Bipolar Disease - Treatments in the Past

The treatment of the disease bipolar, or manic depression as it was known in the past, has surely come a long way in the last 70 or 80 years. What we have learned about this chemical imbalance of the brain has greatly influenced the treatment and managing of this condition.

Electroshock treatment, which was developed in the 1930s, was regarded as the best treatment for bipolar, and used as a last resort. When medication was ineffective, and urgent intervention was required, this treatment was the choice of its day. When the patient was suicidal or posed a great risk to themselves, electroshock therapy was used by many institutions and doctors. Through movies and depictions of the way it was administered, it caused a fear of the procedure and it was eventually frowned upon by the medical community and the public. It is still being used today for extreme cases, but the technology has come so far that the phobia that once surrounded this type of therapy has nearly disappeared.

In 1950, lithium was introduced as a substantial treatment for bipolar disorder. Although it is a successful treatment for manic behavior, and suicidal tendencies, it does not help with the depression. Lithium however, is still the most widely used medication to treat bipolar. It gained its popularity in the past due to the fact it was not traumatic or unpleasant.

During medieval times, people with manic or depressive tendencies were considered demon possessed. They were scorned and tortured. The treatment of depression was first started by Philippe Pinel, a French doctor in 1793, but even during this period, the popular way to deal with these mentally ill patients was place them in an institution, away from their families, for the rest of their lives.