Neuroscience has given mental health treatment an unprecedented edge. Never before has there been such an intimate understanding of the brain, how it works, and how it doesn’t work. *It seems as though a new neuroscience report is coming out every day. The world is more literate in regards to the brain inside their heads than they have ever had the opportunity to be. Inspiration for these endeavours is a combination of desperation and capability. Science is advanced, especially neuroscience. Equally, there is a mental health crisis all over the world. People are struggling with their mental wellness. Very many of them are turning to destructive substances like drugs and alcohol to medicate a problem they don’t understand. The more we can understand about mental illnesses, the better we can treat them.
New promise for bipolar disorder comes from South Korea where researchers have specified a protein in the brain which interferes with moods and emotional reaction. Reporting on the breakthrough, Medical News Today writes: “There appears to be a neurochemical chain reaction that leads to the disease. The synapses that do not have enough PLC?1 are unable to fulfill their inhibitory function properly in excitatory neurons, because the BDNF is not working properly either. This causes a disproportion between excitatory synapses and inhibitory ones, eventually leading to bipolar symptoms.” In more simpler terms, some synapses in the brain are lacking a specific protein, the PLCy 1. Those synapses aren’t able to do their jobs in helping calm down excited neurons, leading to an imbalance of excited neurons and inhibited neurons. Bipolar disorder is often called manic depressive disorder. Think of manic as “excitatory” and depression as “inhibitory”. A collection of dysfunctioning synapses in each of these categories could be the cause of bipolar systems. Conclusively, the researchers found, the lack of PLC y1 is the cause of manic behaviors.
Treating Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can be treated pharmaceutically with prescription medications of different kinds. Lithium was a long standing treatment for bipolar and is sometimes used today. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers are more frequently prescribed. To properly treat bipolar, there needs to be a thorough diagnosis process by a psychiatric professional. Residential treatment programs are helpful for those who have been off medication and need help to stabilize, learn practical coping techniques, and heal any wounded emotions.
Avalon Malibu provides residential treatment for clients with a primary diagnosis of Bipolar disorder. If you are struggling with bipolar and substance abuse, we offer dual diagnosis programs as well. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.
