Manic Depression is the ‘old fashioned’ way of naming Bipolar Disorder, yet it is so much more descriptive.   Yes, when we say ‘bipolar,’ we picture people swinging 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 primary 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 and carbamazepine. Then came others like gabapentin and topiramate. Lamotrigine, 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, quetiapine, olanzapine, and aripiprazole. 

Are we making progress or just helping the drug companies sell more product?  We find more and more that polypharmacy, which uses several drugs at the same time.  Sometimes a patient can take 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. This means there is something in the biology of certain people throughout the ages.  Perhaps there are natural remedies that will help this peculiar can supplement the body’s own brain chemicals, rather than just synthetic drugs that manipulate our brains.

Indeed, there is a natural bipolar disorder treatment, a ‘kinder and gentler’ therapy for bipolar disorder. It is not yet widely used because the drug treatment model is what doctors learn, not the nutritional model.  However, there is a small amount of good scientific research proving how effective the nutritional model can be.

The University of Cincinnati’s Department of Psychiatry is finding that specialized forms of supplements we call nutraceuticals that are enormously helpful in bipolar treatment to control mood swings.  

This 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 are specialized nutrients which can help less medicine do more work with fewer side-effects. This is certainly a breakthrough. 

 Michael Rose, M.A. has developed a bipolar life coaching system that uses these supplements, along with healthy lifestyle changes. He is a master’s level counselor and a retired Florida licensed nutritionist. He has also been in recovery from bipolar disorder for over 20 years and has cracked the code to natural solutions. He knows bipolar from the inside out, and it is his life’s mission to help people like you.  If you are looking for a bipolar therapist, read this book first and see if there are real natural alternatives to the standard treatments for bipolar disorder.