As with any treatment there can be side effects to the medication treatment. These side effects are different based upon the type of medication that the individual is taking. The side effects for mood stabilizers include restlessness, dry mouth, bloating or indigestion, acne, unusual or discomfort to cold temperatures, joint or muscle pain, brittle nails and/or hair, drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, mood swings, and or stuffed or runny noses or other cold-like symptoms.
Some of the side effects that can be present for atypical antipsychotics are drowsiness, dizziness when changing positions, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, sensitivity to the sun, skin rashes, and/or menstrual problems (in women).
The side effects for antidepressants can include headaches (typically they go away after a few days), nausea (feeling sick to your stomach and it too will typically go away after a few days), sleep problems including sleeplessness and drowsiness (typically happens within the first few weeks, the dosage can be changed if it continues to happen), agitation (feeling jittery), and sexual problems (affecting both men and women, the problems can include reduced sex drive and problems having or enjoying sex) (NIMH 2008).
The side effects may sound great however to be able to live symptom free or with few symptoms is one of the things that can drastically affect the things that are being benefited from the treatment options. Most of the side effects can be treated by basic medication changes or by the M. D. prescribing medications to help battle the problems with the side effects. Conclusion Bipolar disorder is a mental health issue that affects a large number of people on a regular basis.
Some of the overall problems with bipolar disorder are that there is a negative aspect in the treatment of bipolar disorder and there are other problems that have been associated with the disorder. Some of these problems are that someone who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder is likely to have increasing problems with his/her ability to perform in society because of the devastating symptoms of the disorder.
Overall this disorder is something that has been known to affect all areas of life for the individual. The relationships with others are affected as there are often times problems with the ability to communicate and the overall ideas of being able to talk to others. Some of the other issues are with the lack of drive and ability to perform in many crucial social events like having a job, school work or other issues.
For those who have bipolar disorder it is important that they are able to be involved in their treatments and that they are able to achieve maximum benefits from their treatments. The benefit for those who are suffering from bipolar disorder is that some forms of treatment will be more beneficial to them if they are suffering from their disorder. There is no known exact science that can be used to treat bipolar disorder or bipolar disorder co-occurring with other disorders.
In the end the treatment options can be used to be able to benefit the person who is suffering from the disorder and can greatly benefit him/her in helping to improve the overall quality of his/her life. This in the end is the most important thing and will be something that the person can use in order to help them to gain much needed benefits and services.
References
Cosoff, S. and Hafner, R. (1998). The Presence of Co-morbid Anxiety in Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 32(1), 67-72. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from the PsychINFO database. Eisner, L. R. , Johnson, S. L. , and Carver, C. S. (2008). Cognitive Responses to Failure and Success Relate Uniquely to Bipolar Depression versus Mania, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117(1), 154-163. Retrieved April 26, 2009 from the PsychARTICLES database.