Treatment focuses on managing acute episodes (manic, hypomanic, and depressive) and on providing maintenance care to prevent acute episodes from recurring. A combination of medication and psychotherapy is often used.
Medications such as mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants are commonly used. However, antidepressants should not be used in people with a history of rapid cycling (≥4 acute episodes within a year).[1][2]
References
- ^Bobo WVThe Diagnosis and Management of Bipolar I and II Disorders: Clinical Practice Update.Mayo Clin Proc.(2017-10)
- ^Yatham LN, Kennedy SH, Parikh SV, Schaffer A, Bond DJ, Frey BN, Sharma V, Goldstein BI, Rej S, Beaulieu S, Alda M, MacQueen G, Milev RV, Ravindran A, O'Donovan C, McIntosh D, Lam RW, Vazquez G, Kapczinski F, McIntyre RS, Kozicky J, Kanba S, Lafer B, Suppes T, Calabrese JR, Vieta E, Malhi G, Post RM, Berk MCanadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder.Bipolar Disord.(2018-03)