<br>Bipolar Disorder</br><br>Calcium Channel Blockers as Medications for Bipolar Monday September 23, 2013 Could one of the drugs known as calcium channel blockers, most often used for high blood pressure and other heart-related issues, be a treatment for bipolar disorder? It's worth asking your doctor about, especially if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. They are not widely used, but the possibility does exist. Take a look: Calcium Channel Blockers for Bipolar Disorder Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (1) Permalink Share zSB(3,3) What If My Doctor Ignores Side Effects? Monday September 23, 2013 When a reader posted that she had severe side effects from Abilify and her psychiatrist refused to do anything about it, I took an in-depth look at all the issues arising from what she said. The most critical question - why did she keep taking a drug that she felt was doing her so much harm? - can't be answered. But you need to know how to be a responsible patient; what your doctor should do; and what to do if the situation can't be resolved with that doctor. In addition, I've also researched the specific side effects Susan reported and given information about them. Get all this crucial information in My Doctor Is Ignoring Side Effects - What Should I Do? Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (4) Permalink Share When Pill Appearance Changes Monday September 23, 2013 Newsletter Consumer Reports On Health told about a study which found people whose generic pill colors changed were 53% more likely to stop filling their prescriptions as those whose pills continued to look the same. The study authors suggested that the FDA require pills that are the same to look the same, in order to increase compliance. Since the figures were so bad, I suppose this is a reasonable position to take, but it bothers the heck out of me. I really don't want my generic medications to look the same from one manufacturer to another, because it's a signal that the pharmacy has switched providers for that drug. I remember one time this happened, and I'd already thrown the previous pill bottle away. I called the pharmacy to ask if they had changed manufacturers and was told yes. I wasn't happy with the new version. It was harder to take (a different shape) and didn't seem to work as well. A month or two later, the pharmacy was back to using the previous manufacturer. I wonder if they got complaints. If the pills had looked the same, I never would have known what was going on and probably would have complained to my doctor that this particular medication was losing its effectiveness. Generic drugs must be bioequivalent to their brand name counterparts, but that isn't the whole story. Inert ingredients do not have to be the same, and this can cause problems from time to time. I have the facts in the article Generic Drugs - Friend or Foe? How do you feel about this study and the recommendation the authors made? Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (2) Permalink Share Messages to Family Members: How You Can Help Tuesday September 17, 2013 We received an email from someone who has two bipolar family members. The writer had noticed how often bipolar people on our forum stated that a loved one's behavior was not helpful or even created more problems. The reader asked, "What IS helpful behavior? What does 'be supportive' really mean?" So we asked our community for their views on this important subject. Some of the common threads in their answers include: Believe that we are ill Learn about bipolar disorder Respect us Love us Don't make fun of us Read forum members' messages to family members . Graphic from Echo's WebGraphics , by Marcia Purse Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (6) Permalink Share Will My Child Inherit My Bipolar Disorder? Monday September 16, 2013 A common fear of couples considering whether to have children was summed up by a community member who said, "My husband and I talked about having children - and the risks they face of being bipolar or schizophrenic, both of which run in my family - for a long time before deciding to take the chance." Are you thinking about having a baby but also worried about your child inheriting bipolar disorder? After all, you've probably heard that bipolar disorder can be inherited, and genetic studies have borne this out. Here are a few points to consider . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (6) Permalink Share Do We Have to Live with the Angst of Trying to Lose Weight? Monday September 16, 2013 Concerns over weight are quite common to those with bipolar disorder. Weight gain is a common side effect of many medications used to treat this disorder. Bouts of depression can also increase the pounds. In a blog regarding medication weight gain , Charisse shared, "I started on a medication last year and weighed 130 pounds or so. Now I am 220 pounds! I was eating like crazy." Christine responded, "I have gained almost 50 pounds on medications, and been through the one week it fits, tomorrow it doesn't. I went from 146 to 193 in a matter of 3 months! Changing meds will not help ... I decided that I'll just live with the weight gain but I'll maintain a healthy lifestyle." Read More... Comments (17) Permalink Share Effects of Premenstrual Flare-Ups of Bipolar Disorder Tuesday September 3, 2013 Results of another study from the huge STEP-BD program reveal that women whose bipolar disorder gets worse during the premenstrual period are likely to have more episodes - mostly depressive episodes - and a shorter time between episodes than women whose symptoms don't get worse. Overall, the first group had more - and worse - hypo/manic and depressive episodes during the year-long study. I myself haven't experienced bipolar flares before menstruation, but I know one woman whose mania and psychosis get severely worse at that time. Female readers - does (or did) your bipolar disorder get worse during the premenstrual period? For more results from the STEP-BD program, see The Effect of Anxiety Disorders on Bipolar Disorder . Source: Longitudinal Follow-Up of Bipolar Disorder in Women With Premenstrual Exacerbation: Findings From STEP-BD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (3 Permalink Share Risk Factors for Violence in Bipolar Disorder Monday September 2, 2013 Writing in Psychiatric Times back in 2010, Drs. Allison Lee and Igor Galynker took a look at some of the risk factors for violence in people who have bipolar disorder, with special emphasis on childhood trauma. They noted that childhood trauma itself is linked to increased potential for violence in itself - as well as increased vulnerability to mood and personality disorders. Since bipolar disorder alone does carry some increased risk for violent behavior, a history of trauma in childhood in a person with bipolar disorder thus raises that risk considerably, especially when 2 or more types of trauma are involved, the doctors said. Trauma history in BP is also associated with "earlier onset of bipolar disorder, faster cycling, and increased rates of suicide." They also quoted the shockingly sad figure that almost 50% of adults with bipolar disorder have a history of childhood trauma, with a high rate of emotional abuse. Other factors the doctors identified as increasing the potential for violence include: The bipolar person also has borderline personality disorder . The person has a history of impulsive acts - especially acts of aggression (not necessarily violent). Substance abuse. Self-medicating with drugs and/or alcohol is an all-too-common problem in those who have BP, and is known to promote aggressive to violent behavior. An article in Duke Health News mentions an additional factor: living in an area where violence is prevalent. Finally, there is another sobering statistic reported in Psychiatric News : more than a quarter of persons with severe mental illnesses are crime victims each year - a rate 11 times greater than the general population. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (1 Permalink Share Hate Mail: "This bipolar nonsense" Sunday September 1, 2013 In 2008 my former co-Guide Kimberly wrote a blog called Is Bipolar Disorder an Excuse for Wretched Behavior? When the original blog was misinterpreted by many people, she clarified at the top what she meant. That blog still gets comments, and this recent one (which I didn't publish there) infuriated me. The writer's comments illustrate the worst kind of attitude toward people with bipolar disorder: "It must be an American thing, this bipolar nonsense. In my country, we call it a bad person who just does not want to manage their illness. "The so-called manic bipolars are the ones everyone should guard themselves from. Bottom line, how many times are you going to lose it and repeat the same bullshit again? Are you saying a bipolar is also without a brain? Of course not. They are pacified people who like many have their positives and negatives. WHY ON EARTH CAN'T A BIPOLAR PERSON MANAGE THEIR ILLNESS BETTER? "Does it by any chance have to do with their comfort with being the 'sick' person and may stand to lose sympathy if they ACTUALLY took responsibility for their sometimes violent actions? "As a woman, I have my period once a month and sometimes, I am down right moody, but unless I want to have no one in my life, I [won't] just act however I want with no regard for others. "Maybe there are legitimate Bipolar patients, but due to fraud by some who use BIPOLAR as an excuse, the Bipolar (Insanity Plea) is quickly becoming JADED. "Control your illness before it controls you. When it controls you, you will either end up dead or in jail. Is that what Bipolar people want? Do they not care for their lives? Do they not want quality lives? Have they never heard of exercising to release some of the tensions they may experience? Do they not have spiritual backbone to turn to? "I am sick of the excuses, Bipolar Community. You sound like irresponsible people who just don't want to take responsibility for the violence you cause innocent people." This kind of hate mail doesn't come my way often, but every time it does I get angry. This one is one of the nastiest I've seen. I have to wonder, too, since the writer says, "In my country," just what country is it where every person with bipolar who commits a crime is "a bad person who doesn't just doesn't want to manage their illness"? That's a crock and you all know it. The majority of people with BP who commit crimes are those who, for whatever reason (mostly poverty), are unable to get treatment in the first place. Photo: striatic / stock.xchng - modified with permission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (34) Permalink Share Bipolar Kids and Meds - Tips for Swallowing Pills Saturday August 31, 2013 If you have a young child who's been diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder , one of the problems you may have encountered is that they have to learn to take pills. Vincent Iannelli, About Guide to Pediatrics, says that children generally learn to swallow pills around the age of ten - but children may be diagnosed with childhood bipolar much earlier than that. This can be a problem - you don't want your child choking on pills, spitting them out, or having something that tastes bad dissolving in the mouth, which can only make it more difficult to administer medication. (Not to mention the cost of wasted medication - bipolar meds aren't exactly cheap!) In his article Swallowing Pills , Vincent gives lots of tips for getting medications safely down a younger child's throat. It's a must-read for parents whose young children have difficulty taking any type of medication. More resources on children and medications: Discussing Children's Medication With the Doctor School Medication Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (0) Permalink Share The Siren Song of Impulsive Spending Friday August 30, 2013 Is your credit card screaming to be used? Do random items in the mall flag you down to be purchased? Do you have a collection of toasters or cleaning products or shoes you have no idea why you bought and you will never use? Well you are far from alone. This type of impulsivity is very common most especially for those with bipolar disorder. Listen to what some of our members had to say about this. Scwalke2: I have an issue with impulsively spending money, or spending money I really shouldn't or don't actually have. There have been several occasions where I have overdrawn my checking account and incurred fees ... I don't really know how to explain it. I have tried to put a lid on it, but it seems sometimes as though something always comes up and that I always forget something no matter how hard I try to keep track of my bank balance. Or I will look at the balance and go and buy something and then remember that I had to pay for medicine or an appointment I had forgotten about, and end up having to use my credit card or something. Randmcnatt: I have three vacuum cleaners - well, four counting the wetvac. Actually, I have three wetvacs but two have been awaiting minor repair for six or seven years. I bought the parts, though ... I have a tile cutter and a bench grinder I've never used. I think I have purchased four pair of nearly-identical binoculars. I went to get an angel-food cake pan for a photography project. I now have eight angel-food cake pans. Every time I needed a 9/16 wrench I bought a new wrench set, so I have several of those, but I still can't find a 9/16 wrench. Keath Low, the About.com guide to ADD/ADHD, notes that this is also a major symptom of ADHD and it is not uncommon for those with ADHD to buy first and think later. She offers some simple tips to keep your finances in better order by gaining control of impulsive spending. I use some of these personally and find they really do help. For example, I have a hard and fast rule about no credit cards. Have you tried any of these? How did it work out? Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (5) Permalink Share Do you ever put salt in your coffee? Thursday August 29, 2013 Here's a fun blog from 2008 that merits another look. There's a story I read as a child, taken from The Peterkin Papers , called "The Lady Who Put Salt in Her Coffee." In it the entire Peterkin family and their friends try to think of what their mother can add to her coffee to take away the taste of salt. I'm having a "salt in my coffee" day all day. When I was making coffee, I nearly poured the carafe of water into the coffee grinder . I almost sprayed a cooking pan with Pledge instead of Pam. And just now, after going out to the kitchen twice to get a couple packets of Sweet 'n' Low (because I forgot to put any in when I poured the coffee), getting distracted and coming back empty-handed, I carefully opened the packets and emptied them into ... my ashtray. There were at least a couple of other instances I can't remember now. Looking for things in the wrong places when I know perfectly well where to find them, or putting them in the wrong places. I know this type of thing is common now and then, but all day long? I'm wondering if it's because I increased my dose of antipsychotic medicine yesterday. Or just that I'm loopy. Do you have days like these when you're just ... goofy? ~ Marcia Comments ( Permalink Share Should He Tell His Boss? Wednesday August 28, 2013 Some time ago, a reader wrote: So I'm in a tight spot at work. It's the beginning of April and I've already burned through all of my sick time for the year, mostly because of a severe bout of depression, medication issues, and other health issues. I wish I could just raise my fist and say that I'll never take another sick day again but I just can't make that promise; as well all know things happen that you can't account for. When my absences come up for discussion, which I'm sure they will at some point, should I just tell him everything? I guess what I'm looking for is experiences some of you may have had with this type of situation yourselves. I do really need to keep this job because of its excellent health benefits; it pays for all my meds and my doctor visits. In the United States, people have rights that go with the bipolar diagnosis under the Americans With Disabilities Act . This article and the companion piece, The ADA: Reasonable Accommodations and Claims , have a lot of information to arm yourself with if and when you have such a discussion with your boss. Now, readers, what do you think? Have you told your bosses at work about your bipolar disorder? How did that turn out? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="http://www.ysltshirts.net">ysl t shirts</a> . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (17) Permalink Share Excuse me? Tuesday August 27, 2013 This blog from May 2010 is one of my most popular blogs ever, and worthy of another look today. One of my popular articles is Toxic People - Who They Are and How to Avoid Them . We've all met them - family members, friends, co-workers, you name it. They can be people who don't or won't understand that your mental illness is an illness , not something you can get over with a little gumption. They can be emotional vampires who drain your energy. They can be people, like the one I described in the article, who dump all their negativity on you so you can feel better. And I'll bet you can think of other types. At the end of the Toxic People article there is a link where you can share your own tips for dealing with toxic people or read what others have written. Fortunately, new responses come to me for review before they are published. I say "fortunately" because today I got one that infuriated me and had no business being published on that page. See for yourself: My brother and I had to banish our BiPolor [sic] sister ...she lies, steals and backstabbed us for too long. Our parents are now gone and the time has come to let her go - too much damage to repair this. Toxic is right! Now we can finally have our peace without her rages and crazy antics! "Happy" Future Holidays Sis, enjoy being alone, you will be your own best friend and sister! I beg your pardon? Have these two siblings ever tried to find out what bipolar disorder is ? Have they ever been there for her? Do they know how to recognize a manic or hypomanic episode ? A depressive episode ? Obviously they don't know when she needs to call her psychiatrist or other treatment professional. Hmph. I suspect their sister will be better off without them . Comments (21) Permalink Share Can Bipolar Disorder Be "Prevented"? Monday August 26, 2013 CNN mental health expert Dr. Charles Raison wrote an interesting and perhaps provocative answer to a reader's question, Can a person "discourage" bipolar disorder? Dr.Raison's comments regarding heredity and environment are consistent with what is known as the "Diathesis-Stress Model" as discussed in What Causes Bipolar Disorder? Most mental illnesses begin with physical factors, often inherited, that put a person at risk for developing a given disorder. Sometimes that seems to be all it takes for the illness to appear, but often stress makes the difference. Dr. Raison's advice to shield a child who is at risk from bipolar disorder from "environmental adversity" by avoiding chronic and destructive stress, and to provide healthy physical and psychological environments, is good advice for any child. Sadly, an at-risk child often has a parent with a mental illness, so stressors may be built into the family environment. Still, whatever can be done to reduce stress in the life of a child is worth doing whether the child is at risk, not at risk, or already has bipolar disorder or another mental illness. Dr. Raison closes by saying, "Nonetheless, if it were my child and I saw clear warning signs of bipolar disorder, I would bring the child into psychiatric treatment immediately and not hesitate to use medications if my doctor thought they were indicated." If family history indicates your child is at-risk for developing bipolar disorder, make sure you know the warning signs of childhood bipolar disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (10) Permalink Share Kleine-Levin Syndrome May Be Misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder Monday August 26, 2013 Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is an extremely rare sleep disorder that can take years to be diagnosed. One of the possible conditions that KLS can be mistaken for is bipolar disorder, and in fact, some of the same medications used to treat bipolar disorder may be prescribed for those who have KLS. Symptoms of KLS include excessive sleeping ( hypersomnia ), compulsive and excessive eating ( hyperphagia ), childish behavior, confusion, apathy , disorientation, hallucinations and hypersexuality . Having such a difficult illness can cause depression. In addition, KLS is episodic. KLS affects mostly adolescents and 70% of patients are male. More often than not, KLS patients grow out of the illness or it grows much milder in adulthood. It's easy to see why KLS can be mistaken for bipolar disorder, given the number of symptoms the two illnesses have in common. In some cases, mood stabilizers such as Lithium and carbamazepine have shown to help prevent episodes. Read more: Kleine-Levin Syndrome at National Institutes of Health. Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Photo by Betsssssy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (3) Permalink Share "Nonexercise" Is Good For You Monday August 26, 2013 What's nonexercise? Around the house, it's doing dishes or filling the dishwasher. Standing while preparing food. Doing laundry. Sweeping, dusting, vacuuming - even cleaning the toilet. At work, it's walking to a co-worker's desk or cubicle and not sitting down while you talk. Taking the stairs. Even getting up every 20 minutes and standing for 20 seconds, says Men's Health Magazine . According to a report by MSNBC's Maria Masters, not only is nonexercise good for you, it can be better for you than sitting for long stretches and doing intensive exercise a few times a week. Studies from 1953 to 2010 have shown that people who sit all day are more likely to have significant health problems and even die sooner than those who stand on the job, even if they get no other exercise. What does this mean for those of us who gain significant weight from psychiatric medications? Get up. Stand. Walk. You'll burn more calories and make yourself healthier over time. And for those who are really tied to their desks, Men's Health offers 7 Easy Stretches to Do at Work every couple of hours. When I lost almost 30 pounds in 12 months a few years back, changing my diet was certainly one of the important things. But I didn't add intensive exercise: I simply did more housework, trying to do an hour a day. When I put the laundry away, I put the basket several feet from the closet and dresser, on the bed, so that I had to walk 3-4 steps for each item. And I put each item away individually rather than waiting until I had all the socks matched and then carrying them to the drawer all at once. We already know that those of us who gain a lot of weight from our psych meds are at increased risk for diabetes. "A 2010 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that when healthy men limited their number of footsteps by 85 percent for 2 weeks, they experienced a 17 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity, raising their diabetes risk," says Masters. While the exact reverse may not be true, and your own risk factors for diabetes are important, it's plain there is a correlation between nonexercise and insulin resistance. I find this information very exciting. Though I am not good at pushing myself outside for serious walking even when I'm not depressed, and my treadmill got so little use that I finally sold it, I can do myself a lot of good by getting off my butt and doing a few minutes of housework as often as possible - or just by standing. And it's something I should be able to do when I am depressed. So as soon as you finish reading this blog and the links in it - get up! Weight Issues: Hope for Weight Loss - Even on Antipsychotics Lithium and Weight Gain Report: Why your desk job is slowly killing you Photo: Michal Zacharzewski/SXC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (4) Permalink Share Depression Is Useful? Really? Saturday August 17, 2013 In a Scientific American article a couple years back, Scientists Paul W. Andrews and J. Anderson Thomson evaluated Depression's Evolutionary Roots . They propose that "in most instances, depression should not be thought of as a disorder at all ... we argue that depression is in fact an adaptation, a state of mind which brings real costs, but also brings real benefits." The costs of depression, as outlined in this article, include trouble performing everyday activities, difficulty concentrating on work, social isolation, lethargy, lose of the ability to take pleasure from such activities such as eating and sex ... just to name a few (see Warning Signs of Depression for a detailed list). The benefits? Essentially rumination. If you're a cow, rumination is chewing the cud. If you're a person, rumination is meditating or pondering. Andrews and Thomson define this as a highly analytical style of thinking that depression facilitates. "Analysis requires a lot of uninterrupted thought, and depression coordinates many changes in the body to help people analyze their problems without getting distracted." Are they serious? After all, depression also involves an inability to concentrate and memory problems. How are these helpful to problem solving? I've also never found bouts of prolonged crying to help resolve any complex social situation. What do you think? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (37) Permalink Share I Like This Word Better Than "Crazy" Friday August 16, 2013 When I saw Girl, Interrupted , two things really struck me. One was that it took place in the '60s, which meant I was about the same age as these girls at the time. And I never knew anyone who used language like that in the '60s. Maybe I lived in a cocoon. The other was a line clear at the end of the film. In voice-over, Susanna said, "Crazy isn't being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It's you or me amplified." Amplified . Wow. Yes. My anxiety is fear, amplified. My depression is the blues plus introspection, amplified. My mixed episodes are those plus stress, amplified. My hypomania is - what? Seems like it's more than an amplification of a good mood. I don't know. I've had so few normal good moods in my life. So I'm not crazy, but my brain pushes intensity of mood and feelings to extremes. What about you? Are you not crazy, but amplified? Leave a comment. Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (23) Permalink Share To the Hospital in Handcuffs - Annie's Bipolar Diagnosis Story Thursday August 15, 2013 Annie had symptoms starting at the age of 15 but wasn't diagnosed until much later, after a delusional and suicidal crisis sent her to the hospital. She describes a history of manic and depressive episodes, anxiety attacks, and the steps she took after hospitalization to help herself. Read Annie's Story: To the Hospital in Handcuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (0) Permalink Share Do You Have Trouble with Anxiety? Wednesday August 14, 2013 Do you have trouble with anxiety? Anxiety disorders are fairly common in people who have bipolar disorder. In fact, researchers involved with STEP-BD -- the largest treatment study of bipolar disorder conducted to date -- found that more than half the study participants with bipolar disorder also had a comorbid anxiety disorder. Ativan , generic lorazepam, is one prescription option your doctor may consider to help alleviate your anxiety. Ativan is an anti-anxiety medication in the benzodiazepine family. It is approved for the treatment of anxiety disorders, for short-term relief of anxiety symptoms, or for anxiety associated with depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (3) Permalink Share What Is Depression? Tuesday August 13, 2013 Before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, before I was even treated for depression (my main symptom), I wish I'd had a clear way to tell other people what depression really is. If I'd been able to say, "I'm depressed and this is what that means ," I might have been able to get some compassion from at least some of the people who were irritated with my depressive behavior. <a href="http://www.ysltshirts.net">ysl t shirts</a> Saying, "I'm depressed" to someone is often useless. At best they may ask what you're depressed about, but they're very unlikely to ask what that means . It's going to be up to you to explain it. So - what is depression? Is it feeling sad, wanting to cry, just being unhappy about something? In fact, the answer to "what is depression?" isn't as simple as that. True depression is a medical condition with specific symptoms. I've put together information about some of the circumstances where a person is likely to say, "I'm depressed," in language that should be easy for anyone to understand. Read What Is Depression? Photo: Glenda Otero </br><br>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (0) Permalink Share Sleep and Bipolar Episodes - A Vicious Circle Monday August 12, 2013 Scientists are exploring the link between "clock" genes and bipolar disorder. For example, 2008 study found that a mutation in the core clock gene in mice produced hyperactivity and mania-like behavior. And as I wrote in Mood Disorders and Sleep , a short night can actually cause manic or hypomanic episodes. There's a lot of variance. I find that insomnia has a depressive effect on my mood, while hypersomnia (sleeping too much) is a symptom of my depression. Yet when I am hypomanic, I do have a decreased need for sleep. I am at my best when I consistently get 8 or 9 hours of restful sleep - or is it that I get 8 or 9 hours of sleep when I'm at my best? Some tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil (amitriptyline) are known to have a beneficial effect on sleep, but the side effects , particularly substantial weight gain, may prove troublesome. More and more, researchers are looking at resetting the daily sleep cycle by means other than medication. Both light therapy for depression and dark therapy for hypo/mania have had some success. Resetting the circadian clock using zeitgebers is something I expect we'll hear more and more about as time passes. One treatment being looked at is to have people in hypo/mania wear "blue blocking" sunglasses. Meanwhile, doing what you can to regulate your own sleep cycle can only be beneficial to you at all times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER . . . . . . . . . <a href="http://www.ysltshirts.net">ysl hoodies</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </br><br>Comments (4) Permalink Share When Do You Say "Enough is Enough"? Monday August 12, 2013 Ann insisted her husband see a psychiatrist when she discovered he was putting tape recorders in the house to catch her sleeping with other men. But after being diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder, he started drinking again. Sure, he had excuses for his drinking, but what he told Ann the psychiatrist had said about it sounded suspicious. Had he really mentioned it at all during his appointment? His behavior, Ann said, was damaging an "already fragile family life," and she didn't know what to do. When, she asked, is it time to say "enough is enough"? When Ann emailed her story to me, I didn't have an answer for her, and she finally found her own solution. But this situation comes up all the time Read More... Comments (0) Permalink Share Bipolar with Anxious Distress - New in the DSM-5 Monday August 5, 2013 It's very common for people with bipolar disorder to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as well. However, the authors of the new DSM-5 recognized that sometimes the anxiety felt during bipolar episodes doesn't have all the characteristics that a second diagnosis needs. Thus they've added a new specifier to flesh out the bipolar diagnosis. A doctor can now diagnose, for example, a major depressive episode with anxious distress . Manic and hypomanic episodes can also have this specifier added to the diagnosis. This is a welcome change, but it can be a little confusing. For a full explanation, see: Bipolar Disorder With Anxious Distress Learn more or join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Comments (0) Permalink Share Read Archives » </br> |
