What is the Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?Written by Michael G. Rayel, MD
How do we treat bipolar disorder? Specifically, how do we treat mania or depression associated with bipolar disorder? The treatment of these two clinical states is not same.The treatment of mania is dependent upon its severity and acuity. For mild to moderate mania, mood stabilizers such as lithium and valproic acid (Valproate) are still standard of treatment and may be sufficient to contain symptoms. Lithium starts to work after 10 to 14 days while valproic acid, about 7 to 10 days. Also, recent studies have shown effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine even when used alone to treat acute phase of bipolar disorder. These drugs are relatively safe but they don’t come without side effects. Nausea, vomiting, tremors, and dizziness during initial phase of treatment are commonly experienced. The more serious side effects such as renal and thyroid problem from lithium, liver dysfunction and pancreatitis from valproic acid, and increased risk of diabetes and high cholesterol from atypical antipsychotics are uncommon. However, regular blood tests are required to monitor any abnormalities. For moderate to severe cases, atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone and quetiapine should be added to mood stabilizers during acute phase. Once illness has stabilized and symptoms have subsided, then atypical neuroleptics can be gradually tapered off. But mood stabilizers should continue. Regardless of severity, patients usually do well on a combination of mood stabilizer and atypical antipsychotic during acute phase. What is treatment for bipolar depression? In general, mood stabilizers’ dosage should be optimized or if patient is not on any medication yet, a mood stabilizer such as lithium should be started. Physicians should make sure that medication maintains a “therapeutic level.” If not, dosage should be adjusted. Moreover, possible precipitants such as stresses at home should be addressed.
| | Can You Hypnotize in Print?Written by Dorian Greer
How Do You Know if You've Been Hypnotized?You may not realize this now, that hypnotic phrasing and command structures are all around you, in conversation, in print, and especially on daytime talk radio. You're being quietly programmed to think in certain ways, to associate with certain things, and even to identify with a certain social self image. You may not think you're being influenced very much, until you discover how really easy it is to reprogram someone else, yourself. You might now notice too that most psychotherapy, for example, is simply reprogramming of someone else. The common key is that it's all done with words. Putting someone into a trance is done with words. Posthypnotic suggestions are done with words. Wide Awake Hypnosis Giving someone covert commands or suggestions are all done with words. Posthypnotic actions performed by ordinary people like you are influenced with words by people like me. And it's all done with words. You would like a demonstration? Hell, exorcisms have a lot of pomp and ceremony but they are still performed with words! Words are used to kick out devils and demons, conjure spells, charms, heal sick, tick people off, and communicate with God. If you haven't figured it out yet, words are what turns ordinary person like you, like me, like whoever does good, into avatars of personal power. And, you might even be astonished to know that performing wide awake hypnosis on others is actually easier to do than trance. Would you like to "hear" it in action?
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