Bipolar Medication, is it a Magic Pill?
Bipolar Meds—Not a Magic Pill
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder you are probably wondering: Is there a magic pill that will fix my life? The short answer is NO. Bipolar medications are awesome, and they will change your life, but they are not a quick fix. So if medications aren’t magic, what are they?
Today we’re going to talk about bipolar medications—what they are, and what they aren’t.
I’m Angela Howard, my passion is to break the stigma of mental illness among fellow Christians. I’m here to help you live a more purposeful life with God, and with one another. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can get the first updates of new content and connect in community.
If bipolar medications are not the magic formula that cures bipolar disorder what are they really all about? If you’re new to discovering the ins and outs of this issue then let me run it down for you.
First, what the medications do for us:
- Helps to stabilize mood. This doesn’t mean you’ll never have another angry outburst, or bout with depression, or a feeling of happiness. The meds help even things out for depression, mania, hypomania and even psychosis. When my husband was searching for a diagnosis he struggled with outbursts of anger where he ended up breaking every knuckle in his hands and even his wrist punching walls and various other surfaces. Once on medication, he never did this again. He was stabilized to the point of being able to work through his anger in a productive way.
- Give you the opportunity to address other issues. My husband Mike has repeatedly said that he feels meds put him on an even playing field with the world. This gives him the chance to tackle other challenges that come up as a result of bipolar disorder.
Secondly, what do the medications NOT do:
- Doesn’t make you address other issues: bad relationship patterns, negative self-talk, poor judgment, inaccurate perception or perspective.
This is more effectively done through a counselor, prayer and relationship with God, routine, and a supportive community.
- Doesn’t make you engage your will: we all have the choice to engage our wills and walk away from sin and toward a loving God who forgives. Medication doesn’t make you do that, but give you the opportunity to a have a clear enough mind to make that choice.
Medications improve life, they don’t perfect life.
The truth is really found in, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
That is our hope for today and tomorrow.
Question:
What have bipolar medications done for you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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New Resource:
I know there’s a great need for education in the area of mental health, so a team of counselors, psychologists and I have been working hard to meet that need by creating, Mental Health University. Our first set of courses will be coming out later this month. Check out the link below. You won’t want to miss it!
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