Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment

Causes of bipolar disorder

While the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known, most scientists believe that bipolar disorder is likely caused by multiple factors that interact with each other to produce a chemical imbalance affecting certain parts of the brain. Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and studies suggest a genetic component to the illness. A stressful environment or negative life events may interact with an underlying genetic or biological vulnerability to produce the disorder. There are other possible “triggers” of bipolar episodes: the treatment of depression with an antidepressant medication may trigger a switch into mania, sleep deprivation may trigger mania, or hypothyroidism may produce depression or mood instability. It is important to note that bipolar episodes can and often do occur without any obvious trigger.

Bipolar disorder treatment

While there is no cure for bipolar disorder, there is bipolar disorder treatment. After an accurate diagnosis, most people can achieve an optimal level of wellness. Medication is an essential element of successful bipolar treatment. In addition, psychosocial therapies including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, and psycho-education are important to help people understand the illness and to internalize skills to cope with the stresses that can trigger episodes. Changes in medications or doses may be necessary, as well as changes in treatment plans during different stages of the illness.

As stated, bipolar disorder is treatable. If the patient has a drug addiction in conjunction with psychiatric disorder, then a dual diagnosis treatment center provides the best opportunity to recover. To locate a dual diagnosis program you can call the national dual diagnosis helpline at 1-800-511-9225.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 3:14 pm and is filed under Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.