Beat Bipolar Disorder Naturally: 11 Remedies You Need to Try
Bipolar disorder can be a crippling illness to deal with. This one is often referred to as manic depression and can end up taking over a person’s entire life.
It affects the person both mentally and physically to the point that it becomes almost impossible to go about their daily life – both their personal and work life. With that said, it’s no wonder that people seek medical treatment for this mental illness.
While there are a number of different prescription-based drugs that can help treat the disorder, not everyone wants to take this route, yet they still want relief from the illness. This is when people turn to natural remedies for bipolar disorder.
While the natural route may not be the best idea for those suffering from a severe case of the illness, those with mild to moderate cases of bipolar disorder can often find relief through a variety of natural routes.
In this article, we’ll examine bipolar disorder, its symptoms, the typical treatment path, and natural remedies that can help. In some cases, a person may opt to try several different remedies at once.
Remember, what works best for you is determined on a case-by-case basis, and it’s always recommended that you speak to your doctor before you start any remedy/course of action.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar Disorder is also called manic depression and is a mental illness that can affect people. It has been shown that it can be hereditary, so if someone in the family has it, there’s a good chance others will.
This illness affects the brain by creating changes that occur often and without notice. These changes include a drastic change in a person’s energy, mood, activity level, and ability to perform regular everyday activities.
This illness shouldn’t be confused with people with a bad day followed by a good one. This is just the normal flow of life that goes up and down. With bipolar disorder, the shifts are drastic, and the person can’t just snap out of the “down” periods.
Although no specific cause has been identified for the disorder, doctors and scientists seem to be in agreement that there are a number of risk factors that actually work together. Even though a cause hasn’t been identified for sure, it does seem to develop in the late teenage years or the early years of adulthood.
Different Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is divided into four different types. When a professional physician is diagnosing a person, they can determine what category the person falls into. The types are:
Bipolar I Disorder – This is the most severe type of bipolar disorder. In this type, people have episodes that last long amounts of time, at least seven days. The person suffers from manic symptoms that are quite severe.
Bipolar II Disorder – This type of bipolar disorder doesn’t involve mixed or manic episodes to the extreme or severe level. The person also goes through a pattern of episodes.
Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified – If a person has the symptoms of bipolar disorder and doesn’t function with “normal” behavior yet doesn’t fit into bipolar I or II, they are classed as this type.
Cyclothymic Disorder – If the person has mild depression or hypomania in episodes, they are classed as Cyclothymic. This is the mildest form of bipolar disorder, but it is still a form of it.
The Top Signs of Bipolar Disorder
So, how can you tell if you are someone you love is suffering from bipolar disorder? Sometimes, the symptoms can mask themselves as something else, so it’s always important to be examined and diagnosed by a medical professional.
Here are some of the signs that a person may be suffering from bipolar disorder.
A manic episode is a period of very high energy, which can be obvious in one’s physical actions, words, and thoughts. During these episodes, the person may make decisions that are harmful or reckless to one’s well-being.
A change in the way the person socializes. They may find it hard to socialize, seem angry or moody, and have a hard time keeping friends.
Periods of depression. This is the opposite of manic times, obviously; during these periods, depression can be debilitating and make it hard to go about life in a normal way.
Problems sleeping. They may have a hard time staying asleep or falling asleep, both of which are classed as insomnia. Of course, lack of sleep only contributes to their overall unwell feeling.
Changes in the way the person normally acts. This can mean anything; it can mean you go from being a neat and tidy individual to someone who lets the mess build up. A person who usually has lots of happy energy suddenly just wants to sleep all day; it can mean any changes in behavior.
The person could suffer from thoughts about suicide or causing harm to themselves.
Not following through on things. Instead of following through on promises, appointments, and tasks, suddenly, they have no desire to finish them.
Why Treatment is Important
Seeking treatment for bipolar disorder is extremely important not only so that the person can function physically but also to get that relief mentally and get back to feeling like themselves.
It is a chronic illness, so it will never go away or be cured; instead, it’s about managing the symptoms.
There are plenty of prescription medications available to help treat the bipolar disorder but they can sometimes cause unwanted side effects such as feeling tired, a period of weight gain, shakes, and trembles, the person may notice they are thirstier than usual, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
For those people who would like help but don’t want to deal with the side effects associated with the prescriptions, there are some natural remedies that have been shown to help treat or at least alleviate the symptoms involved with bipolar disorder.
Top 11 Natural Remedies for Bipolar Disorder
First off it’s important to understand there isn’t going to be a quick fix, in fact, to get control of the symptoms of bipolar disorder it’s really about making changes to a person’s lifestyle.
These changes will need to be maintained throughout life. What may start out as a difficult process will definitely become easier over time, and eventually, these changes the person has made will just become a natural part of their life, and they won’t even have to think about them.
1- Making changes to your lifestyle
This is a blanket statement that can seem a bit vague, so what exactly do these “lifestyle changes” mean? These changes include limiting your alcohol intake to a minimum and avoiding any illegal substances.
For people with bipolar disorder, these items can cause depression, which will obviously make your illness worse. Be sure to get enough sleep in each and every mood.
Insomnia is quite common in those suffering from bipolar disorder, and lack of sleep only makes the symptoms of bipolar even more pronounced.
You may want to drink less caffeine during the day if this adds to your inability to sleep. Be sure to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet full of the nutrients your body needs. Add regular exercise to your daily life.
It keeps your body healthy and also releases endorphins into your brain, which can help you sleep and feel better and more energized. Avoid those in your life who tend to bring you down. You need to be around people who are supportive and encouraging.
2- John’s Wort
This is a herbal supplement that is widely received as a natural way to combat the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, in particular depression. A number of studies have been done on the supplement and have had positive results. Regarding dosage information, your doctor should be able to discuss the ideal amount for you.
3- Fish Oils
Most people just don’t consume enough fish in order to fulfill the body’s need for the Omega-3 fatty acids found in them. Fish Oil is believed to help alleviate depression and help your brain to function better. Other ways in which fish oils can help are that they can help keep your mood more stable, help to bring down aggression, and help with a person’s irritability.
Fish Oil supplements are very easy to find nowadays, as they can be bought in liquid and capsule form. You can also include foods in your diet that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
4- A variety of Amino Acids
A select group of amino acids is believed to be involved in the brain’s neurotransmitters that control and regulate a person’s mood. You can include the supplement form of these amino acids in your daily routine.
Tyrosine, taurine, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e), and phenylalanine have shown promise. However, these should be taken under a doctor’s supervision because knowing the correct dose to use is important.
These have been shown to have serious side effects if the wrong dosage is taken, plus they can sometimes interact with certain medications you may be taking.
5- Light Therapy
There has been attention to light therapy to treat bipolar disorder as of late. There are two different types of light therapy being looked at. Dark therapy is believed to be of help with rapid cycling.
Meanwhile, light therapy is showing some results in treating depression associated with bipolar. It should be noted that light therapy has been known to also cause mania, so it’s never recommended without consulting your doctor first.
6- Magnesium supplements
This one doesn’t have much research or studies to back it up yet, but it is believed that magnesium can help with rapid cycling and mania by lessening both of them.
7- Acupuncture
This practice has existed for anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 years, depending on whom you speak to. It originated in China and has been used to treat various illnesses over the last few thousand years.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very small fine needles into certain key points on the body. A trained acupuncturist will know the locations needed to treat your particular illness. In terms of bipolar disorder, the practice is used to help with the depression aspect of the illness.
What’s nice about this particular remedy is that it can be used with any other type of medication or treatment method, so it’s a great compliment to your current treatment plan. Just be sure to go to a trained professional.
8- Valerian Root
This root is recommended for various issues as it works by calming the body’s nervous system. It is a natural sedative and can be helpful if insomnia is associated with bipolar disorder.
It also helps with mood and anxiety problems. You can speak to your doctor about the ideal dosage. The herb can be taken in liquid or capsule form, and there are also tea bags with it in them.
9- Ashwagandha Root
Thanks to a 2013 study at the University of Pittsburgh, this herb has been getting quite a bit of attention recently. The study found that the root acted like a nervine tonic. It helped people with social cognition, improved people’s reaction time, and improved their memory.
10- Passionflower
This herb shows some positive results in terms of how it affects the neurotransmitters in a person’s brain. This particular herbal supplement can help to calm a person’s nerves. It acts as a mild tranquilizer and sedative.
It can also be helpful if the person is suffering from bipolar-related insomnia. If the person goes through depression and anxiety in cycles, again, it can prove to be helpful.
11- Include Yoga and meditation in your life
Both of these exercises can have profound effects on a person’s mind and body. They have been shown to help with relaxation, and both techniques can be done by people of all ages.
They are easy enough to learn on your own or in a class. If possible, including them on a daily basis can prove to be very beneficial to the individual. What’s great is that you can use these techniques anywhere, even if you’re traveling.
Also, because this isn’t a type of medication, you can use this remedy in combination with anything else. This is more of a lifestyle change.
What to Avoid
There has been plenty of attention on how food plays into bipolar disorder, and with that said, there are some foods that are thought to make bipolar disorder more pronounced and increase the severity of the symptoms. The list of foods that are recommended people avoid or at least limit their intake of are:
- Fats
- Sugars
- Caffeine
- Salt
- Alcohol
You may find that you can tolerate these foods/ingredients within reason; a food journal would be an excellent way to track how they affect you. Be sure to record what time you consumed the item, how much you had, what you felt like shortly after, and for the full day. It may even be helpful to record how you feel the next day, as it could have lasting effects.
Final Thoughts
Living with bipolar disorder is a very trying and stressful thing, but with the proper diagnosis, a person can get on their way to finding a treatment path that works best for them.
There is no quick fix, no magic one-size-fits-all solution; instead, it often involves a lot of trial and error as you experiment with different options and find the best products for you.
It’s always best to go about this process under the watch of your doctor, and a person should never just take themselves off their medication no matter how much better they may be feeling.
As mentioned, bipolar disorder is a chronic lifelong illness. It will never be cured or go away; instead, it’s about managing the illness and hopefully keeping the symptoms at bay or at least lessening them so the person can go about their daily life.
It can be very scary to be diagnosed with the illness, but thanks to the many advances in medical research, there are lots of options available to people nowadays.
Resources:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml
http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/common-signs-symptoms#2
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/basics/alternative-medicine/con-20027544
