Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) means, broadly, any treatment that falls outside the range of treatments or management options a medical doctor would typically recommend for any given condition. When such treatments are used alongside modern and conventional medicine, they fall under the umbrella of complementary medicine. When they replace conventional medicine, they're alternative treatments.
While some forms of complementary and alternative medicine do have some scientific backing — as in, peer-reviewed studies of varying qualities indicate that they may actually useful for managing a particular condition — others don't. They were either not yet studied enough to say if they can benefit, harm, or neither, or may actually have been thoroughly debunked.
Lots of people use complementary and alternative medicine — according to one study, at least 42 percent of Americans used at least one, and millions of people actively trust that herbal medicines taken alongside herbal medicines will help them, even though there may be nasty interactions. They know doctors don't tend to like these treatments, and less than 40 percent of people who use CAM would share that fact with their physician.
Always coordinate your bipolar disorder treatment with your treating doctor
As people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or who have close relatives or friends with the disorder will already know, the successful management of bipolar disorder mainly depends on medications, often alongside talk therapy and psychoeducation. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics are most widely called on for this purpose, particularly lithium and valproic acid. Even the use of antidepressants, prescribed to people with major depressive disorder (unipolar depression) is quite controversial.
Complementary medicine may interact with prescription drugs you are taking. Alternative medicine, particularly of the totally unproven variety, clearly poses a risk that you will relapse and experience a manic or depressive mood episode. In some cases, alternative medicine can even induce mood episodes.
What complementary treatments for bipolar disorder may actually work?
St John's wort has been quite well-studied as a potential treatment for unipolar depression. Though the many studies on this topic have had conflicting results, plenty have indicated that St John's wort can be viable as a treatment for this kind of depression, and even that its effects can rival that of conventional antidepressants. It is also, however, known to interaction with other medications, including antidepressants, so shouldn't be taken without a doctor's recommendation or green light.
Samesadenosylmethionine, or SAMe, has also been shown to have potential in the management of bipolar disorder, more concretely during depressive episodes only. The risk of side effects also pops up here, though. Beyond headaches and gastrointestinal upsets, there is a real risk that SAMe can induce mania in people living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
What alternative treatments for bipolar disorder haven't been shown to be helpful?
A meta-analysis of available studies on the topic concluded that omega-3 fatty acids, naturally found in seafoods and some green vegetables, need to be further studied as a potential complementary treatment option for bipolar disorder. Taking omega-3 fatty acids risks nothing worse than a stomachache and a fishy aftertaste (many come from fish, after all!), but they should absolutely never replace conventional medicines for bipolar disorder.
There is really no evidence that acupuncture, massage, yoga, or aromatherapy can alleviate the symptoms of bipolar disorder, either. In most cases (with the possible exception of aromatherapy, which can do harm or if the wrong compound is used in the wrong way, these treatments won't do you any harm, and you can safely choose to experiment with these treatments as long as you stick to your conventional meds as well.
These kinds of alternative therapies can become dangerous if you decide to ditch your lithium or other prescribed meds in favor of just them instead, however. They just don't have the potential to prevent a relapse, and it's important to keep taking your bipolar medications even if you feel completely fine.
A final word
In conclusion, no kind of alternative treatment for bipolar disorder should be chosen instead of conventional therapy, perhaps unless you need help managing a depressive episode and do not tolerate antidepressants well. In that case, St John's wort may be considered, but that should be done in consultation with your doctor and never alone.
You may use massage therapy, yoga, or acupuncture to try to help manage your symptoms. They may or may not help (and based on current evidence, assume "not"), but they are unlikely to harm you. Talk to your doctor before taking nutritional supplements, on the other hand, and never stop taking prescription medications without an in-depth conversation with the medical professional who prescribed them to you.
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