Mania

Lithium carbonate is the predominant drug treatment for manic episodes. Carbamazepine has been used to successfully treat those who cannot tolerate or do not respond to lithium. Various antipsychotic and antidepressant medications have also proven useful. Electroconvulsive shock therapy has shown some effectiveness in the treatment of mania and it may be indicated for patients who cannot take lithium or antipsychotics, though its use remains controversial. For treating some types of depression, psychotherapy has been found to be effective, its efficacy in treating manic states however is still unclear, as there have been few studies assessing this. This may be due to the general difficulty of treating someone in a manic state. In general, however, it seems that after a manic episode most people may benefit from supportive psychotherapy as they often experience a lowering of their confidence and self esteem.