s) fluovamine and amitriptyline have also been used by somedoctors as treatment for bipolar disorder. A double-blind study by M.Gasperini, F. Gatti, L. Bellini, R.Anniverno, and E. Smeraldi showedthat fluvoxamine and amitriptyline are highly effective treatments forbipolar patients experiencing depressive episodes (1992). This study iscontroversial however, because conflicting research shows that SSRI'sand other antidepressants can actually precipitate manic episodes. Mostdoctors can see the usefulness of antidepressants when used inconjunction with mood stabilizing medications such as lithium. In addition to the mentioned medical treatments of bipolardisorder, there are several other options available to bipolar patients,most of which are used in conjunction with medicine. One such treatmentis light therapy. One study compared the response to light therapy ofbipolar patients with that of unipolar patients. Patients were free ofpsychotropic and hypnotic medications for at least one month beforetreatment. Bipolar patients in this study showed an average of 90.3%improvement in their depressive symptoms, with no incidence of mania orhypomania. They all continued to use light therapy, and all showed asustained positive response at a three month follow-up (Hopkins andGelenberg, 1994). Another study involved a four week treatment ofbright morning light treatment for patients with seasonal affectivedisorder and bipolar patients. This study found a statisticallysignificant decrement in depressive symptoms, with the maximumantidepressant effect of light not being reached until week four (Baur,Kurtz, Rubin, and Markus, 1994). Hypomanic symptoms were experienced by36% of bipolar patients in this study. Predominant hypomanic symptomsincluded racing thoughts, deceased sleep and irritability. Surprisingly, one-third of controls also developed symptoms such asthose mentioned above. Regardless of the explanation of the emergenceof hypo...
