Thoughts on mania
Our brains feed on stimulation. New experiences, and ideas, and learning in general, are exciting. But with mania, excitement comes without the counterbalance. So one cannot distinguish whether one idea is more relevant than another. And information can come so fast, that it cannot be integrated with past knowledge. Eventually, neurotransmitter pathways can be so overloaded that neurons do not have time to recover between messages.
Essentially, excitatory messaging and/or second-messaging predominate, excluding inhibitory activity needed to maintain useful function.
A severe enough mania can elude an arsenal of potent meds (even the more powerful herbs).
And even when you are able to suppress the mania, research is beginning to suggest that by attacking aggressively (perhaps, especially with substances not intrinsic to brain biochemistry) you may have set the stage for bipolar deterioration longterm.
Acute manias and vitamins
On the other hand, orthomolecular physicians are finding that nutrient therapies which nourish inhibitory mechanisms and normalize excitatory systems tend to work increasingly well with time, while usually proceeding gradually enough* to sidestep the above mania escalation and chronic repercussions.
See my posts here on inhibitory aminos, from June 21 to Aug 24, 2010, and also the outline of Mania and Stabilization info at the top of the Borage Books Nutrient Summary page.
* Nonetheless, in some cases, e.g., with violence or heart problems, a more rapid improvement may be necessary. See previous post on IV therapies.
Addressing root causes
Aside from resolving acute episodes, ferreting out and addressing root causes (e.g., methylation imbalances, hormonal issues, pyroluria, problems with metal metabolism, etc.) is particularly important to long-term mood stability. See Ongoing Mood Stability, Biotypes, Toxicity, and Health at the bottom of the Borage Books Nutrient Summary page.
For further details, including contraindications, see my book, Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder.
Reminder: This information is presented for educational purposes only, and should not be construed as treatment recommendations. Treatments should be fine-tuned to individual biochemical requirements. Also note: sudden changes in medications can be disastrous. See:
http://naturalhealingforbipolardisorder.blogspot.com/2010/04/nutrient-approaches-for-bipolar-and.html
If you have concerns about meds, or if you need treatment for mania, bipolar, or any other medical condition, please consult a knowledgeable physician.
I am trying to help my adult son that is an alcoholic, and I suspect that he is bipolar. He is slowly coming out of a major depressive period due to major life problems (loss of job, loss of live-in girlfriend,loss of home, and getting 2 DUIs.) He is living with us now. I have had him on SAMe for about a month, and it has helped a lot. One major problem that I haven't been able to help him with is that he can't go to sleep most nights until 3 or 4 because his mind is racing. I am giving him melatonin and magnesium, and he is on a muscle relaxer because of an injury. He has had this problem of going to sleep at least since his teenage years. I have thought that he might have high histamine. Would this be a symptom of this? He doesn't have health insurance so getting him help is difficult. Thanks so much for your blog!
ReplyDeletePS I have Dr. Larson's book Seven Weeks to Sobriety and have been giving my son some of the supplements that she suggests.
Sandra