Bipolar Disorder is defined by
the Massachusetts General Hospital as “a mental illness characterized by the presence of one
or more of the following: Manic Episode, Mixed Episode, or Hypomanic Episode.” People who suffer from this mental disorder are
required to take psychiatric drugs, such
as Lithium, but are pills the solutions? Can they control Bipolar Disorder?
According to the American NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) the
use of psychiatric drugs might lead to an outnumbered secondary effects: Fast,
slow, irregular, or pounding heartbeat; hallucinations, Anorexia, damage to the
liver or pancreas, just to name a few.
Lithium and antidepressants in general can cause these side effects, but apparently
Ketamine doesn’t. Ketamine is alleged to be effective in treating depression in
patients with Bipolar Disorder who have
not responded to anti-depressants, but a recent study led by Dr. Zarate
and his team at the National
Institute of Mental Health revealed that Ketamine isn’t effective in
treating Bipolar Disorders, they claim exactly the opposite: “we found that
ketamine rapidly improved suicidal ideation in these [Bipolar] patients”.
As we can see medication is not the answer to treat this disorder. Pills
can cause side effects, and sometimes instead of helping you, they are making
you worse. But if bipolar patients stop taking their meds, what will happen?
Would they be worse? What alternative is there other than taking drugs?
I'd like to start saying that lithium is not only an artificial medicine, but a natural component of some foods, and the lack of it may be one of the causes of bipolar disorders. However, it is very important to develop further research on kethamine, since it would be a huge breakthrough for people who suffer this disorder and the families and loved ones of these people who are often affected so much by a loved one suffering this condition that the situation causes important disfunctions in the family as well as in the patient. One thing is clear for me: currently there's no other option for people who suffer this disorder that to take medication for life. But it would be great if scientists chage that in a future.
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