Bipolar Blog

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Aug 2, 2008, Bipolar Scholarships That Give You The Chance You Deserve

Get bipolar scholarships, grants, financial aid - instant access to free aid now.

Jul 28, 2008, Winner of Famous Bipolar People Contest Announced

Bipolar disorder is in the news constantly right now. This has done a lot of good in terms of raising awareness and shattering some of the myths about bipolar. However, unfortunately some of the coverage is still uninformed or unbalanced in its negativity. The bipolar celebrity angle gets a lot of attention, but so much valuable information about how successful people have triumphed over bipolar never makes it into the popular media. Our contest video was intended to provide a balance of light and dark and, and spark viewer curiosity about why the famous bipolar people represented experienced such a different range of outcomes. The contest closed on 27 July, 2008 and the website now lists the names of all faces used in the video. The winner of the $50 gift card is Beth, a psychology student from Tennessee.

Jul 28, 2008, The shock that saves

For decades, doctors have intentionally damaged certain parts of the brain to lessen symptoms of mental illness. In general, when one area of the brain is damaged, it naturally tries to compensate by using another part, so a person who has had that kind of operation can usually continue going about his or her business fairly normally. The problem, says Emory University neuroscientist Helen S. Mayberg, is that a hole in the brain is a hole in the brain. It does not heal, and there can be complications. So researchers started thinking about electrically stimulating parts of the brain instead of trashing them.

Jul 22, 2008, When jail is the only place mentally ill inmates get treatment, they come back

At the Harris County Jail, deputies and health care workers have a name for them. Frequent fliers. They are mentally ill homeless people who return to jail so often, sometimes on minor charges, that they become familiar to the psychiatric staff. The jails have become the psychiatric hospitals of the United States, said Clarissa Stephens, an assistant director of the county's budget and management services office who has been studying the jail's mental health costs.

Jul 15, 2008, Bipolar linked to cigarette addiction

In the general population, the smoking rate is between 20 and 25 percent. In bipolar disorder it is 60 to 70 percent. One recent study documents that up to 50 percent of cigarettes are smoked by people with some form of mental illness.

Jul 12, 2008, Text messages for bipolar patients win award

A text messaging system for mental health patients has won a national award. The text messaging system for people with bipolar disorder enables them to monitor their own condition and keep doctors updated on how they are feeling.

Mental health staff send out weekly text messages and the patients send back one of a number of prearranged replies, depending on how they are feeling.

Jul 12, 2008, Huge Risk for Substance Abuse Found Among Teens With Bipolar Disorder

A case control study in youth with bipolar disorder with a mean age of 14 years found a significantly higher risk of substance-use disorder compared with controls. In this study, the risk from bipolar disorder for substance abuse is among the highest risk ever described in the literature.

Jul 5, 2008, Launch of Bipolar Lives Scholarship

We are proud to announce the creation of the Bipolar Lives Scholarship. This is a $500 cash award to a student enrolled in a US college, community college, technical college or trade school. Application forms are available on the scholarships page of the website. When we created the scholarships page we were dismayed at the shortage of scholarships focused on the bipolar community and decided to create our own. If you are undertaking higher education we hope you will apply.

Jun 29, 2008, Bipolar Quiz

So you think you understand bipolar? Try this quick bipolar quiz.

Jun 29, 2008, Free web based course on child mental health medication

In response to public concerns about the increased use of psychiatric medications in children, Florida International University will unveil CriticalThinkRx, a free web based course to educate mental health professionals and child welfare workers about medication decisions.

CriticalThinkRx, a research based, publicly funded project, grew out of public concerns about the increased rate of prescription of psychiatric medications to children, the escalating costs to taxpayers to pay for these prescriptions, and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on information about medications.

Jun 23, 2008, Bipolar Illness and Crime is a Difficult Connection to Prove

When a respected local historian and author admitted in court this spring that he had stolen letters written by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, his attorney disclosed that his client suffers from bipolar disorder, a condition he claimed clouded his judgment.

Jun 21, 2008, State Senator may use bipolar defense

State Senator James Marzilli, accused in a string of sexual assaults, could be laying the groundwork for a defense based on a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Marzilli continued to receive treatment yesterday at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility where he is expected to remain at least through the weekend. The 58 year old senator checked into the hospital after he was accused of trying to grope a woman in downtown Lowell.

Sources said Marzilli is being treated for hypomania caused by bipolar disorder. The illness can cause its sufferers to experience loss of sleep, racing thoughts and inability to control their behavior, according to psychiatrists.

Jun 20, 2008, Bipolar Treatments

Bipolar treatments are constantly evolving, but not all are effective. Discover what really works and conquer bipolar today.

Jun 20, 2008, Self Representation by the Mentally Ill Is Curbed

A mentally ill defendant who is nonetheless competent to stand trial is not necessarily competent to dispense with a lawyer and represent himself, the US Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

Jun 14, 2008, Antidepressants Alone A Dangerous Treatment For Bipolar

A recent statement by Australian psychiatrists caution that individuals with bipolar disorder need mood stabilizing medication in addition to antidepressants.

Psychiatrists have cautioned against the use of antidepressants alone in people with bipolar disorders, saying they could worsen a patients condition by causing a destabilization in mood.

Jun 8, 2008, Child experts fail to reveal full drug pay

A Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drugmakers from 2000 to 2007, but for years didn't report much of this income to university officials, according to information given to congressional investigators.

Jun 8, 2008, Harvard Researchers Kept Secret $3.2 Million From Drugmakers

Harvard Medical School doctors who helped pioneer use of psychiatric drugs by children violated US government and school rules by failing to properly disclose at over $3 million from drugmakers including Johnson and Johnson and Eli Lilly, a US senator said.

Jun 4, 2008, Clinic Treats Bipolar by Enlisting the Family

Family focused therapy, as it is called, breaks the image of the psychiatrist sitting in his chair, alone in a room with the patient, as well as the traditional wisdom that patient confidentiality is sacrosanct. In family therapy, the family might be treated as part of the problem. In contrast, in family focused therapy the point is not to treat relatives, but to enlist their help in managing the patients illness.

May 27, 2008, Psychiatry Makes War on Bipolar Children

The front cover of the May 26, 2008 Newsweek has a banner headline, Growing Up Bipolar with a split-face photograph of a ten-year-old boy. The headline should have read, Victim of Psychiatric Assault.

May 21, 2008, At last some sanity about childhood madness

One evening several years ago, an old friend called me up to ask, somewhat abruptly, what I knew about bipolar disorder. I gave him a simplified summary of what I had seen in many abnormal psychology textbooks. One thing I told him was that the disorder was highly genetic but did not begin to show itself until the late teens or twenties. When I asked him the reason for his interest, he told me that his daughter had just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

This didn't make much sense to me. My friends daughter was only 9 years old at the time.

May 19, 2008, Growing Up Bipolar

At least 800,000 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed as bipolar, no doubt some of them wrongly. There are many drugs to treat the condition, but it is unclear how they work, and, often, they do not work at all. There are no studies on their long term effects in children. Yet untreated bipolar disorder can be disastrous. 10 percent of sufferers commit suicide. Parents must choose between two terrible options. Treat their children and risk a bad outcome, or do not treat and risk a worse one.

May 18, 2008, FDA Approves Seroquel For Maintenance Treatment In Bipolar Disorder

AstraZeneca announced that the FDA has approved SEROQUEL for the maintenance treatment of patients with bipolar I disorder, as adjunct to lithium or divalproex. SEROQUEL is approved by the FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia, and is also the only single agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of both depressive episodes in bipolar disorder and acute manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder1,2.

May 15, 2008, Who Discovered Lithium? The Answer May Surprise You!

Wondering who discovered lithium? Discover more yourself. Lithium's origins may surprise you. The story is more interesting than you may suspect . . .

May 13, 2008, Social Security Disability for Bipolar

Millions of Americans suffer from bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions that interfere with their ability to work. However, it can be very hard to win approval for bipolar disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, compared to a person who has an obvious physical disability.

Do not give up. It is well known that bipolar disorder can make employment impossible, but you will have to work harder to prove your case.

Use these 8 winning strategies and get the benefits you need and deserve

May 13, 2008, Bipolar people more likely to incur debt

Experts have warned that people with mental health problems are three times more likely to accumulate huge debts than the general population as credit crisis continues to be a menace.

Among those with bipolar disorder the number is more likely to be higher. This is because over spending is part of the condition, experts said.

May 6, 2008, Is Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed?

A new study by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers reports that fewer than half the patients previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder based on a comprehensive, psychiatric diagnostic interview.

The study concludes that while recent reports indicate that there is a problem with underdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, an equal if not greater problem exists with overdiagnosis.

May 6, 2008, Higher BMI Associated with Worse Bipolar Outcomes

Bipolar patients who are obese are significantly less likely to respond to lithium than those of normal weight, a researcher has claimed.

In an observational study, Dr. Calkin and colleagues showed that elevated BMI also predicts a more severe course of bipolar disease and greater medical comorbidity, she told attendees at the American Psychiatric Association meeting.

May 3, 2008, Migraine often associated with psychiatric disorders

Migraine is commonly associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia, a new study shows.

May 1, 2008, Our Dumb Shit Quick Fix World

The mental health industry is the latest victim of our addiction to corner cutting.

The most recent development in this opportunistic trend hails from the Golden State of idiots, California. Dr. John Kelsoe claims to have discovered the biological roots of bipolar disorder, a mood disturbance affecting 2.3 million Americans that can lead to suicide if left untreated. So he does what all good Americans would do. He cashes in.

Apr 28, 2008, Omega 3 Benefits for Bipolar Disorder Remain Unclear

There is not yet enough scientific evidence to determine whether omega 3 fatty acid supplements can help treat people with bipolar disorder, say researchers at the University of Oxford in England.

Apr 18, 2008, Neurontin fails bipolar med review

Review the research on epilepsy meds, and what do you find? Neurontin (gabapentin), is no better than placebo for bipolar disorder, according to the Prescribing for Better Outcomes center at the University of North Carolina.

Apr 9, 2008, Bipolar Disorder Test Not Ready for Prime Time

Psynomics, a San Diego company, recently began Internet sales of a saliva test for bipolar disorder. For several hundred dollars anyone can buy the kit. After sending a sample to Psynomics, the company will return the results to the person's doctor.

This would be a great development to determine for sure whether someone has bipolar disorder, if it actually provided useful and reliable information.

Apr 4, 2008, Therapy improves bipolar outcomes

Cognitive behavioural therapies are very valuable in the treatment of bipolar disorder according to Swinburne psychology researcher, Dr Greg Murray, who presented at the Reconnexion national conference in Melbourne on April 3.

Dr Murrays presentation will draw on several Australian and international research projects he has been involved with, which have shown that therapy alongside medication is more effective at treating bipolar disorder than medication alone.

Apr 3, 2008, Task Force Proposes New Bipolar Guidelines

An international team of experts recently proposed expanding the diagnostic criteria for several subtypes of bipolar disorder, adding a pediatric bipolar disorder category and eliminating the schizoaffective disorder category.

The Diagnostic Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Bipolar Disorder (ISBD) has been examining diagnostic issues since 2004 and recently presented its recommendations.

Task force chairman S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH, told Psychiatric Times that the task force brought together clinical experts on bipolar disorder and key researchers with the goal of having them develop a more systematic and coherent set of diagnostic guidelines.

Mar 22, 2008, Bipolar Type II

Bipolar Type II is more common than you realize - could you have soft bipolar? Discover answers now.

Mar 13, 2008, Chasing away the black dog

Bipolar disorder is at risk of becoming a blanket term for bad behaviour, writes Robert Westhead, who has the condition.

At times, it seems as though bipolar illness is the latest celebrity fad. Stephen Fry made a documentary about it. Sophie Anderton, Adam Ant, Richard Dreyfuss, Kerry Katona and Tony Slattery are all sufferers. And now Britney Spears, too, has bipolar disorder, at least according to the media, in whose unforgiving glare she has had a very public meltdown.

Mar 4, 2008, Tamoxifen May Help Treat Mania In Patients With Bipolar Disorder

A small, three-week trial of tamoxifen, a drug typically used to treat breast cancer, indicates that it also may decrease symptoms of mania in patients with bipolar disorder, according to a new report.

Tamoxifen interferes with the effects of the hormone estrogen, which accounts for its effects against breast cancer, according to background information in the article. However, tamoxifen also inhibits the actions of a family of enzymes known as protein kinase C. Abnormal levels of activity by these enzymes have been associated with bipolar disorder and related dysfunctions, such as distractibility, impaired judgments and disorganized thoughts.

Feb 26, 2008, Blood test could reveal bipolar disorder

A blood test could be used to diagnose and assess the severity of certain mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, according to a new study. But some experts think this raises ethical concerns about prying into personal mental status.

Lab tests that can accurately detect mental illnesses have long been considered the Holy Grail of psychiatry. Currently, bipolar disorder and other conditions such as depression are diagnosed based on patient descriptions of their symptoms and the physicians judgment, sometimes making it difficult to get an accurate diagnosis or determine the severity of a patients condition. But now researchers have shown that 10 genes that can be detected in the blood could provide a better way to assess a patient.

Feb 14, 2008, Mental Health in Children:Nutrition as a Common Sense Alternative to Medications and Labels

The American medical profession has rejected and avoided the science of nutrition for over a century. Most American physicians ignore well-proven nutritional interventions in spite of solid science, low cost, good safety and exploding patient demand. Our doctors dismiss the value of nutrition without understanding or exploring the information. The pattern is set in medical school where minimal time is devoted to this topic. Sadly, nowhere is this anti-nutrition mindset more obvious than in the specialty of psychiatry.

The brain forms the obvious foundation for the importance of nutrition in mental health or illness. The process of brain growth transforms a few embryonic cells into the most complex system in the known universe. At one point in the first trimester over 250,000 neurons are being created per minute. This extraordinary process does not stop at birth: the human brain quadruples in weight after delivery. The child’s brain is much more complex than our adult brain with twice the number of neurons and much more rapid synaptic growth and interconnection.

This enormous neurological development has vast metabolic and nutritional demands. If the child’s diet does not supply the needed nutrients (omega-3 essential fatty acids, magnesium, b-vitamins, amino acids, folate, etc) than the child’s brain will be handicapped and prone to dysfunction and psychiatric symptoms.

Feb 14, 2008, Peta warns Spears about dairy products

Britney Spears parents have been urged by Peta to keep their daughter away from dairy products, as her love of ice cream could be making her bipolar disorder worse.

Peta president Ingrid Newkirk wrote to Jamie and Lynne Spears to say PETA have heard that Britney asked for ice-cream while she was in the hospital. PETA claim there could, in fact, be a connection between her diet and her mental-health problems.

PETA say numerous reports indicate that in bipolar patients who have hidden dairy sensitivities (a fairly common condition), the disorder can worsen if the patient consumes dairy products.

Feb 5, 2008, Study provides bipolar clues

People with bipolar disorder have a distinct chemical signature in their brains, the results of a new study indicate. The findings may also indicate how drugs used to treat the condition, such as lithium, work.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression is a severe and chronic condition. Those affected experience sustained high moods, followed by periods of sustained low moods. High moods can see the person feeling elated and needing less sleep. Low moods can range from mild to severe depression.

Almost 40,000 people in Ireland have the condition.

A team of UK and US researchers examined the brain tissue of deceased people, who had bipolar disorder when they were alive. They compared these with the brain tissue of people who had not been affected by the illness.

The samples were taken from the part of the brain which controls the processes involved in higher cognitive functioning.

The researchers found that those with bipolar disorder had different concentrations of chemicals in this area of the brain, compared to those without the condition.

Feb 1, 2008, Some Bipolar Meds INCREASE Suicide Risk

FDA. Finds Increase in Suicide Symptoms for Patients Using Seizure Medications

By GARDINER HARRIS and BENEDICT CAREY Published February 1 2008

Drugs for epilepsy, bipolar illness and mood problems double the risks of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and patients taking them should be watched for sudden behavioral changes, drug regulators have said.

The increased risks, while double in relative terms, are small. The Food and Drug Administration undertook a combined analysis of 199 clinical trials with 43,892 patients and found 4 suicides and 105 reports of suicidal symptoms among the 27,863 patients who were given the drugs compared to no suicides and 35 reports of suicidal symptoms among the 16,029 patients treated with placebos.

Taken together, the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior was 0.43 percent for those on drug therapy and 0.22 percent for those given placebos.

These medications are primarily used to help epileptics control seizures and to calm the surges in energy and mood that, along with bouts of depression, characterize bipolar disorder. The drugs, which include Depakote, Lamictal, Topamax, Keppra, Lyrica and Neurontin, are sometimes prescribed for chronic pain and headaches, as well.

Jan 18, 2008, Malicious mutant mice shed light on bipolar disorder in humans

A mutant strain of very badly behaved mice has led researchers to an important gene that can increase the risk of bipolar disorder in humans.

The discovery raises the possibility of understanding the biology behind a condition that strikes one in every 100 people, and tailoring specific treatments for it.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia first reported in 2002 that mice missing this gene were prone to kill their mates, beat their siblings and bite the lab hands that feed them.

The unanswered question was whether the gene played a similar role in violent people.

The Vancouver team eventually found the gene is so crucial to brain development that any human missing it completely could not survive. After screening nearly 800 mentally ill patients and 500 control subjects, the researchers learned that people with bipolar disorder, once known as manic depression, tend to carry mutations in this gene.

Jan 17, 2008, Researchers Find a Bias Toward Upbeat Findings on Antidepressants

The makers of antidepressants like Prozac and Paxil never published the results of about a third of the drug trials that they conducted to win government approval, misleading doctors and consumers about the drugs true effectiveness, a new analysis has found.

In published trials, about 60 percent of people taking the drugs report significant relief from depression, compared with roughly 40 percent of those on placebo pills. But when the less positive, unpublished trials are included, the advantage shrinks. The drugs outperform placebos, but by a modest margin, concludes the new report, which appears Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Jan 6, 2008, Vitamins for bipolar: cure or quackery?

HEALTH I Controversial and unproven, a mix of vitamins formulated to calm aggressive pigs has apparently brought relief to thousands of people with bipolar disorder

Monica Carsience says it's the answer to her prayers. David Hardy calls it good pig husbandry. Health Canada suggested it was quackery and spent years trying to shut it down.

A dry cocktail of vitamins and minerals that calms aggressive pigs and seems to have eradicated bipolar disorder symptoms in almost 10,000 North Americans, drives these strongly held views. Views that pit bureaucratic rules against a human need for relief and squeeze the scientists in the middle.

Jan 4, 2008, Bright Light Therapy Eases Bipolar Depression for Some

Bright light therapy can ease bipolar depression in some patients, according to a study published in the journal Bipolar Disorders. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic studied nine women with bipolar disorder to examine the effects of light therapy in the morning or at midday on mood symptoms.

Dec 26, 2007, Brain stimulation effectively treats depression

NEW YORK Reuters Health - Transcranial magnetic stimulation, known as TMS is a non-invasive technique that excites neurons in the brain by magnetic pulses introduced through the scalp. It is a safe and effective non-drug treatment for depression, a study shows.

Current antidepressant therapies fail to provide adequate relief in at least a third of depressed individuals. Several small studies have shown TMS to be effective in managing depression, while other studies have produced mixed results.

Dec 14, 2007, Lithium toxicity from an Internet dietary supplement

The widespread availability of medications and herbal products on the Internet has increased the potential for poisonings. We are reporting a case of mild, acute lithium toxicity occurring after the intentional misuse of a lithium-containing dietary supplement called Find Serenity Now obtained over the Internet.

Dec 9, 2007, Stable Sleep Patterns And Regular Routines May Improve Outcomes In Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system, the bodies internal clock, and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting. The results are important because they show for the first time that psychotherapy which focuses on practical lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Every year nearly six million American adults suffer from bipolar disorder, a brain disorder which causes severe shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Nov 1, 2007, Misconceptions About Bipolar Disorder Explained, From the Harvard Health Letter

BOSTON, Oct. 30 PRNewswire-USNewswire

Portrayals of bipolar disorder seem to be cropping up everywhere. In the news, in movies, and on television. The November 2007 issue of the Harvard Health Letter dispels some myths and misunderstandings about this condition.

Bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose, and it often gets confused with other mental illnesses. Because mania is the hallmark of bipolar disorder, the depressive episodes sometimes get overlooked. The Harvard Health Letter notes that people with bipolar disorder typically spend much more time depressed than manic. In fact, years of depression may go by between manic episodes.