There are several medications for bipolar disorder; therefore, to list them all in one article would be overwhelming.  Therefore, a listing of the types of bipolar medications would be more in order, and you can see under which classification your particular medication falls.  At least you will have a better understanding of what your medication for bipolar disorder is supposed to do and how it is supposed to function. 

If there were one magic pill to cure bipolar disorder, everyone with the disorder would already be taking it; however, no such pill exists, so we must depend on other bipolar disorder medications to at least alleviate the most common symptoms of the disorder.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder depends first, of course, on correct diagnosis of the disorder. Many times, unfortunately, Bipolar Disorder is misdiagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as the manic phase of bipolar closely mimics the symptoms of ADHD. Bipolar Disorder has also been misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, unipolar depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other mental illnesses, because they share similar symptoms.

Studies that translate basic findings about the neural basis of temperament, mood regulation, and cognition into clinically relevant insights-which bear directly on BPD-represent a growing area of NIMH-supported research. Research is also underway to test the efficacy of combining medications with behavioral treatments like DBT, and gauging the effect of childhood abuse and other stress in BPD on brain hormones.

Bipolar Disorder medications are used to control the symptoms of the disorder in the same way that aspirin is used to control the fever of an illness, without curing the illness itself. Bipolar Disorder is still not curable at this point; however, its symptoms are manageable through the use of medications.

Many people self-medicate because they feel they can't afford the medications that are commonly used to treat bipolar disorder; however, in nearly all cases there is aid available to those with mental illness who need reduced price or free medications.

Antidepressants are one of the major medication classes used in the treatment of Bipolar Disorder; however, recently antidepressants prescribed along with mood stabilizers for bipolar patients have come under controversy.