Old Bipolar Treatments Sometimes Better Than The Newer Ones

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Julie_Frey]Julie Frey
The understanding of bipolar disorder has advanced greatly in the thousands of years of human history during which it was periodically misdiagnosed. Its label has also changed through the years. From manic depressive insanity to manic depressive psychosis to manic depressive disorder and, finally, to bipolar disorder, the disease has gone through many name changes. The name changes were not arbitrary, however. They usually came as the medical profession's understanding of the underlying illness increased.
Since the early nineties, bipolar illness has generally been classified as either Bipolar I or Bipolar II. More recent discoveries, however, have added new classifications of Bipolar III and IV to the mix.
Throughout its history, various forms of treatments have been employed on the unlucky sufferers of this disease. If you were lucky, you might only be forced to endure bed rest or restraints. If, however, you lived through the period of electro shock treatments, you may have been forced into having a lobotomy if the shock treatments proved ineffective.
The world of science has advanced greatly since those times. Each decade, our knowledge of genetics and the mind has increased exponentially. Those suffering from Bipolar II today, have a plethora of treatments from which to choose. And that's good considering that one out of every hundred people in the country suffer from the disease.
Today, the most popular pharmaceutical treatment for the disease is lithium. Popularized over a half century ago, it still remains the default medication of choice among doctors and health care professionals. This is true even though hundreds of other competitive drug formulations have come to the market. The newer mood stabilizers and anti psychotic medications have one of two problems when contrasted with lithium. Either they are not as effective in treating depression. Or, two, they are as effective but they produce possibly more harmful side effects. Lithium, on the other hand, has the least side effects of the competing drugs. And, if kept at the right levels in the bloodstream, is still one of the most effective treatment out there.
This is a gentle reminder that everything new is not necessarily better. And, while research on bipolar is rightfully continuing on, sometimes, the old discoveries work best of all.
And, even better, from a patient's standpoint, since lithium is not patented, if can be purchased for a fraction of what most of the newer medications will cost. And while this may not make the drug companies happy, it will make your pocketbook very happy.
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