid did not make the guinea pigs manic, as he had expected; instead, they became exceedingly calm. Cade changed the focus of his research, and tested lithium treatment on ten manic patients. Again, the results were astounding: one patient who had suffered from an acute bipolar disorder (as it is now known) for five years was released from the hospital after three months of lithium treatment, and went on to lead a healthy, normal life. Encouraged by the changes he had seen in patients who received lithium, Cade published a report on his findings in the Medical Journal of Australia, but his work had little impact at the time. Nor did the idea of lithium treatment meet with an enthusiastic reception on the other side of the Pacific: in the aftermath of the failed experiments with lithium as a sodium substitute in the 1940s, stories of lithium poisoning were widespread in the United States.

Were it not for the efforts of Danish physician Mogens Schou, lithium might never have taken hold in the medical community. During the 1950s and 1960s, Schou campaigned tirelessly for recognition of lithium as a treatment for manic-depressive illness. Finally during the 1960s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began conducting trials of lithium, and approved its use in 1974. Today some 200,000 Americans receive lithium treatments. A non-addictive and non-sedating medication, lithium—as evidenced by the failed experiment in the 1940s—may still be dangerous in large quantities. It is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and carried to all tissues in the brain and body before passing through the kidneys. Both lithium and sodium are excreted through the kidneys, and since sodium affects lithium excretion, it is necessary to maintain a proper quantity of sodium in the body. For this reason, patients on lithium are cautioned to avoid a low-salt diet.

Dr.Badruddin Khan

You’ve probably heard numerous times that you should eat wild fish or take your fish oil supplements, but what is fish oil good for exactly? And why do so many studies tout it? Check out this top ten to see how the benefits of fish oil are just as critical as they are amazing.
Top 10 Fish Oil Benefits For Staying Healthy
1. Fish oil provides omega 3s that our cells need to work properly. The omega 3 essential fatty acids in fish oil — DHA and EPA — are necessary for optimum functioning of our bodies and minds, and ultimately, our long-term health. When we don’t get them (as in most Western diets), our bodies can’t run properly and start to break down.
2. Fish oil promotes heart health by protecting against heart disease. Many studies show that fish oil benefits our hearts. A recent five-year Japanese study found that fish oil supplements reduce cholesterol levels and yield a 19% heart disease risk reduction. Italian researchers found that fish oil supplements create a 45% reduction in the rate of sudden cardiac death.
3. Omega 3 fish oil benefits you by protecting against cancer. When cells are “well-oiled,” they flourish, reducing risk of abnormal cell proliferation and thereby reducing cancer risk. In other words, healthy cells with sufficient omega 3s are strong cells that don’t let cancer cells thrive.
4. Fish oil keeps inflammation down. Without omega 3s, cells can’t keep inflammation down. Some researchers believe that when inflammation is chronic, further cell function is impeded, creating the underlying cause of most of today’s major diseases, like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
5. Fish oil benefits your eyesight. Fatty acids keep nerve cells in your eyes functioning properly and reduce risk for age-related blindness and vision loss. In fact, studies show that people who eat the most fish have the fewest eye problems.
6. Fish oil benefits your intelligence/brain power. The brain is made up of mostly fat (60%) and most of that fat is DHA. DHA is necessary for healthy communication between the brain and nervous system. When it’s not there, the system breaks down.
7. Omega 3 fish oil benefits by balancing out omega 6s. Omega 3s decrease inflammation; omega 6s increase inflation. And the two need to be in balance. Due to the increase in soy bean oil (it’s in most processed foods) and other items in Western diets, we get many omega 6s and not enough omega 3s.
8. Fish oil benefits your mood — from depression to bipolar disorder to your basic happiness quotient. Not getting enough omega 3 is linked to major psychological problems, like bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse and ADHD. A recent study shows that omega 3s benefit everyone’s psychological health, right down to simple mood swings. In fact, fish oil has been shown to lift depression more effectively than prescription meds.
9. Fish oil benefits weight loss. Omega 3s help curb hunger, burn fat and reduce excess body fat at a very quick rate helping you achieve and maintain a lean body.
10. Fish oil benefits your quality of life. As many studies show, in countries where people eat plenty of oily fish — like Japan where people eat eight to 15 times more than in western cultures — people have fewer heart problems and live longer, even though they smoke more!

Nicole Schubert

New research indicates that people with serious mental illness — which include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major clinical depression — die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population. Sixty percent of premature deaths in persons with schizophrenia are due to medical conditions such as cardiovascular, pulmonary and infectious disease.

Unfortunately, people with serious mental illness also suffer from a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors, in particular obesity and tobacco use. Compounding this problem, people with serious mental illness have poorer access to established monitoring and treatment guidelines for physical health conditions.

Our nation?s healthcare system tends to be fragmented, with increased reliance on specialists who address very focused aspects of the health/illness continuum.

Fragmentation is most notable in the separation between the treatment for mental and physical illnesses. This separation is an artifact of how services have been funded historically, with the preponderance of funding for mental illness treatment coming from states and directed toward state psychiatric facilities that were often — literally and figuratively — far away from the mainstream of medical delivery.
What Can Be Done to Address this Tragedy?

There are solutions to this epidemic of premature death and morbidity among persons with mental illness. Policy makers can provide the policies, resources, and leadership to close this gap. We will have accomplished this goal when we can say that:

- Adequate funding is available to allow every provider of public mental health services to assess the physical health status as well as mental status of clients served in the public mental health system.

- States are learning from and following the examples of states such as Missouri and Louisiana, which are implementing primary care medical home initiatives with explicit mechanisms and financing integrated treatment between the mental health and primary care providers for coordination of services.

- State legislatures can create the policy infrastructure through statute or regulation to ensure that there is a strong working partnership between community mental health and community health provider organizations. These policies can define roles for these organizations, establish referral protocols, or allow for the cross-placement and reimbursement of clinical staff.

Disease Management: Another Promising Approach

Usual medical care often fails to meet the needs of chronically ill patients, even in managed, integrated delivery systems. The medical literature suggests strategies to improve outcomes in these patients. Effective interventions tend to fall into one of five areas: the use of evidence-based, planned care; reorganization of practice systems and provider roles; improved patient self-management support; increased access to expertise; and greater availability of clinical information. The challenge is to organize these components into an integrated system of chronic illness care. One approach to meeting these goals is through the creation of disease management programs.

Disease management (DM) is an approach to care coordination for individuals with chronic or persistent medical conditions for two important reasons: improved quality of care and decreased cost. Quality is improved because treatment is coordinated across the spectrum of care for individuals with these conditions using evidence-based practice guidelines and education on illness self-management. States have also been able to reduce costs through this approach.
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) issued a letter to state Medicaid directors encouraging the adoption of DM. Currently, DM is now widely used in states for asthma, diabetes, hypertension and other persistent medical conditions, and increasingly for enrollees with serious mental illnesses.

Washington State Example

On June 28, CMS approved a state plan amendment (SPA) for Washington State that uses the Benchmark Plan option to offer regular Medicaid State plan services plus disease management (DM) services to adult Medicaid recipients with complex medical needs. The benchmark State plan option provides States with the opportunity to offer an alternative benefit package to beneficiaries without regard to comparability of services, a traditional Medicaid requirement.
Medicaid recipients statewide will be identified by a contractor based on claims history, referred by a provider, or may be self-referred. Eligible recipients include those who are diagnosed with certain chronic medical conditions, including: diabetes, heart failure, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, and chronic pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions and other chronic illnesses, including co-morbid depression and/or anxiety.

In addition to the traditional State Medicaid plan services, individuals enrolled in the DM program will receive assistance in locating a primary care provider (“Medical Home”) and additional benefits tailored to specific health needs, including:

- Condition-specific education;

- Access to a nurse call line;

- Regularly scheduled telephonic health care management and support; and

- Care coordination, including feedback to the primary care physician.

Linda Rosenberg
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/an-avoidable-tragedy-the-relationship-of-premature-death-and-serious-mental-illness-696271.html

If you have bipolar disorder, you will probably need medication. You may need it for the rest of your life. That can be hard to accept. Some people see medication as a crutch or a weakness; instead they want to get better on their own.

But you have to remember that bipolar disorder is a real medical illness. It’s not something you can cure with willpower. Taking bipolar disorder medication is just like taking medication for high blood pressure or heart disease.Medication can be like a pair of glasses. Bipolar disorder distorts your view of things; medication may allow you to see clearly again.

While your diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder may leave you feeling relieved on one hand because you finally know what is wrong, but more worried on the other, know that you are on the right path. Once your doctor or therapist has diagnosed your disorder, you can gain the knowledge you need to learn to deal with your disorder. Along with suggesting some lifestyle changes, your doctor may start you on a regimen of medicine to help control your symptoms.

There are several medicines available to help Bipolar Disorder, but in order for them to be effective, they must be taken exactly as your doctor prescribes. Here are some of the Bipolar medications your doctor may prescribe. The first medication used to treat Bipolar Disorder, and still prescribed today, is Lithium.

First used in the 1950′s, Lithium was not actually approved for use in Bipolar disorder until the 1970′s. Once your doctor prescribes Lithium, it will probably take about one week to start working and may take up to three weeks before you feel the full benefits. Along with its mood stabilizing abilities, Lithium users may also experience hair loss, thyroid problems and swelling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medicines to help with the side effects of this Bipolar medicine.

Another type of Bipolar medicine often prescribed to help stabilize moods includes medicines originally formulated as anticonvulsants. These include drugs such as Depakote or Tegretol. Like Lithium, these drugs may also take up to three weeks to completely control your Bipolar symptoms.

Reported side effects include mild stomach cramps, hair loss, and sleepiness or grogginess during the day. The higher your medication dose, the more problems you may have with daytime sleepiness. Users of these medicines often report turning to coffee to help counteract this side effect.

A newer class of drugs now being used to treat the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder is called the psychotropic medicines. There are several drugs in this class that will help reduce chance of experiencing a manic phase and may even bring about a remission in your symptoms. The Bipolar medicine in this class offers a lower risk of weight gain as well as a lower risk of developing diabetes than some other treatments.

One note of caution about most Bipolar medications – they can be very dangerous to pregnant women. If you are a woman who wants to become pregnant or has just become pregnant, tell your doctor. He or she can help you to assess the risks to you and your baby and together you can decide how to progress with your treatment.

There are many types of Bipolar medicine on the market today. While some may produce desirable results in one patient, they may not help another. Some may find the side effects of one medicine intolerable while they do not affect another. Only by working together with your doctor and therapist you can find a medication that best suites you and best controls your symptoms.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/the-perfect-bipolar-medication-fishing-for-the-best-treatment-739511.html

If you have bipolar disorder, you will probably need medication. You may need it for the rest of your life. That can be hard to accept. Some people see medication as a crutch or a weakness; instead they want to get better on their own.

But you have to remember that bipolar disorder is a real medical illness. It’s not something you can cure with willpower. Taking bipolar disorder medication is just like taking medication for high blood pressure or heart disease.Medication can be like a pair of glasses. Bipolar disorder distorts your view of things; medication may allow you to see clearly again.

While your diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder may leave you feeling relieved on one hand because you finally know what is wrong, but more worried on the other, know that you are on the right path. Once your doctor or therapist has diagnosed your disorder, you can gain the knowledge you need to learn to deal with your disorder. Along with suggesting some lifestyle changes, your doctor may start you on a regimen of medicine to help control your symptoms.

There are several medicines available to help Bipolar Disorder, but in order for them to be effective, they must be taken exactly as your doctor prescribes. Here are some of the Bipolar medications your doctor may prescribe. The first medication used to treat Bipolar Disorder, and still prescribed today, is Lithium.

First used in the 1950′s, Lithium was not actually approved for use in Bipolar disorder until the 1970′s. Once your doctor prescribes Lithium, it will probably take about one week to start working and may take up to three weeks before you feel the full benefits. Along with its mood stabilizing abilities, Lithium users may also experience hair loss, thyroid problems and swelling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medicines to help with the side effects of this Bipolar medicine.

Another type of Bipolar medicine often prescribed to help stabilize moods includes medicines originally formulated as anticonvulsants. These include drugs such as Depakote or Tegretol. Like Lithium, these drugs may also take up to three weeks to completely control your Bipolar symptoms.

Reported side effects include mild stomach cramps, hair loss, and sleepiness or grogginess during the day. The higher your medication dose, the more problems you may have with daytime sleepiness. Users of these medicines often report turning to coffee to help counteract this side effect.

A newer class of drugs now being used to treat the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder is called the psychotropic medicines. There are several drugs in this class that will help reduce chance of experiencing a manic phase and may even bring about a remission in your symptoms. The Bipolar medicine in this class offers a lower risk of weight gain as well as a lower risk of developing diabetes than some other treatments.

One note of caution about most Bipolar medications – they can be very dangerous to pregnant women. If you are a woman who wants to become pregnant or has just become pregnant, tell your doctor. He or she can help you to assess the risks to you and your baby and together you can decide how to progress with your treatment.

There are many types of Bipolar medicine on the market today. While some may produce desirable results in one patient, they may not help another. Some may find the side effects of one medicine intolerable while they do not affect another. Only by working together with your doctor and therapist you can find a medication that best suites you and best controls your symptoms.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/the-perfect-bipolar-medication-fishing-for-the-best-treatment-739511.html

If you have bipolar disorder, you will probably need medication. You may need it for the rest of your life. That can be hard to accept. Some people see medication as a crutch or a weakness; instead they want to get better on their own.

But you have to remember that bipolar disorder is a real medical illness. It’s not something you can cure with willpower. Taking bipolar disorder medication is just like taking medication for high blood pressure or heart disease.Medication can be like a pair of glasses. Bipolar disorder distorts your view of things; medication may allow you to see clearly again.

While your diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder may leave you feeling relieved on one hand because you finally know what is wrong, but more worried on the other, know that you are on the right path. Once your doctor or therapist has diagnosed your disorder, you can gain the knowledge you need to learn to deal with your disorder. Along with suggesting some lifestyle changes, your doctor may start you on a regimen of medicine to help control your symptoms.

There are several medicines available to help Bipolar Disorder, but in order for them to be effective, they must be taken exactly as your doctor prescribes. Here are some of the Bipolar medications your doctor may prescribe. The first medication used to treat Bipolar Disorder, and still prescribed today, is Lithium.

First used in the 1950′s, Lithium was not actually approved for use in Bipolar disorder until the 1970′s. Once your doctor prescribes Lithium, it will probably take about one week to start working and may take up to three weeks before you feel the full benefits. Along with its mood stabilizing abilities, Lithium users may also experience hair loss, thyroid problems and swelling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medicines to help with the side effects of this Bipolar medicine.

Another type of Bipolar medicine often prescribed to help stabilize moods includes medicines originally formulated as anticonvulsants. These include drugs such as Depakote or Tegretol. Like Lithium, these drugs may also take up to three weeks to completely control your Bipolar symptoms.

Reported side effects include mild stomach cramps, hair loss, and sleepiness or grogginess during the day. The higher your medication dose, the more problems you may have with daytime sleepiness. Users of these medicines often report turning to coffee to help counteract this side effect.

A newer class of drugs now being used to treat the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder is called the psychotropic medicines. There are several drugs in this class that will help reduce chance of experiencing a manic phase and may even bring about a remission in your symptoms. The Bipolar medicine in this class offers a lower risk of weight gain as well as a lower risk of developing diabetes than some other treatments.

One note of caution about most Bipolar medications – they can be very dangerous to pregnant women. If you are a woman who wants to become pregnant or has just become pregnant, tell your doctor. He or she can help you to assess the risks to you and your baby and together you can decide how to progress with your treatment.

There are many types of Bipolar medicine on the market today. While some may produce desirable results in one patient, they may not help another. Some may find the side effects of one medicine intolerable while they do not affect another. Only by working together with your doctor and therapist you can find a medication that best suites you and best controls your symptoms.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/the-perfect-bipolar-medication-fishing-for-the-best-treatment-739511.html

It’s not uncommon to see a person who suffers from bipolar disorder go undiagnosed for close to eight years. Though proper treatments are available, they are still going undiagnosed or are getting inadequate treatment.

When the illness is left untreated, it can cause an assortment of trouble in the person’s life. It is important they be diagnosed soon as symptoms start so treatment can get started.

There are numerous treatments for bipolar disorder and while some may fail, others are very triumphant in controlling the illness.

Sometimes patients tend to give up on medicines because they feel it’s just not working. This can be dangerous because any lapse from taking the medication can cause a relapse in episodes. Compliance is another factor in the dealing of the disease.

Treatment Stages – Acute and Preventive

In the Acute stage, the idea is to end current depression, hypomanic, mixed mood swings and manic. Preventative measures calls for a continuation in the therapeutic process to handling future episodes.

Medication, psychotherapy and education are all forms of treatment. Medication therapy is important for all of the patients during both stages.
Patients and families can find relief in more than usual bipolar disorder symptoms during psychotherapy sessions.
Because this disease is complex, families and patients need to be aware of what its symptoms are and how it can be managed. Education of this disease is important so people know what to expect.

Despite which treatment the patient, family and physician chooses, the main goal is to decrease the amount of episodes the bipolar person has…prevent it from cycling from each mood stage. It would be beneficial to have the mood disruptions decrease in intensity as well as frequency. This would also help the patient while they are in between episodes.

During talk therapy before medication or other treatment is prescribed, the physician must first identify what caused the initial outburst. The, the doctor will assess for other problems such as emotional or medical that could hinder the patient’s treatment and recovery.

Treatments available

There are several medications that can be used to help bipolar patients in their daily lives.

1. Mood Stabilizers – this is the core of bipolar medicinal treatment. They are efficient in acute stages of depression and even psychotic mania. It can also be used as a maintenance drug. The most commonly prescribed drugs in this area are Lithium and Valporate. The drugs act as a stimulate.

2. Atypical Antipsychotic- this is a mood stabilizer that can also be prescribed for schizophrenia. There are five kinds of medication offered in this treatment. They are: Olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone and ariprazol can be used for bipolar mania and mixed episodes. However, only Quetiapine is only allowed for mixed episodes.
The best thing about the drugs is that they can be used alone or combined with other drugs to help ward of the symptoms of the disease.

3. Antiseizure medications – this is typically given to patients who have rapid bipolar cycling with mixed episodes of mania, depression and those who have suffered from substance abuse. Three antiseizure medicines given are: carbamazepine, lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine.

4. Electroconvulsive therapy – ordered on patients who suffer from acute emotional stages.

5. Sleep Management and Psychotherapy – used with medications for bipolar disorder.

There are side effects with the medication like anything else. Some of these can include: weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes. A diet should be followed and education on dietary intake is necessary. This can help in the reduction of these effects.

With friends and family behind the loved one, then it is possible for the patient to live a “normal” life.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/treating-bipolar-disorder-5-effective-drugs-that-help-739515.html

Similar to everyone else, you probably have an occasional period where you’re down in the dumps. But don’t fret; feeling a little bit down every now and then is normal. But when these low feelings persist, you may be in trouble. If they deepen over time no matter what you’re doing to change them, then chances are that you are truly depressed. True depression occurs as a result of a loss of interest in nearly everything that once gave you pleasure. These pleasure feelings are replaced by an all-consuming feeling of emptiness and numbness which may be related to clinical depression.

Clinical depression is another matter, this form of depression is an intense feeling of sadness that lasts for long periods of time and prevents people from leading a normal life. It is a treatable medical condition and is characterized by persistent and sometimes severe feelings of worthlessness, guilt, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness. There may also be disturbance in sleeping or eating patterns, anxiety, regret, shame, grief, diminished ability to concentrate, and repetitive suicidal thoughts.

Having five or more of these symptoms for a span of two weeks or longer is categorized as clinical depression. However, there are shades of gray when it comes to being emotionally down, from low moods all the way to major depressive episodes. Dysthymia is a lot less severe than depression, but it lingers sometimes for years, allowing people to function adequately but consistently feeling unhappy. Bipolar disorder also causes people to have severe high and low mood swings, while seasonal depression is another form that rounds out the category.

According to a global study, depression may be the most disabling disease in the world. Researchers found that depression can worsen health more than angina, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes. Those who have depression and one or more chronic diseases are in the worst health of all. It is estimated that 19 million American adults are living with major depression, with up to 25 percent experiencing an episode of major depression at some point during their lifetime and women suffering twice as much as men do from major depression.

Suicide is strongly connected to depression and is the third-leading cause of death in 10 to 24 year olds, with most depressed people never seeking treatment. Those who are undiagnosed and untreated allow depression to worsen and last for years of untold suffering. About 15 percent of people with major depression die from committing suicide. Major depression is a life-threatening illness that should be treated by medical experts. There is no test that can diagnose major depression. However, it is important to rule out other medical problems that have similar symptoms as those of depression.

Depression is usually treated with medications and counseling. Natural remedies may also be effective in the treatment of depression, especially in those cases that are mild to moderate. Additionally, many nutritional, environmental, and lifestyle factors are involved and it is important to recognize that these factors are not only important for depression, but also for our total health. Getting people healthy gets them less depressed, generally speaking, and there are three supplements that can help ease the symptoms of depression naturally.

Lithium, which is a prescription drug for bipolar disorder, is a simple mineral with benefits for the nervous system to improve mood and cognition. Since patients with depression often have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and DHA, proper DHA levels are essential for proper functioning of the neurotransmitters. Supplementing with essential fatty acids can help with depression symptoms.

Finally there is SAM-e, a molecule that naturally occurs in the cells of plants and animals, works well as an antidepressant without causing side effects for most people. Always consult your doctor if you suspect you may have clinical depression or when you start any new vitamin supplements with medication and never exceed the recommended doses on the bottle with out a doctors help.

Darrell Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/how-to-lift-your-mood-naturally-with-vitamins-525024.html

Depression can be a fatal illness in the elderly.

Depression is a chronic disease with a very high likelihood of recurrence. Long term treatment may be necessary for your older parent. Efficacious treatments are available.

Major depression strikes about 1 in 12 adolescents. In any given 6-month period, about 5 percent of 9- to 17-year-olds are estimated to be suffering from major depression.

Six million elderly suffer from some form of depression. Their depression tends to be dismissed as inevitable, but in fact is a serious medical condition that can magnify disability and lead to premature death.

Clinical depression can often accompany long-term illnesses that are common in later life, such as diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. Some medications can also trigger clinical depression. Depression is also a common consequence of alcohol problems among older adults.

The number of deaths from suicide each year is greater than the number of deaths from Homicide. Depression is not sadness. In depression, we lose the ability to feel any emotion strongly.The true opposite of depression is vitality the ability to feel a full range of emotions, including happiness, joy, pride, but also including sadness and grief.

Major depression is extreme and persistent and can interfere significantly with an individual’s ability to function, in contrast to the normal emotional experiences of sadness, grief, loss, or passing mood states.

Almost 20 percent of Americans have some form of depression, most without knowing it. They just assume that they can’t win, that their relationships are always trouble and that hopelessness, insomnia, chronic fatigue, and guilt are their lot in life.

In the elderly population, men are nearly six times more likely than women to commit suicide.

Men often deal with depression by withdrawing from others and throwing themselves into their work, engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and/or becoming angry, frustrated and abusive.

Less severe forms of depression are also common among the elderly and can be as debilitating as Major Depressive Disorder.

Mild levels of depression can also impair functioning and coping with chronic illnesses and pain. Depression, however, is not a normal part of aging.

Research findings indicate that women with bipolar disorder may have more depressive episodes and more mixed episodes than do men with the illness.

As many as 80 percent of women experience the “postpartum blues,” a brief period of mood symptoms that is considered normal following childbirth.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, up to one-third of the 3.4 million children and adolescents with depression in the United States may actually be experiencing the early onset of bipolar disorder.

Mental illnesses strike individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are especially vulnerable.

Depression can lead to poor school attendance and performance, running away, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Some teens try to make the pain of depression go away by drinking or taking drugs, which only makes the depression worse. Still others contemplate suicide.

All too often, depression is left untreated because people fail to recognize the symptoms and believe that it is just normal sadness, a phase that a teen is going through, or a sign of weakness. This can be a terrible mistake. It is important to know the symptoms, so that you can distinguish depression from occasional normal sadness or moodiness.

Rachel Broune
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/educating-society-about-depression-and-mental-illness-must-know-facts-250343.html