Manic Depression is the ‘old fashioned’ way of naming Bipolar Disorder, yet is so much more descriptive.   Yes, when we say ‘bipolar’ we remember that people swing between polar opposite emotions. But ‘manic’ is the perfect word for the frenetic high people get, and ‘depression’ is the inescapable opposite.

Before the Second World War, the main medical treatment for Manic Depression was barbiturates which are addictive and not very effective.  Then lithium was discovered as a treatment in Australia in the ’50s and ’60s. It was finally accepted in the USA in 1970.  But lithium requires frequent blood tests and is often associated with weight gain.

Then in the 1990s different anticonvulsant agents were found to be effective for their anti-manic effect. First, there was valproic acid (Depakote) and carbamazepine (Tegretol). Then came others like gabapentin (Neurontin) and  topiramate (Topamax). Lamotrigine (Lamictal), a more modern antiepileptic agent is being used for the prevention of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. 

Since 2000, we have seen the rise of different atypical antipsychotic drugs like risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and aripiprazole (Abilify).

To treat all states of the illness, including manic episodes, depressive episodes and maintenance and preventative periods, we find more and more that polypharmacy, or combining drugs from different time periods are used together.  Sometimes a patient can be taking three, four, five or more medications.

This can be problematic, because each medication has its own set of side effects, and sometimes one medication is given to offset the side effects of another one.

Could there be a better way?  After all, we know that manic depressive illness or bipolar disorder has been described by physicians for thousands of years, which means it is a constant biochemical reality throughout the ages in the human body for some people. Therefore, there must also be natural remedies that will help this peculiar twist of brain chemicals.  

And indeed, there is a natural treatment, and while not yet widely used, more and more research is being done.

The University of Cincinnati’s Department of Psychiatry is finding that specialized forms of supplements we call nutraceuticals are being enormously helpful in controlling the mood swings of Bipolar Disorder. 

There is a huge breakthrough in the treatment of bipolar illness. It can change the whole course of treatment. Until now, the only substances that could control manic energy were powerful drugs with many side-effects mentioned above. But here is a nutrient which, when combined with psychiatric medicine, can help less medicine do more work with fewer side-effects. This is certainly a breakthrough.