Antidepressants

• Antidepressants can be used to reduce the symptoms of depressive episodes. These medications have a relatively high success rate with only minor side-effects.
  
  

Mood Stabilizers

• Mood stabilizers, such as lithium, help prevent the emergence of manic episodes. Lithium and antidepressants are often prescribed together to combat both extremes.
  
  

Therapy

• No medication will act as a perfect cure for bipolar disorder. Therapies designed to treat mental disease can help a patient learn to cope with his ailment and reduce symptoms.
  
  

Self-help

• Learning to recognize manic and depressive episodes is a vital skill for victims of bipolar disorder. Understanding the mental changes can help to preemptively fight irrational impulses of mania and depression.
  
  

Outcomes

• Because bipolar disorder has not been cured an ongoing treatment is required. Despite this, a combination of medicine and therapy goes a long way in reducing symptoms and leading a normal life.