[Drug therapy of manic-depressive disorders]

Much more depressed patients visit general practitioners or internists than psychiatrists. Therefore, all doctors have to master the method how to treat depression. There are many cases who shift to protracted or chronic depression and intractable ones, because of insufficient medications. For example, antidepressants should be increased to the well-responded dosage, considering any side-effects, and should be continued till getting full recovery. On the other hand, manic patients should be treated by psychiatrists, because they usually lack the insight of disorders and refuse to receive any treatment. Most cases are obliged to hospitalize and to take mood stabilizers and sedative neuroleptics added on.