This came up in another thread, and now I'm curious about it.

Why are atypical antipsychotics being prescribed for BP II? Obviously there's no psychosis involved, though I do know that some AP's can have other benefits aside from preventing/stopping mania and psychosis. But I wonder why they are being prescribed and about the risks (side effects, short and long term) vs benefits in the case of type II.

So, for those of you who are BP II and have been prescribed AP's: Were you on a mood stabilizer first, but it wasn't enough? Do you know why you were prescribed the AP, what symptoms it's meant to alleviate? Does anyone know of research on AP's being effective in stabilizing moods in general, not just to prevent/treat full-blown mania?

Also, just occurred to me, do you think the AP was prescribed for a co-morbid disorder, such as BPD (I understand they are being prescribed for this, nowadays), or other disorder/issue/illness?

Thanks.