I Shut My Eyes And All The World Drops Dead

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead

This artwork reflects the brain's neurochemical pathways that operate like a vast and intricate machinery, where each medication adjusts specific components to maintain overall balance and function. Lithium fine-tunes the engine, ensuring neurotransmitter stability but slowing cognitive functions. Anticonvulsants modulate excitatory and inhibitory signals, akin to regulating a system's brakes and accelerators, resulting in a calming effect that induces drowsiness. Antipsychotics manage multiple control panels, balancing therapeutic effects with sedation due to their broad receptor activity. Antidepressants enhance particular pathways, boosting mood while potentially causing sedation.

The medications for bipolar disorder act on the brain’s neurochemical systems to stabilise mood and manage symptoms. This action, however, often results in side effects like drowsiness, as the complex machinery of the brain adjusts to the pharmacological interventions. Understanding these mechanisms underscores the delicate balance between therapeutic efficacy and managing side effects, essential for optimising treatment outcomes for individuals with bipolar disorder.