If you have bipolar disorder, there are a few things that you should know to manage your treatment and make it more effective. Likewise, there are things that you should not do.

The use of alcohol or drugs can and will affect the success of your treatment. Alcohol and drugs affects your judgement and your ability to think and reason. Bipolar disorder also affects judgement and reason and these substances will amplify the effect. Think of it this way: medications used to treat bipolar disorder work in the brain. If you use a substance that affects the brain, it also tampers with how your medication works. It can render it completely ineffective. It doesn’t matter how many medications your doctor gives you. If you drink or use drugs the medicines just won’t help you. Get serious about your treatment. Don’t drink or use drugs. I can’t say it enough. If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, seek treatment.

Want proof? “Using drugs or alcohol is usually a complicating problem because it reduces medication compliance,” says Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD, an addiction psychiatrist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “Bipolar patients who use [alcohol or drugs] have more frequent mood swings, more hospitalizations, longer hospitalizations, and higher rates of suicide attempts.” (http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20235288,00.html) Need more proof? “Reduce or discontinue the use of alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and makes recovery even more difficult. It can also interfere with the way your medication works.” (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_medications.htm, cited from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, consult your doctor immediately. Many of the medications used to treat bipolar disorder are not safe during pregnancy. (If you are sexually active and do not use a form of birth control, this applies to you as well.) Don’t assume it is safe to keep taking medications until you find out you are pregnant. If you’re trying to conceive (or not using protection), you need to speak to your mental healthcare provider immediately. The first trimester of pregnancy is a crucial stage in development. “By the time a woman discovers she is pregnant, the most serious period of risk for the fetus has frequently already passed,” states Marlene Freeman, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas South-western Medical Center. Taking these medications can cause a number of issues, including birth defects.

Don’t believe me? Read this page: http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=bipolar_disorder&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=69593 Please note that some of the medication have been proven to be harmful to an unborn child and some of them have not. Just because a medication has not been proven to be harmful does not mean it has been proven to be safe, either. Pay attention to the use of the terms “minimal risk” and “less harmful”. It implies that a risk still exists. Are you willing to take that risk? For this reason, the majority of doctors advise discontinuing medication during pregnancy.

It is important to get plenty of rest and maintain a regular schedule. The APA, or American Psychological Association, states, “disruptions in sleep and routine may spur bouts of mania or depression.” (http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb08/consistent.html) Studies show that patients who have regularity in their routines (including sleep patterns) can avoid new manic or depressive episodes for longer periods of time than patients who are treated solely with medication. This demonstrates that the treatment of bipolar disorder should include behavioral and lifestyle changes in addition to treatment with medication.

I hope that some of this information is useful to those suffering from bipolar disorder.

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