Q. I was diagnosed with bipolar type I disorder back in September and have been taking medications for it since then. However, I don't believe in taking psychiatric drugs for my illness. I was wondering if there was any therapy that I could pursue other than drug use. I try to bring it up with my doctors but they don't really seem open to the idea. Please help me find a way to deal with bipolar besides taking medication.

A. Michelle, please start out by reading the columns in the archives, particularly these two:

Natural relief for Bipolar

and

Foods for Schizoaffective Disorder and Mania

I know a number of bipolars, both diagnosed and not, who choose to pursue non-pharmaceutical solutions. I believe that the most important factors are diet (particularly omega-3 and magnesium) and exercise. Supplemented amino acids like SAM-e and GABA are particularly effective for some.

This is an exciting field, they are making great breakthroughs in bipolar and other mental or emotional health issues right now. It is important for me to see some sort of science when I review natural healing solutions, preferably combined with a traditional or “old wives” remedy. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are required for proper myelination of the nerves in the brain, without which the nerves do not fire properly. It is also required for many other functions in the body. Studies have shown improvement in mood, concentration, ADD, etc. with the addition of omega-3’s, particularly with DHA. And the old wives tale that backs it up? Cod liver oil.

A couple of fields that I have ignored up until now, seeing no scientific connections, are ions and magnets. Sounds like quackery to me.

But-- negative ions have now been shown to increase serotonin in the brain – extremely important for bipolars, and for anyone that suffers from depression, migraines, etc. There are many things around us that increase positive ions in our home and office atmospheres – appliances and computers, changes in the weather (particularly Chinook winds, which I have known for some time cause me migraines), and many other things. Nature increases negative ions through sunshine, falling water, plants, and particular rock formations. All of those things that feng shui and other meditation aids are bringing into our houses. You can also get air cleaners/ionizers and rock salt lamps to generate negative ions in your home. That lift that you get taking a shower or walking by a waterfall may be caused by negative ions. Negative ions may be particularly important to bipolars who you experience seasonal depression.

Magnets are also something that have really taken a beating as healing aids, and I have never taken them seriously. But just in the past few weeks, a particular form of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) has been found to produce profound mood changes in bipolars. The scientists wanted to find out why some bipolars experience depression that is resistant to medication, and wanted to get a good look at the brain to see if there were any physical differences that they could see. But as Michael Rohan put it: "We were using MRI to investigate the effectiveness of certain medications in bipolar patients and noticed that many came out of the MRI feeling much better than when they went in. We decided to investigate further." They have done some follow-up studies just published in the past couple of days that show really positive results. This may give some credence to the practice of transcranial magnetic stimulation, a non-invasive treatment being used by some as a replacement to electroshock therapy. I expect to see the two fields of study merge, and maybe in the next year or two you or your practitioner will be able to get a hand-held EP-MRSI generator to help kick those really tough depressions.

Take heart, there are a lot of things that you can do for yourself. Good luck.

Pam