Characterized by debilitating episodes of depression and mood elevation (mania or hypomania), Bipolar depression is an under-recognized and unappreciated phase of bipolar disorder. Since most patients exhibit depression, Bipolar depression gets misdiagnosed with other mental disorders easily. Thus, it is associated with a heavier burden of illness, morbidity, and cost. Even then, there is no cure for it. The present treatment consists of two phases: the acute phase and the maintenance phase. Acute-phase treatment focuses on the management of acute mood episodes (manic, hypomanic, or depressive) while Maintenance-phase treatment prevents recurrences of acute episodes. ...
