http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html The Bipolar Blog keeps you up-to-date with all our additions and changes. Subscribe here. en-us bipolar Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:08:25 GMT Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:08:25 GMT bipolar-lives.com http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-Disability-Affected-by-Prior-Episodes The frequency and types of prior episodes a bipolar individual has had may have a significant effect on their overall life function. According to new research, bipolar patients who have had more episodes appear to have more overall disability. Those with more manic episodes have more problems with work and family, and those with more depression have more social difficulty. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:42:16 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Age-of-Onset-Influences-Prognosis-in-Bipolar People with bipolar disorder whose symptoms began in childhood have a worse prognosis as adults. The earlier in life an individuals bipolar symptoms appear, and the longer the illness goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more severe the illness seems to be throughout life. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:50:43 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-or-depressed-commonly-overlooked-clues.html We are often told that the way to distinguish depression (as in unipolar depression) from bipolar depression is to look for other symptoms in the patient, Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:35:26 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Higher-Risk-of-Suicide-in-Bipolar-Patients-Who-Abuse-Alcohol Alcohol, especially in a person with bipolar disorder, may increase the risk of suicide. New research released this week suggests bipolar patients who abuse or are dependent on alcohol are more likely to attempt suicide than bipolar patients who abstain. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:17:01 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Cognitive-Function-in-Bipolar-Different-in-Men-and-Women Bipolar disorder may affect the brains of men and women in different ways. The effect of the illness on memory, according to one recent study, is more severe in men. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:54:07 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/the-primacy-of-mania-rethinking-bipolar-disorder.html What if bipolar disorder is not primarily characterized by the mood swings from depression to mania? What if our understanding of how most people with bipolar disorder spend the majority of their time in a depressed state is deeply flawed? What if mixed states are actually easily explained, and far more frequent than has previously been realized? There is an important theory of bipolar disorder, advanced by Greek psychiatrist Athanasios Koukopoulos, that argues for what is known as The Primacy of Mania. Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:01 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-family.html Discover the dynamics of the bipolar family, especially bipolar parents and the children of parents with bipolar disorder. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:44:45 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Alcohol-May-Be-OK-With-Bipolar How dangerous is it for people with bipolar disorder to use alcohol? New research suggests that it may not be as risky as previously thought. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:49:55 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#UK-Public-Health-System-Fails-those-with-Bipolar-Disorder New research shows that under Britains National Health System, only one in every six people who suffer with a mental health illness is receiving the recommended treatment. Fewer than half of people with bipolar disorder are being offered the recommended psychological therapies, while only 47 per cent of people have been offered information about the side effects of medication. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:37:19 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-and-creativity.html Why are bipolar and creativity connected? Myths exposed and secrets revealed - the truth about bipolar disorder and creativity. Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:51:33 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#DBSA:-We-all-need-someone-we-can-lean-on It is easy to forget the value of support groups like DBSA, especially if your meds are working and you have been stable for a while. However, just as with AA, it only works if you work it. Sun, 18 Jul 2010 04:16:32 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-history.html Interested in bipolar history? It is easier to understand and treat once you learn some bipolar disorder history. Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:09:28 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Is-Bipolar-Disorder-a-Disability? Recent research in the US and the UK suggesting a link between the rising misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder and the payment of disability benefits has caused a furore. Many people who genuinely suffer from manic depressive illness, now commonly known as bipolar disorder, are offended at the suggestion that someone would fake the condition in order to receive Social Security payments. Others contest the whole notion of any increase in bipolar misdiagnosis. And then there are those who express doubt about bipolar disorder as a grounds for disability in the first place. Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:28:40 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/am-i-bipolar.html Ever asked yourself am I bipolar? Isn't it time for a straight answer? Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:05:13 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Stressed-out-and-howling-mad?-Don't-lose-sleep-over-it Bad things happen. We all experience negative life events, and common sense tells us that mood disorders such as depression are often precipitated by such events. The loss of a job, failing a vital exam, the breakup of a long term relationship, and so on. All of these things rank fairly high in terms of the slings and arrows outrageous misfortune occasionally sends our way. Recent research suggests, however, that these events may have profound effects if they disrupt our social rhythms, most importantly the times, and amount, we eat and sleep. This idea has been termed the social rhythm disruption hypothesis, and is based on the observation that such disruptions, even in the absence of any psychological threat, can play an important role in the onset of the disordered mood states we label depression and mania Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:52:01 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Elvis-and-Bipolar-Disorder This article is from last year. It turned up as I was following the story of Robert Pattinson's (the teen heart throb of the Twilight series description of himself as "bipolar". That detour into the self-diagnosis and Twilight Zone of celebrity bipolar disorder will be discussed another day.) So did Elvis have bipolar disorder? Heck, some folks cannot decide if he is even dead. All I know is that I loved him and regret that he is still being dissected in such a crude and public way. Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:56:26 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Antipsychotic-Drugs-Prescribed-For-Children-Linked-to-Weight-Gain Researchers have found that some antipsychotic drugs (including Abilify, Zyprexa and Seroquel), frequently prescribed for children and teenagers with bipolar disorder, are causing them to gain a disturbing amount of weight. And that puts them at risk for diabetes and heart disease later in life. While doctors have known for some time that these types of medications cause weight gain in adults, there has been little research until now on how they affect kids and teens. Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:24:42 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-Lives-Scholarship-Increased-to-$1,000 The 2010 winners of the Bipolar Lives Scholarship excited the judges with a mixture of the provocative and the practical. Now entering its third year, the Bipolar Lives Scholarship offers much needed support to college students and seeks to raise the quality of public discourse on bipolar disorder. Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:14:39 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Staging-a-Bipolar-Disorder-Intervention One of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is a lack of insight such as an inability (not unwillingness) to notice a significant shift in your own mood or behavior. This happens most often during acute mood episodes, manic or depressed, but can be part of the bigger picture of living with the illness. Family members agonize over how to help someone who does not want help, and they sometimes watch helplessly as the illness destroys their loved ones life. Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:53:59 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/disability.html Discover How to Create a Winning Claim. Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:30:39 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Revealing-the-Bipolar-Diabetes-Connection Why is it that bipolar disorder and diabetes co-occur so often? Did you know a person with bipolar disorder is three times more likely than a member of the general public to suffer from diabetes? Discover the latest theories and prevention methods. Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:29:11 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Substance-abuse-and-increased-vulnerability-to-mania-when-taking-antidepressants People with bipolar disorder and a history of substance abuse may be 7 times more likely to flip into mania if taking antidepressants, even if they are also taking anti-manic medication. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:20:55 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-scholarships-entries.html The 2010 winners of the Bipolar Lives Scholarship are two students who have shown valuable insight into important issues such as managing and diagnosing bipolar disorder. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:18:45 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-Patients-Twice-as-Likely-To-Have-Metabolic-Syndrome Individuals with bipolar disorder are twice as likely as the general population to have metabolic syndrome but are often not diagnosed. Metabolic syndrome is a relatively new term for a group of medical conditions that increase risk for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:55:38 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Single-MRI-scan-could-help-diagnose-bipolar-disorder A single MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan may soon help hundreds of thousands of people with bipolar disorder to get a faster, more accurate (and possibly life-saving) diagnosis, a leading researcher reported at the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:23:00 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#More-Than-Half-of-Primary-Care-Physicians-Unprepared-to-Manage-Bipolar-Disorder Primary care physicians report that they do not feel competent to diagnose bipolar disorder or manage a treatment plan for patients with the disease, according to new research. Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:21 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Can-a-person-'discourage'-bipolar-disorder? The first thing to say regarding how to protect children at increased genetic risk for bipolar disorder is that they should be shielded from environmental adversity. Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:29:10 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Is-bipolar-disorder-becoming-a-status-symbol? Mental illness has long been considered a stigma, with people often going to great lengths to hide the fact that they have problems. Stephen Frys story has inspired others to come forward But now there has been a new phenomena. Psychiatrist Dr Diana Chan explains that some people are actually asking to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:54:59 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-patients-need-screening-for-metabolic-syndrome Patients with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder require early screening and appropriate treatment for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, a study says. Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:59:17 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Big-Pharma-admits-unmet-needs-in-treating-bipolar Several leading drug makers presented new data in bipolar disorder at this year's meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. Despite Cephalon's Nuvigil showing promise as an adjunct, modest data for antipsychotics from Merck & Co and Pfizer served only to highlight the remaining unmet needs in the treatment of this disease. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:17:55 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Psyche-Of-Schumann:-Bipolar-Mind/Bipolar-Music My heart pounds sickeningly and I turn pale...I often feel as if I were dead...I seem to be losing my mind. Robert Schumann was 18 years old when he wrote that, trying to describe a state he sometimes experienced. Was Schumann mad? Many scholars think Schumann suffered from severe affective disorder, and in particular, that he was bipolar, going through intense, ecstatic highs and frightening, depressive lows. Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:43:22 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Links-between-hypertension,-bipolar-disorders Nearly half of patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder may suffer from hypertension, and the younger a person is diagnosed with the psychiatric condition the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure, according to a recent Michigan State University study. Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:50:07 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-Recovery-More-Likely-in-Those-Married,-Better-Educated Fewer than half of patients with bipolar disorder achieve functional recovery, report researchers who note that married patients, those with greater education, and those with fewer years of illness are more likely to recover. Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:15:55 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Inflammation-May-Play-Role-in-Bipolar-Disorder Novel particles identified in the first fraction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from bipolar disorder patients may correlate with the degree of underlying disease processes in the central nervous system, suggests a team of Swedish scientists. Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:24:32 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Dare-to-tell:-Disclosing-Bipolar-Disorder-in-the-workplace High low, high low, it is off to work you go. Question is: to tell or not to tell. Your peers with bipolar relay a very mixed bag of experiences in the workplace, some encouraging, some definitely not. Still, the consensus is that while public understanding, and even acceptance, of bipolar disorder may have improved, you must be informed of your rights and plot your career course carefully. Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:35:56 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Link-Between-Over-Diagnosis-Of-Bipolar-Disorder-And-Disability-Payments? A study from Rhode Island Hospital finds patients who were over-diagnosed with bipolar disorder were more likely to have received disability payments and for a longer period of time. The researchers propose a link between these unconfirmed cases of bipolar disorder and the receipt of the payments. Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:03:04 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-scholarships-entries.html The Bipolar Lives Scholarship was created when journalist Sarah Freeman added a webpage on bipolar scholarships to the Bipolar Lives website, but found only a handful of suitable awards existed. "I was shocked and saddened by the lack of support and realized I could do something directly." According to scholarship donor Sarah Freeman, "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, this new awareness needs to be matched by practical measures that encourage and support the bipolar community. Many people with bipolar disorder are extremely talented but fail to realize their potential. Higher education seems like the right place to focus on." Scroll down to read the essays in competition and make comments. Entries for the 2010 Bipolar Lives Scholarship closed on June 1st 2010 and the winner will be announced July 1st. The 2011 Scholarship, with increased prize money of $1,000.00 cash, will be open for entries from July 27th 2011. Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:01:48 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Many-Bipolar-Patients-Face-Other-Conditions,-Too People with bipolar disorder are two to four times as likely as people without the disorder to suffer from various skin conditions, including psoriasis and eczema, researchers report. They are also 2.6 times more likely to have hypothyroidism, 2.3 times more likely to have hay fever, 90 more likely to suffer from migraine headaches, 60 more likely to have viral hepatitis, 60 more likely to be obese, 40 more likely to have asthma, and 40 more likely to have epilepsy than other people. Sat, 29 May 2010 01:22:41 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Room-for-Improvement-Needed-in-Lithium-Monitoring-for-Bipolar-Patients Although screening patients on lithium therapy at least every 6 months is recommended, there appear to be gaps in performing these assessments, researchers said here at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Wed, 26 May 2010 14:58:50 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Bipolar-Patients-May-Be-at-Risk-for-High-Blood-Pressure Patients with bipolar disorder have a higher prevalence of hypertension than in the general population, putting them at risk for subsequent heart disease, researchers have found. Mon, 24 May 2010 16:24:49 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Seizure-Drugs-Used-in-Bipolar-Treatment-Vary-in-Strength-of-Link-to-Suicidal-Behavior While all antiepileptic medications carry the same mandatory warning, they appear to associate with different risks of suicidal behaviors, according to preliminary evidence. Sat, 22 May 2010 10:09:43 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Uncovering-lithium's-mode-of-action Though it has been prescribed for over 50 years to treat bipolar disorder, there are still many questions regarding exactly how lithium works. However, in a study appearing in this month's Journal of Lipid Research, researchers have provided solid evidence that lithium reduces brain inflammation by adjusting the metabolism of the health-protective omega-3-fatty acid called DHA. Sat, 22 May 2010 10:09:43 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Time-to-reexamine-bipolar-diagnosis-in-children? Psychiatrists in favor of a new label, temper dysregulation disorder, cite a spike in bipolar diagnoses. But others worry it will add uncertainty to the treatment of an already confusing condition. Sun, 16 May 2010 10:28:06 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#The-Scorn,-Style-and-Effect-of-a-Bipolar-Writer Some personal reflections on creativity, bipolar disorder, and the the judgements made by others. I don't usually run such personal reflections but this shows some important insights - I cannot download my stored content onto a napkin. Wed, 12 May 2010 23:20:48 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Five-Myths-About-a-Bipolar-Diagnosis There are many misconceptions about bipolar. Here are five myths and the surprising truths about a bipolar diagnosis - Just because someone has been diagnosed with bipolar does not mean that person is either depressed or manic at all times. Mon, 10 May 2010 08:29:32 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#Neuro-Imaging-Redefines-Mental-Illness The April 2010 issue of Scientific American includes an article by Thomas Insel, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who is the director of the National Institute of Mental Health. In this article named Faulty Circuits, Insel describes new findings in the neurocircuitry of mood disorders. Thu, 06 May 2010 03:55:58 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/use-of-mood-trackers-in-treatment-of-bipolar-disorder.html Bipolar disorder, a cyclical illness characterized by periods of depression and mania, can be successfully treated with the use of medication, therapy Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:48:57 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-treatments-and-pregnancy.html Bipolar disorder is a serious medical illness that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function (NIH, 2009). Throughout pregnancy, Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:19:34 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#DSM-5-and-Bipolar-Disorder:-Science-versus-politics This post is a response to the article DSM5 Should Not Expand Bipolar II Disorder, published yesterday. Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:59:25 GMT http://www.bipolar-lives.com/bipolar-blog.html#DSM5-Should-Not-Expand-Bipolar-II-Disorder Why? Because this would increase antipsychotics and mood stabilizers use. The trend in diagnostic habits over the past twenty five years has been clear. The boundaries of bipolar disorder have expanded widely at the expense of unipolar depression - the prevalence ratio between them is now about 1:3 as opposed to the previous 1:6. This has caused a markedly increased use of mood stabilizing and antipsychotic drugs - with protective effects in those who need them, but harmful side effects in those who may not. Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:03:56 GMT