Bipolar Disorder Treatment: Herbs

Herbal treatments have been working for centuries to help cure many ailments. For bipolar disorder, most herbal treatments will be used to either calm the person during a manic episode, or energize them in a time of depression. It is important to use these herbs with caution however, as some herbs used to raise mood during a depressed period might indeed cause a manic episode to occur in some individuals.

In addition to the herbs listed below as treatments for bipolar disorder, some herbal supplements can be used to help treat the symptoms of some bipolar disorder medications.

• Bipolar Disorder and Choline
• Bipolar Disorder and Lecithin
• Bipolar Disorder and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Bipolar Disorder and Inositol
• Bipolar Disorder and St. John's Wort

Only weak evidence suggests choline for the treatment of depression.⁶

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Lecithin contains a substance called phosphatidylcholine (PC) that is presumed to be responsible for its medicinal effects. Phosphatidylcholine is a major part of the membranes surrounding our cells....

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Traditional Chinese Medicine can work to help treat the many symptoms and perhaps underlying causes of bipolar and other mood disorders. Through dietary, herbal, body manipulations like...

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Inositol may be used to help treat bipolar disorder, and may also be prescribed to reduce psoriasis symptoms caused by lithium.²¹

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St. John's Wort is quite possibly the most commonly prescribed herb for the treatment of depression. Since depression is one major component of bipolar disorder, St. John's Wort might be recommended...

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