Word: bipolarized
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...bipolar, the sheer number of drug options is a real boon, as what works for one patient will not necessarily work for another. When Brandon Kent, the 9-year-old Texas boy, started taking Depakote and Risperdal, his body began to swell. Then he switched to Topamax, which made him lethargic. Eventually he was put on a mix of Tegretol and Risperdal, which have stabilized him with few side effects. Kyle Broman in Los Angeles is having a harder time but has grown calmer on a combination of Risperdal and Celexa, an antidepressant that for now at least does...
...only so far. Just as important is what comes after medication: therapies and home regimens designed to help patients and their families cope with the disorder. Early last year the National Institute of Mental Health launched a five-year, $22 million study, the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) to refine bipolar therapies. Some 2,300 volunteers are participating in the program, and enrollment is expected to reach 5,000. Of all the treatments the STEP-BD doctors are studying, the most basic and perhaps the most important one for children and teens involves lifestyle management...
...this reason, parents of bipolar kids are urged to enforce sleep schedules firmly and consistently. Bedtime must mean bedtime, and morning must mean morning. While that can be hard when an actively manic child is still throwing a tantrum two hours after lights-out, a combination of mood-stabilizing drugs and an enforced routine may even bring some of the most symptomatic kids into line. Teens, who are expected to do a lot more self-policing than younger children, must take more of this responsibility on themselves, even if that means a no-excuses adherence to a no-exceptions curfew...
Also important is diet. Caffeine can be a mania trigger for bipolars, so teens are advised to stay away from coffee and tea. Bipolar kids of all ages must also be careful with less conspicuously caffeinated foods such as sodas and chocolate. And for adolescents and teens, staying free of alcohol and drugs is critical. Not only is the risk of addiction high, but treatment of the underlying bipolar problem is much more difficult if the patient's mind is clouded by recreational chemicals...
...last, perhaps hardest element of treatment is family therapy. Bipolar disorder, like schizophrenia, depression and certain anxiety conditions, is powerfully influenced by surroundings. When an identical twin suffers from bipolar, the other twin has only a 65% chance of developing it too. Conversely, adopted children with no genetic legacy for bipolar have a 2% chance of coming down with the condition if they are raised in a home with one nonbiological bipolar parent. Clearly, something is in play besides mere genes, and that something is environment. Raise a child in a steady and stable home, and you reduce the odds...