The Impact of Medication on Bipolar Disorder Treatment
An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison Review
An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison gives the author an account of her struggles with Bipolar disease, referred to in her writing as Manic-depressive illness. For a long time, she ignored it and often saw it as an extension of her being. As far as she can recall, she had remained, “frighteningly, although often wonderfully beholden to moods” (Jamison, p.4). As much as she thought she was in control of her manic episodes, as time went by her symptoms were full-blown. Bipolar disorder affects one's perception of oneself and the world around them, however, medication helps in improving one's situation. Medication is a crucial component of a therapy approach. Lithium is one of the medicines used in the treatment of long-term episodes of bipolar. Jamison however, resisted taking lithium, a drug that would later on help her. Like many other patients, Jamison was addicted to the highs of mania which was among the reasons why she resisted lithium (Jamison, p.70). Only after the severity of her depressive episodes and nearly committing suicide that she change her mind.
Research from scholars such as Levenberg and Cordner shows that regular pharmaceutical use may assist in minimizing mania or depression episodes from recurring or worsening. It is advisable to take prescriptions simultaneously daily to ensure they become a part of the patient’s routine. It is also crucial for the patient to schedule appointments with his or her clinician frequently to get their symptoms assessed, address adverse reactions, and have prescription modifications made as needed. However, not all antidepressants have a similar risk of causing mania. Additionally, some patients benefit tremendously from antidepressant treatment (Levenberg and Cordner, 2022). They have a relatively low risk of adverse effects. In a meta-analysis of antidepressants in bipolar disorder, individuals in the placebo arm withdrew from the study at a higher rate than those in the antidepressant arm (49% vs 32%). According to some accounts, antidepressants have modest negative effects, and patients seldom encounter any. However, despite receiving sufficient medication, persons with bipolar disorder often have recurrent depression symptoms. Most of these drugs have proven benefits in the short term with considerable long-term side effects such as recurring depression, and to prevent that, one has to be a regular user which does not go well with many patients. Sleeplessness, mouth dryness, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and gaining weight, are some of the most prevalent adverse reactions of medication.
About half of the patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder do not commit to medication during long-term treatment (Chakrabarti, 2016). This is typically influenced by several factors. Examples comprise of patients’ demographics, sickness severity, pharmaceutical reactions which entail the side effects, and therapist features such as interaction with patients. These factors have since been accepted by others who specialize in the field, with some important changes in every category. As Chakrabarti notes, patient-related characteristics, for example, now encompass personal views and opinions about medicine use as well as demographic information (Chakrabarti, 2016). Clinician-related factors have been broadened to incorporate an environmental domain, which includes the role of clinician-patient relations and health-system-related aspects on compliance, in addition to the impact of family members and significant others in the patient's life. Chakrabarti, 2016 points out that the rising incidence of failing to comply in manic episodes could be attributed to a lack of insight or cognitive impairment during these episodes. Similarly, the higher risk of non-adherence in men may be attributed to their greater consumption of drugs.
References
Chakrabarti, S. (2016). Treatment-adherence in bipolar disorder: a patient-centred approach. World journal of psychiatry, 6(4), 399.
Jamison, K. R. (2015). An unquiet mind: A memoir of moods and madness (Vol. 4). Pan Macmillan.
Levenberg, K., & Cordner, Z. A. (2022). Bipolar depression: a review of treatment options. General Psychiatry, 35(4).
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Nicholas Mugambi
Call me Mugambi Nicholas the Wordsmith who paints with prose and sculpts with syntax.
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