Bipolar Treatment in Wichita Falls
There is Relief for Bipolar Disorder
What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder?
- Lacking energy
- Loss of interest in everyday activities
feelings of emptiness or worthlessness - Feelings of guilt and despair
- Feeling pessimistic about everything
- Self-doubt
- Being delusional, having hallucinations, and disturbed or illogical thinking
- Lack of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Waking up early
- Suicidal thoughts
What Are The Types Of Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar I Disorder - Mania and Depression
Bipolar II Disorder - Hypomania and Depression
Cyclothymia - Hypomania and Mild Depression
How Does Ketamine Help Treat Bipolar Disorder?
Scientists believe that ketamine helps with bipolar disorder by rapidly boosting the activity of glutamate, a neurotransmitter inside the frontal cortex of the human brain, while also allowing new pathways to form in the same area.
The promptness of ketamine in yielding an antidepressant effect occurs because this drug bypasses the conventional serotonin path and goes straight to switching on glutamate. Recent evidence points to ketamine’s inhibitory effects on the NMDA receptor in the lateral habenula. The lateral habenula is a brain region primarily responsible for encoding negative rewards or anti-reward cause-and-effect relationships. Those with anxiety show an overactivity of burst firing in the lateral habenula. As a non-competitive NMDA antagonist, ketamine prevents glutamate from activating the NMDA receptor.
This action differs from conventional antidepressants, which initially boost serotonin activity levels in several brain areas to alter glutamate regulation. This process usually takes weeks, sometimes months, while ketamine produces almost rapid relief from bipolar disorder symptoms.
Are There Any Adverse Effects of Ketamine?
As a new treatment option for bipolar disorder, ketamine has minor side effects. These can include a dream-like feeling, double or blurred vision, lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting, and slight anxiety after being given a dose. This treatment method is not in development because this is an FDA-approved drug utilized for “off-label” or less typical use.
An “off-label” use indicates a treatment the FDA did not initially authorize. The FDA approves prescription medications only for specific uses, but most medicines at some point develop off-label uses due to the clinical experience that develops over time.
As a good example, the medication Prazosin’s purpose was to treat hypertension in 1976. Eventually, scientists and clinicians discovered it had other uses. Now Prazosin treats nightmares in individuals with PTSD, a use that the FDA did not initially approve.
Getting Treatment
Someone with bipolar disorder needs to receive treatment because without it, their symptoms may worsen, and they may have difficulty functioning daily. Treatment can help manage and control the symptoms of bipolar disorder and can also reduce the risk of serious complications, such as suicide. If you or a loved one suffers from bipolar, Kairos can help. Now is the time! Reach out today.
Step Into Healing. The Time is Now.
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