Lithium is a treatment that does not work on everybody. It is, in fact, the oldest of the known treatments, and the newer treatments are different and work with different people.
I have a bipolar (type 2) family member—who went through lithium and two other treatments before settling on seroquel. The best use of a “therapist” in this case is somebody that has great experience with what drugs are appropriate and what level you should be taking them at. After all, it’s always possible that lithium is your drug, but you were using the wrong dosage...
As to the other forms of treatment you’ve mentioned. These are emphatically not treatments for bipolar disorder. They are treatments for seasonal affective disorder (ie lack of sufficient light during the darker months causing emotional imbalance). Bipolar mood-swings occur regardless of light-levels.
Lithium is a treatment that does not work on everybody. It is, in fact, the oldest of the known treatments, and the newer treatments are different and work with different people.
I have a bipolar (type 2) family member—who went through lithium and two other treatments before settling on seroquel. The best use of a “therapist” in this case is somebody that has great experience with what drugs are appropriate and what level you should be taking them at. After all, it’s always possible that lithium is your drug, but you were using the wrong dosage...
As to the other forms of treatment you’ve mentioned. These are emphatically not treatments for bipolar disorder. They are treatments for seasonal affective disorder (ie lack of sufficient light during the darker months causing emotional imbalance). Bipolar mood-swings occur regardless of light-levels.