Final answer:
Lithium is the gold standard treatment for acute mania and the maintenance of bipolar disorder. While there are various medications, such as SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants, for treating other psychiatric conditions, lithium is the primary and reliable treatment for bipolar disorder.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lithium remains the gold standard treatment for acute mania and maintenance of bipolar disorder. Lithium is a mood stabilizer that has been used to treat bipolar disorder for many years.
It helps to reduce the severity and frequency of mania and can prevent or mitigate depressive episodes. Other treatment options for psychiatric disorders may include psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, deep-brain stimulation, taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and/or taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are commonly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety.
While medications like imipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant) and paroxetine (an SSRI) can be used for other conditions such as major depression, they are not considered the first line of treatment for bipolar disorder. Clonidine is primarily a blood pressure medication which is not typically used for bipolar disorder. Therefore, when it comes to treating acute mania and ongoing bipolar management, lithium is the most established and consistent choice.