Abstract Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or also known as manic-depression have been closely studied and researched for many years. Due to the inability to find one or any specific gene that contributes to this disorder it has been a long and difficult journey into the understanding of manic-depressive illness. With the contributions of many scientist and researchers slowly the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder is becoming more clear. The use of lithium and other forms of treatment such as the integration of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy have facilitated substantial results in the lives of patients and families living with this disorder. Without the continual research into such mood disorders such as manic-depressive illness assumptions may become fact, which will in turn misconstrue the meaning behind this disorder. Understanding Bipolar Disorder And the Different Aspects of Treatment A growing body of research has indicated that as many as three million people in the United States are estimated to suffer from Bipolar Disorder or also known as Manic-Depression (Bower,2000). This condition is marked by periods of severe depression interspersed with episodes of un

was not only important on the medicinal level but has given relief to bipolar patients and their families, and the economic benefits to the wider community has been estimated that from 1970 to 1994 saved the United States alone over $145 billion dollars in hospitalization costs. Moreover, the research suggests that better recovery is possible when psychotherapy is used in conjunction with pharmacotherapy, however clearly pharmacotherapy is the foundation treatment. To enhance long-term compliance, the clinician must adjust the treatment in order to minimize side effects and monitor the dosage for optimal results. Furthermore, since lithium treatment prevents both manic and depressive relapses, one may visualize lithium as exerting a regulating or stabilizing effect on those metabolic processes that at times are out of balance in the brains of manic-depressive patients. The day will presumably come when scientists and researchers succeed in finding the solution, and this may lead to development of treatments with a still higher response.

controllable elation, restlessness, racing thoughts and delusions. As expected with these symptoms, this diseases not only affects the person who has the disease, but those around them. Many treatments have been used to try and calm the effects of this disorder, however only one treatment seems to be working the best and this treatment is know as Lithium chloride

moods. These different moods swings are mainly controlled by the drug Lithium. Lithium treatment was introduced into psychiatry approximately 50 years ago by John Cade, but was not approved by the Federal Drug Administration until the 1970’s (Dunner, 2000). Since then lithium has become established for the treatment of acute mania and for maintenance treatment for patients who have bipolar I and bipolar II disorder. Lithium is administered orally to those patients who are willing to take it. Dunner (2000) note

Some topics in this essay:
Manic-Depression Bower2000, Drug Administration, Psychiatric Association, John Cade’s, Abstract Mood, bipolar disorder, Aspects Treatment, Lithium Lithium, Bipolar Disorder, lithium treatment, pharmacotherapy psychotherapy, dunner 2000, patients families, manic-depressive illness, John Cade, family bipolar disorder, kolata 1986, patients bipolar, integration pharmacotherapy, treatment patients, integration pharmacotherapy psychotherapy, bipolar disorder manic-depression,