12 Step Plan for Manic Depressive Rehab

Manic depressive disorder, also known as bipolar disorder, is a lifelong mental disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression. There is no cure, but with a medically-supervised regimen of medication, ongoing psychotherapy and hospitalization during acute episodes, bipolar disorder can be managed effectively. Concurrent disorders associated with bipolar disorder, chief among them substance abuse, are treatable by way of rehabilitation programs.

Medication

• Most bipolar patients are treated with a combination of mood stabilizers such as lithium and antidepressant, antipsychotic or anticonvulsant medications like risperidone. Antidepressants target depressive episodes, but the medication can trigger manic states which are prevented by the mood stabilizers. Using medication to treat bipolar disorder has yielded the most positive results, but anyone on these medications needs to be closely monitored by a doctor. Many of these medications carry side effects that can cause serious harm. When you have bipolar disorder, compliance with medication regimens is vitally important to prevent severe episodes and managing the illness.

Psychotherapy

• Psychotherapy cannot replace medication in the treatment of bipolar disorder but is effective in treating many of the mental illnesses that can coexist with bipolar disorder. Anxiety, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorders are common among bipolar sufferers, all of which can be helped by effective and supportive psychotherapy. When searching for a psychotherapist, it is important to find one with whom you feel comfortable. Psychotherapists can also help bipolar patients and their families recognize the first signs of recurring symptoms and recognize signs of a patient in crisis.

Hospitalization

• Manic episodes are characterized by irrational, reckless and uncontrolled behavior and depressive episodes and can lead to thoughts or acts of suicide. It may be necessary for a bipolar sufferer in an acute manic or depressive state to be hospitalized. Hospital stays can last for a few days to several weeks and usually involve adjustments to medication to get the episode back under control.

Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder

• Sufferers of bipolar disorder often concurrently suffer from substance abuse. These two usually coexist because the patient uses drugs or alcohol to self-medicate their moods. Abusing alcohol and illicit drugs can actually prolong and exacerbate the effects of an acute bipolar episode; uncontrollable behavior associated with manic states can lead to overdosing. Bipolar sufferers with substance abuse problems may need to enter rehab before they can begin treating and controlling their bipolar disorder. Most rehab centers focus on the nationally accepted 12-step program for accepting patients' addictions and responsibility for their actions, repairing their lives and recovering from their addictions.

The 12 Steps

• The 12-step program is rooted in religious faith, but its purpose can be universally understood. The first step in the program is admitting that drugs or alcohol are a problem and that you are powerless against them. The second step is an acceptance that there is a higher power that can restore sanity and order to your life, which leads into the third step: turning your life over to that outside power. The fourth step is a moral inventory of your life, including mistakes and misdeeds attributed to your addiction while step five is an admittance of your wrongs to another human being. Steps six and seven are the acceptance of a healing power in your life and asking for help in removing the addiction from your life. Steps eight and nine involve making a list of people you have wronged through your addition and making amends with them, and step ten is a commitment to constant vigilance of your wrongs. The final two steps are using meditation and reflection to stay conscious of your addiction in your life, and finally, carrying the principles of the 12-step program out into the world as you resume your life.