Bipolar Affective Disorder - Medication and Healthy Lifestyle Habits

As a person with bipolar affective disorder, also known as manic depression or bipolar disorder, you must know how important it is to self-manage your mood swings with your medication and lifestyle habits.

Bipolar disorder will keep your mood swinging between bouts of depression, to excited periods of mania and relative calm all in continuing cycles of varying periods.

For most individuals, this would probably be a lifelong fight and treatment which would be in form of medication.

The truth is: there is no form of treatment that can have fast and effective action as pharmaceutical drugs. Medication for bipolar disorder has been around for a while, and there is a wide variety to choose from including klonopin, xanax, carbamazepin, largactil, and much more. Most times, a combination of drugs is used, for instance, to help with sleep and to check side effects. You must realize that your body needs to get used to these drugs; therefore, give the treatment some time and report any unwanted side effects to your doctor.

Behavioral therapy is also a good treatment option - especially in combination with drugs. You need to learn about how your mind works as a bipolar person and be informed as to what life choices you should make. Behavioral therapy will keep you in tune with society, for instance; issues of sexuality can be addressed as well as how to cope with your relationships and daily activities.

Can diet have an effect on bipolar disorder?

Depending on what you eat - although there is no specific diet for the disorder - it is advisable that you eat right and maintain a healthy weight. Eat a balance of protective, nutritionally dense foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean (non fatty) meat. Exercise can be trying for people with bipolar disorder because of the drowsiness and long hours of sleep, but working out whenever you can, will help maintain your health and make you feel good.

Special foods that are of particular importance to a bipolar person include albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, salmon, and trout.

They contain fish oil like the omega-3 fatty acids and are associated with greater volume in areas of the brain especially areas related to mood and behavior.

Foods you should avoid include foods that may interact with specific bipolar medication. These are caffeine which can alter your mood and disrupt sleep, and diminish the effects of the medication, foods high in tyramine like banana, champagne, fermented cheese, liver, and soy sauce. This category of foods can cause severe hypertension when used with MAO inhibitors (a certain class of antidepressants). Grape fruit or its juice may cause excessive impairment and toxicity of some anticonvulsants. And of course, alcohol is not advised. Not only will it interact with the medication, but according to the National Institute of Medical Health, people with bipolar disorder are five times more likely to develop alcohol misuse and dependency.