The standard bipolar depression treatment is mood-stabilizing medication such as lithium or seroquel. These medicines can be extremely helpful for many bipolar disorder patients, but they can also bring with them a whole host of unwanted side effects. Additionally, it is often difficult to get these patients to continue taking their meds consistently. This is a normal part of the illness, because the patient will usually gladly take their medication during a depressive phase, but then will start to feel “better” as the next manic phase sets in. The impulsivity of the hypmanic or hypermanic state of mind causes them to stop taking their medication, thereby inducing a full-blown manic episode.

There are some natural treatments for bipolar depression, however, that can be used alone or in conjunction with medication to help end this cycle of depression and mania. Chief among these treatments is psychotherapy. A well-trained and experienced therapist can help manic depression patients to make changes to their own internal processing systems that will help them to change their brain chemistry naturally.

Not all therapists believe this is possible, and the research has shown that positive expectancy plays a major role in therapeutic success. This is why it is important to see a therapist who believes they can treat your condition successfully, and who is convincing to you in explaining that they will be able to do so. If both the therapist and the client believe that the treatment for bipolar depression will be successful, it will be much more likely to be so.