MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bipolar depression'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:49:55 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174664&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F29%2Fnutritional-supplements-to-treat-adhd-bipolar-depression-empowerplus%2F In this study, only 49 percent of the participants kept providing the researchers data at 6 months — meaning the majority of them dropped out of the study before the 6 months were up! LOCF is generally frowned upon in good research unless there’s a very good rationale for its use. Why? Because research shows that this method gives a biased estimate of the treatment effect and underestimates the variability of the estimated result. In other words, it stacks the deck to demonstrate a treatment’s effectiveness — even when it might not be. It’s a research slight of hand. The bigger problem with this study and most of the studies cited by TrueHope is that they all suffer from significant design problems. All are open-label designs with biased, self-selected samples... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174664 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:45:54 +0100 5174664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140109&cid=t_130410_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F5Hpp2h0kPiA%2F I’ve been seeing an increasing number of stories and studies lately on ‘soft bipolar disorder,’ or bipolar II, which is—in the crudest terms—basically a less serious version of classic bipolar disorder, or bipolar I. According to a University of Texas survey, approximately nine million Americans, or 4% of the population, have this disease. My curiosity piqued, I checked a book out of the library recently called Less Than Crazy: Living Fully With Bipolar II by Karla Dougherty. The writing is … not stellar (it’s like a publishing rule, I think, that self-help books must use cheesy metaphors at least three times per chapter). But overall, the book provides a good base for understanding bipolar II, how it differs from regular bipolar disorder, and why it (alle... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140109 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:15:07 +0100 5140109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107600&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F08%2Fbipolar-disorder-missed-when-presenting-with-depression%2F Coming as a surprise to more than a few mental health professionals, a new study out today suggests that bipolar disorder is often missed in patients who present only with major depression. The study examined 5,635 adults seen at community and hospital psychiatry departments in a number of different countries. The discrepancy was reported because of the use of “bipolarity specifier criteria” that are broader than the DSM-IV criteria, the standard for diagnosis of mental disorders by mental health professionals. Using the broader bipolar criteria developed by the researchers found an additional 31 percent of patients who could have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. So what’s really going on here? Are professionals really “missing” bipolar disorder? Or have ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107600 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:49:39 +0100 5107600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062294&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fmental-illness-is-not-simply-a-brain-disease%2F Last month, Andrew Brown writing for the UK’s Guardian, noted when Professor David Nutt kept referring to depression as a “brain disease” on a popular UK television program. We commend Andrew Brown for his calling out Professor Nutt in trying to dumb down the portrayal of mental disorders to simply “brain diseases.” Mental disorders remain complex disorders that involve all aspect of a person’s functioning and life — their brain and biology, their psychological makeup and personality, and their social interactions and relationships with others. The cause isn’t just one of these things in the vast majority of people who have a mental illness — the cause is all of these things, in differing proportions. I’ve written about this in th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062294 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:36:25 +0100 5062294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975943&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fdare-to-be-happy%2F If there is no struggle, there is no progress. ~ Frederick Douglass Let’s get this out in the open: I am bipolar II. That means the mania is really low-key and infrequent and the depression, at least in my case, for most of my life, has been pretty much nonstop. There are degrees of depression, of course. Mine gets severe relatively quickly and stays that way a relatively long time. Yes, I have been an inpatient at psychiatric hospitals. Yes, I have self-harmed. Yes, I have been on every psychotropic medication known to man, and failed most of them. The two that I’m on right now combine for one really annoying side effect. I have even, since about New Year’s, been undergoing a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). My memory is shot, along with many other things, but the suggesti... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975943 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:49:03 +0100 4975943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902486&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2F6-bipolar-rules-for-eating%2F The following post is by Hilary Smith, author of “Welcome to the Jungle: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bipolar But Were Too Freaked Out to Ask” (Conari Press, 2010) as well as a cool blog to go with it, Welcome to the Jungle. We’ve all heard about “mood foods” that can promote wellness for people with bipolar and depression–fish oil for brain health, oatmeal for stable blood sugar, chocolate for, well, chocolateness. But it’s also important to think about how we eat. How we eat can have just as big an impact on our mood as what we eat, yet it often gets neglected in conversations about bipolar and food. Here are some tips for maintaining a healthy mood through mindful eating practices. 1. Make eating an art. How you eat is sometimes a r... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902486 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 10:05:30 +0100 4902486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714827&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F14%2Fcatherine-zeta-jones-bipolar-i-vs-bipolar-ii%2F Although I wouldn’t wish the pain of bipolar disorder on anyone, I am sort of glad to find out another accomplished, beautiful movie star has joined our manic-depressive group. After spending five days in a mental health facility, Catherine Zeta Jones has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. I like to call bipolar II the “Diet Coke” of bipolar, if you recall the scene from “Austin Powers” when Dr. Evil says to his son, Scott: “You’re quasi-evil. You’re semi-evil. You’re the margarine of evil. You’re the Diet Coke of evil. Just one calorie, not evil enough.” That’s how I view bipolar II: one calorie short of bipolar I. Those with bipolar II experience the same symptoms as persons with Bipolar II, just not to the extreme. For example, when I get manic,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714827 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:37:29 +0100 4714827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361069&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fi-too-have-a-dream-about-mental-health%2F Some of you may recognize my dream, but I like to repost it every now and then to keep it alive and give it legs. In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.: I have a dream that one day I won’t hold my breath every time I tell a person that I suffer from bipolar disorder, that I won’t feel shameful in confessing my mental illness. I have a dream that people won’t feel the need to applaud me for my courage on writing and speaking publicly about my disease, because the diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorder would be understood no differently than that of diabetes, arthritis, or dementia. I have a dream that the research into genetics of mood disorders will continue to pinpoint specific genes that may predispose individuals and families to depression and bipolar disord... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361069 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:15:06 +0100 4361069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098053&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F24%2Fdr-ken-duckworth-on-living-with-bipolar-disorder%2F Aside from my own psychiatrist, Dr. Smith, there are few doctors that can explain a confusing and complex condition like Bipolar Disorder with such clarity as the medical director of NAMI, Dr. Ken Duckworth. Three years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing him when I was the Patient Advocate for the Bipolar Center of Revolution Health. At the NAMI National Convention in DC last month I attended his talk on treating bipolar disorder. This is what he had to say about some simple steps that those of us living with bipolar disorder can take to stay well. 1. Start with the four basics: sleep, stress, exercise, and cognitive therapy. One of the reasons I respect Dr. Duckworth so much is that he insists that we participate in our own recovery. Medication will only help us to a certain extent... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098053 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:36:19 +0100 4098053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3891708&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F22%2Fways-people-help-one-another-with-mental-health-issues%2F I often write about the latest research findings in mental health or psychology here, but most of the day-to-day work of helping people with a mental health issue falls onto people in one’s local community. Sure, psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals do the bulk of the work — individually or in small groups — but always in private and with little notice or recognition. Beyond these front-line professionals, there are hundreds of small organizations, loosely-knit groups, and other advocates who expend constant effort to try and help people learn more about mental health concerns and reach others with their message. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), a group of students is being trained to help recognize the signs and symptoms of de... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3891708 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:20:51 +0100 3891708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3787013&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2Fdid-abraham-lincoln-use-faith-to-overcome-depression%2F Abraham Lincoln is a powerful mental health hero for me. Whenever I doubt that I can do anything meaningful in this life with a defective brain (and entire nervous system, actually, as well as the hormonal one), I simply pull out Joshua Wolf Shenk’s classic, “Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness.” Or I read the CliffsNotes version: the poignant essay, “Lincoln’s Great Depression” that appeared in “The Atlantic” in October of 2005. Every time I pick up pages from either the article or the book, I come away with new insights. This time I was intrigued by Lincoln’s faith — and how he read the Book of Job when he needed redirection. Following I have excerpted the paragraphs from Th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3787013 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:32:02 +0100 3787013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743555&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F11%2Fwhy-suicide-an-interview-with-eric-marcus%2F Today I have the pleasure of interviewing New York Times bestselling author Eric Marcus on the important topic of suicide. Eric is the author of several books, including “Is It A Choice?, Making Gay History,” and “Together Forever.” He is also co-author of “Breaking the Surface,” the #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography of Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis. For more information, please visit: www.ericmarcus.com and www.whysuicidebook.com. Question: Why did you write “Why Suicide?” Eric: When I started work on the original edition of “Why Suicide?” in 1987, I knew that I wanted to write the kind of book that I wish had been available to my mother when my father killed himself in 1970 so she would have known what to say a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743555 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:29:28 +0100 3743555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678562&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F19%2Fchristian-and-depressed-what-churches-can-do-to-help-persons-with-mood-disorders%2F The other day, I received this email from a Beyond Blue reader: “I’m a Christian, and have been struggling with depression and my faith since my brother took his life 2-1/2 years ago. I joined your group for friends and tips on dealing with problems with Major Depression. I feel like I just make my church friends uncomfortable, and they can’t understand why I haven’t snapped out of it and declared amazing victory through my faith.” I experienced that too, which was very disappointing. Because my faith is such a huge part of my recovery from depression and addiction, I didn’t understand why so few Christians, and even fewer pastors or religious leaders, knew what to say. One time in college I stood up in the middle of a homily and walked out. The priest... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678562 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:32:14 +0100 3678562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585671&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F20%2Fneither-blame-nor-indulge%2F Andrew Solomon offers this brilliant paragraph in his classic, “The Noonday Demon” about the relationship between medication and therapy, when we should make Herculean efforts to break free from depression or rather lie listless on our beds as victims of a loathsome illness: The conflict between psychodynamic therapy and medication is ultimately a conflict on moral grounds; we tend categorically to assume that if the problem is responsive to psychotherapeutic dialogue, it is a problem you should be able to overcome with simple rigor, while a problem responsive to the ingestion of chemicals is not your fault and requires no rigor of you. It is true both that very little depression is entirely the fault of the sufferer, and that almost all depression can be ameliorated with rigo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585671 Thu, 20 May 2010 16:56:02 +0100 3585671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556156&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F12%2Fan-overmedicated-nation-thats-not-the-real-problem%2F “Our country is over-medicated.” I get that a lot, usually right after I tell someone that I write a mental health blog. Not as a hobby. As my job. Part of me agrees, the part that doesn’t want to get into a long and frustrating conversation, where I explain that it’s really not that simple… That the issue is fairly nuanced and complex. Are some people overmedicated in this country? Yes. Absolutely. I devote a few chapters of my book, Beyond Blue, to describing the dangerous phase in my recovery led by a doctor whom I call “Pharma King.” I was taking something like 16 pills a day, enough to drop my head into my cereal bowl every morning for about three months. And I wasn’t at all uncomfortable with how the nurses at the outpatient psych prog... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556156 Wed, 12 May 2010 10:05:32 +0100 3556156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546894&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F09%2Flife-lessons-from-a-mentally-ill-mom%2F This is my 22nd Mother’s Day. Or my first, depending on how you look at it. You can read my experiences with being a birthmom here and here. Part 3 is rather happier: This is the first Mother’s Day following my ridiculously blissful reunion with my wonderful son and his equally wonderful parents. It’s hard to say much, mostly because the memories of those few days in December are so intensely personal and the emotions still so raw. I’m not quite ready to let the world in on them. What I will say is that, as magical as it all was, and as healing as it all was, it wasn’t a cure-all. Right now, I’m on my third antidepressant combo in two months, trying to get out of the most recent episode, just so you know that even really joyous events don’t instantly cure longstanding... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546894 Sun, 09 May 2010 09:55:17 +0100 3546894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524309&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F02%2Fto-tell-or-not-to-tell-your-boss-bipolar-and-depression-in-the-workplace%2F Daniel Lukasik, creator of the site Lawyers With Depression asked me awhile ago to write a guest post on work and depression. You can click here to read the original post. Just when I think our world has moved a baby step in the right direction regarding our understanding of mental illness, I get another blow that tells me otherwise. For example, I awhile back I quoted an intelligent woman who wrote an article in a popular women’s magazine about dating a bipolar guy when she was bipolar herself. She recently discovered that she had jeopardized a job prospect because the article came up –as well as all those who referenced it, like Beyond Blue — when you Googled her name. So she requested everyone who picked up that article to go back and change her real name to a pseudony... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524309 Sun, 02 May 2010 11:22:38 +0100 3524309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490680&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fthe-pocket-therapist-mental-health-to-go%2F Imagine a GPS navigational system that said something like this: “In approximately 30 minutes, you will run into your old boss, who will want to make you feel like a worthless pile of feces. Erect personal boundaries immediately…. I said, Get in your bubble, Woman … Are you listening? She’s approaching you on your left. Lock up all childhood tapes now (the ones that convinced you that were weak, ugly, and pathetic) and DO NOT, I said DO NOT play them for her. Remember, their messages are no longer valid. Proceed carefully. You will speak to her in approximately 3, no 2, no 1 second.” Me? I would like one of those. So I made one. In book form. You see, I am an obsessive-compulsive woman who has recorded, in her journals, 12 years of therapy sessions, 21 years ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490680 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:07:59 +0100 3490680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408438&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Fpsychotherapy-the-active-treatment%2F My friend Anne and I were talking the other day when the conversation turned to a recent airplane flight she was on. She recounted how it was on one of those smaller, turboprop planes with just 3 seats per row: “We hit some turbulence and then it was like we were free-falling. It was only a few seconds, but it was the scariest moment in my life. I felt so helpless and out of control. I know it was irrational to think anything bad would happen, but still …” When a person isn’t in control of his or her own destiny, most people feel powerless. Powerlessness can lead to feelings of helplessness as well. Most people prefer to be able to exert some influence on their destiny, on their future. We’d like to think that we actually have something to do with the way our ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408438 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:06:18 +0100 3408438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342703&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F08%2F5-tips-if-you-love-someone-with-mental-illness%2F The National Institutes of Mental Health reports that one in every four adults – approximately 57.7 million Americans – experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in four, and that’s just the U.S.! And for every person in the world diagnosed with a mental disorder there is at least one, probably more, trying to help, cope and support that person any way they know how. Mental illness is often a family issue. Parents, siblings, spouses and extended family provide housing, care and support, emotional and financial, sometimes to the point of becoming proverbial case managers. It’s hard enough when the chronic illness is something everyone recognizes, like diabetes. It’s a whole other thing when the disease is a mental illness which is ripe for misunderstandi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342703 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:46:43 +0100 3342703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266985&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F12%2Fsnow-blizzard-2010-and-mental-health%2F I’M GOING CRAZY. Ahem. Okay, here’s the deal. Annapolis was hit with 30 inches of snow last Friday and Saturday. Annapolis owns three snowplows. Most roads have at least six inches of ice. Ours do. And if you’ve ever witnessed the way I drive, you would agree that I shouldn’t be on the road. Moreover, our cars won’t be moving from our icy driveway anytime soon because… we’re supposed to get another 10 to 20 inches tonight. Schools have been canceled all week, of course, and schools are canceled next week (Monday through Wednesday) for some other lame reason. So, I’m grumpy. Bite-everyone’s-heads-off grumpy. Because I can’t use most of the tools in my sanity box this week. The discipline to eat well is buried under three feet of ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266985 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:01:24 +0100 3266985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243842&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F05%2Fnewsweek-do-antidepressants-work-for-many-people-yes%2F I admire Newsweek writer Sharon Begley’s work … especially when she explains ways we can try to rewire our brain. But I found last week’s cover story irresponsible. If, for no other reason, than its title and subtitle: “The Depressing News About Antidepressants: Studies Suggest That the Popular Drugs Are No More Effective Than a Placebo. In Fact, They May Be Worse.” Then I may as well kill myself. That’s how I would have read the article four years ago, before I started questioning all the information available today on mood disorders and drug treatment, before I started working with a physician from Johns Hopkins who could help me tease out the hope from articles like this, so I wasn’t tempted to take my life upon reading there was no way out of ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243842 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:39:19 +0100 3243842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231596&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F02%2Fhow-do-i-find-a-good-psychiatrist%2F This month Guideposts magazine published my story about the morning I met Dr. Smith at the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center. It read a little bit like a fairy tale … as soon as I met the right psychiatrist, I was fixed for good! And I never, ever cried again. I didn’t have room to give all the details … like that it took a few months to feel good again … and there was a lot of work being done on my end … and that even today I have plenty of bad days. I suspect that because the story was so simplistic and ended with glass slippers fitting perfectly on my dainty feet that it has been generating a lot of mail for me, most of the notes asking this question: “How do I get myself one of those good doctors who can fix me?” Dr. Smith told me during one ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231596 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:21:40 +0100 3231596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212378&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F26%2F10-ways-to-find-a-good-therapist%2F When we want to improve our bodies we pretty much know where to find help. This time of year the gyms are full and the meeting rooms at Weight Watchers are packed. But what do we do when we want to improve our inner selves, our relationships, or want to find help with depression or anxiety? Making the decision to find help is hard enough. Why should you have to get even more stressed out hunting for the right therapist? It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack unless you have some guidance. So here are a few tips: 1. Forget the yellow pages. A yellow pages listing is expensive so a lot of good people aren’t there. I’m not. Plus there is no oversight or regulation of who can list. 2. Ask a professional you already work with and trust. Your accountant, lawyer, dentist... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212378 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:30:39 +0100 3212378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171949&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fintroducing-a-new-blog-bipolar-advantage%2F Bipolar disorder can be devastating… but it doesn’t have to be. I’m pleased to announce the introduction of Bipolar Advantage, hosted by Tom Wootton and his colleagues. I’m pleased to present this alternative view of bipolar disorder and depression, focused on how it can be used to achieve rather than simply endure. Tom said it best: The mental health field is plagued with the bigotry of low expectations. Far too many people are talking about “changing the stigma,” while creating the worst stigma of all — the idea that we are not capable of achieving greatness. While their intentions are good, they are doing terrible harm to everyone with a mental condition and those who love and support them. This “can’t do” attitude is rampant in professionals, consum... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171949 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:11:15 +0100 3171949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167196&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F13%2Fwriting-beyond-blue-keeping-my-end-of-the-bargain%2F Last week saw the publication date for my book, Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes, which means it is now in bookstores (theoretically anyway). So I wanted to reflect on why I wrote it … I’m a tad over hearing about how depression and other mood disorders are yuppie diseases for folks with the time and resources to ruminate and obsess. I could do without all the advice on how to transform my thoughts into happy campers, even as I try every mindfulness strategy and cognitive-behavioral trick in the book. And I’d like to, one day, be able to tell family and friends the truth when they ask the predicable question, “How are you?” We need to understand something important. Depression kills. It killed my godmother &#8212... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167196 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:22:39 +0100 3167196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092739&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F15%2Fpsych-central-mindapps-offer-ecbt-iphone-app%2F A few months ago, MindApps released an iPhone application called “eCBT Mood.” It allows a user to apply tried and true cognitive-behavioral techniques in their everyday life, and track their progress with those techniques over time with a simple graph. I liked it because it explained CBT stuff in a direct, easy-to-understand manner, and most importantly, was “actionable.” It walks you through specific steps of an automatic thought, for instance, and gives you encouragement to try and change it as it’s happening. The application’s core is an “eCBT toolbox” that allows you to learn more about your thoughts and feelings, identify your automatic thoughts, keep a feeling and thoughts log, challenge automatic thoughts, and identify and challenge co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092739 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:36:00 +0100 3092739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954554&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F02%2Fresearch-backed-online-mental-health-interventions%2F So the other week I attended and presented at the First International e-Mental Health Summit 2009 in Amsterdam and already discussed some great online interventions for depression. I’m still planning on talking about additional online interventions for other mental disorders, but am waiting for the conference folks to publish the presentations on their website because the abstract book doesn’t always contain the valuable bits of information I need to properly summarize a topic area. In the meantime, I thought I’d mention Beacon. Beacon is a website that has gone to the trouble of indexing and rating over 70 different online interventions in the following categories: Alcohol (3/3) Bipolar disorder (3/0) Depression (24/11) Eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia) (6/... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954554 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:58:42 +0100 2954554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923308&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F24%2Fglenn-close-tackles-mental-illness-thank-you%2F “Mental illness is just part of the human condition,” Glenn Close said Oct. 21 on “Good Morning America.” Halleluia! A Hollywood response to all the scientology. Today Close spoke out for the first time on television about the legacy of mental illness in her own family: Her sister, Jessie, suffers from bipolar disorder, and Jessie’s son has schizo-affective disorder. Glenn has launched a nonprofit organization called BringChange2Mind, which she hopes will raise awareness about mental illness, strip mood disorders like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia from their unfair stigma, and lend support and information to the mentally ill and their families. Katie Escherich of ABC News writes: Jessie, the youngest of the four Close siblings, was diagnosed with bipolar ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923308 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:40:57 +0100 2923308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2641339&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F27%2Fgive-me-the-gun-when-suicidal-ideations-take-over%2F I have been thinking about this question ever since I read it on a discussion thread in Group Beyond Blue. Meg writes: So, my husband has shown interest in getting a handgun permit. It’s the South, and lots of people have them. I don’t have an issue with the concept of it. He wants to take the class and is really responsible about it. He doesn’t hunt and isn’t a “war games” kind of guy or a gun fanatic. Then I told him that a stipulation would be that when we had children, the way the gun was stored would need to be open to discussion. We would need to agree on a safe way to handle it based on the relative risks involved. He’s fine with that. I next suggested that he look up some gun stores or ranges to call about lessons. I think it was the phrase... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2641339 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:35:34 +0100 2641339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511160&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F19%2F6-ways-to-stay-out-of-the-psych-ward%2F It’s been three years since I’ve dined in the community room of a psych ward with some fellow depressives… Trying to slice a piece of rubber turkey with a plastic knife while wondering what I had to do to get out of there. I would like very much not to return. I came up with these steps to help me. But they are good sanity tools even if you’ve never made it to the community room. 1. Keep a consistent rhythm. I’m not talking about rap, or your tempo on the drums. I’m referring to your circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock which governs fluctuation in body temperature and the secretion of several hormones, including the evil one, cortisol. Here is how you establish good rhythm that assists you with the whole sanity thing: you live a boring life.... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511160 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:11:37 +0100 2511160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473571&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F12%2F9-myths-of-bipolar-disorder%2F Bipolar disorder has been the focus of attention in recent years, as a new slew of psychiatric medications have been developed to help treat it. Such medications drive pharmaceutical marketing and increased educational efforts surrounding bipolar disorder (for better or worse). But many myths surround bipolar disorder — what it is, what it means, and how it’s treated. Here’s to busting a few of the most common ones. 1. Bipolar disorder means I’m really “crazy.” While bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder, it is no more serious than most other mental disorders. Having a mental disorder doesn’t mean you’re “crazy,” it just means you have a concern that is negatively impacting how you live your life. Left unaddressed, this co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473571 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:11:46 +0100 2473571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382555&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F02%2Fvideo-on-courage%2F “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” –Mary Anne Radmacher That’s the gist of this video. Click through to watch. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382555 Sat, 02 May 2009 10:12:04 +0100 2382555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353886&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F20%2Fmentalhealthcamp-soon%2F The unconference MentalHealthCamp on social media and mental health happens on April 25 in Vancouver, BC and online. Organizers hope it will become a model adopted elsewhere in the world. The one day program includes a discussion on therapist/client social media boundaries, talks on anonymous blogging, mommy blogging with a mental disorder, blogging as therapy, blogging for students, ADHD, yoga and depression with a blog, and my own presentation on crowdsourcing peer mental health info with social video PSA contests and suicide prevention on Twitter. Featured speakers include Keely Kolmes, Lorraine Murphy, Darren Barefoot, Pete Quily, and many more. Peer resources and crowdsourcing with peers is hot. From a comment left by Robert Johnson at the MentalHealthCamp blog: “The reality is... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353886 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:43:49 +0100 2353886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313548&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F02%2Fhow-do-you-practice-mindfulness-eat-ice-cream-for-starters%2F I’ve been trying to master mindfulness in the last few weeks like it’s a cute step sequence in a line dance. I have unofficially hired Dr. Elisha Goldstein, author of Psych Central’s blog, “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy” as my mindfulness personal trainer because he knows this stuff inside and out, and because I don’t have the time or money to hang out with the Buddhist monks in Tibet. I’ve always aspired to better live in the moment–it was one of the gems I picked up in support group meetings back in college–but now I honestly feel like it could save my life–or at least keep my pituitary tumor from growing any wider and shield my heart from any more damage to the aortic valve. How do you practice presence, or mindfulness? The B... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313548 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:21:16 +0100 2313548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287230&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F23%2Ffda-approves-symbyax-for-treatment-resistant-depression%2F Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Symbyax for the acute treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It is the first drug approved for this indication. Symbyax is a combination pill that combines olanzapine (Zyprexa) and fluoxetine HCl (a long-acting form of Prozac) in a single capsule. Symbyax is manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company. According to the company’s press release: The new Symbyax TRD indication is for acute treatment of adult patients with major depressive disorder who have not responded to two separate trials of different antidepressants of adequate dose and duration in their current episode. Zyprexa, in combination with fluoxetine, is now approved for the acute treatment of TRD in adults. Symbyax was the first drug approved by the FD... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287230 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:02:51 +0100 2287230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287237&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F20%2Fdepression-they-just-dont-get-it%2F I’ve learned in 12-step support groups that if you decide to share something important with a loved one, or try to mend a broken relationship, you should do so without any expectation of a response. I wish I had followed that advice the day I sent a family member an incredibly personal piece that I wrote about my severe depression (suicidal thoughts and all), and the first moments of dawn, hoping that it would make us closer. Her response was one word: “Thanks.” I felt like Princess Leia in “Star Wars” when she cries out to Han Solo (before he leaves for some empire war): “I love you!” And he says back, “I know!” But part of my disappointment was my own fault. I sent the piece to her with an agenda. This is what I wanted to hear: &#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287237 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:08:02 +0100 2287237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258162&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F12%2F12-things-i-learned-from-my-therapist%2F I’ve spent more time in therapy than I care to think about. More hours on that bloody couch than I’ve spent in the shower, brushing my teeth, or on the phone with telemarketers, because let’s face it, when I’m home, there really are no decision makers at my house. If I calculate one hour a week for 12 years, that’s 600 hours, which is 25 DAYS. What do I have to show for it? Lots of wisdom and advice. Journals and journals of it. But for your sake, I’ll just list 12. And after you get done reading my shrink insights, I want you to tell me yours, because I’m compiling such pearls for a writing project. 1. Know your triggers. From the first year of therapy: know your triggers. If a conversation about global warming, consumerism, or the trash crisis in the U.S. is overwhelming yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258162 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:58:03 +0100 2258162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227166&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F02%2Fmad-as-hell-anger-and-the-economy-part-two%2F “The hardest part of all this is my loss of security and my lack of control over my own finances and future. I feel vulnerable and completely powerless to change any of this. It angers me that other people are determining my fate. Especially since they are doing such a pathetic job of it.” ~Dawn Carter’s comment on Mad As Hell Part 1 In last week’s post I said we have a right to our anger if it’s there. Here’s the rub: How do we keep it from going nuclear, or imploding into depression? Anger Management is about doing the following three things effectively: 1) The healthiest way to express anger is in an assertive, direct and not aggressive manner. How? ➢ Clearly define what you are angry about and tell, directly, those who need to know. “I am really angry because now ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227166 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:14 +0100 2227166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205006&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F22%2F8-ways-to-help-your-bipolar-loved-one-cope%2F Depression and bipolar disorder are often family diseases. Everyone sharing a kitchen and a bathroom is affected. In fact, in his book “Understanding Depression,” J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., M.D., writes that “depression … has a much greater impact on marital life than rheumatoid arthritis or cardiac illness. One study found that only severe forms of cancer affected a family as adversely as depression or bipolar disorder.” My manic depression could have easily wrecked my marriage and my relationships with my two children. Instead, we emerged as a tighter, stronger unit. How? Here are eight ways Eric, my husband, helped me cope — tips for families on how, exactly, to hang in there with a loved one who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 1. Educate your... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205006 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:40:28 +0100 2205006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2150763&cid=t_130410_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F01%2Fcutting-mental-illness-services-at-what-cost%2F When budgets start getting slashed in a recession, sometimes the poorest, neediest people are hit the hardest. In Massachusetts, this has meant the closing of mental health clinics that serve the poor: When Governor Deval Patrick stood before cameras on Beacon Hill in October to announce the elimination of 1,000 jobs and scores of state services, he solemnly warned, “People will feel these cuts.” Five miles away, at this mental health clinic that served some 370 poor and mentally ill patients last year alone, Jepson and Thiboult would feel the truth of those words. The Boston Globe’s front-page story about this topic was a good read, detailing the difficulty many people with mental illness will have now that one of their treatment supports is being removed. The heart-... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2150763 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:34:30 +0100 2150763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439661&cid=t_130410_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F289528211%2F Sunday’s New York Times had an article about “Mad Pride”: More people with “severe forms of mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder” are now speaking out about “their demons”: About 5.7 million Americans over 18 have bipolar disorder, which is classified as a mood disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Another 2.4 million have schizophrenia, which is considered a thought disorder. The small slice of this disparate population who have chosen to share their experiences with the public liken their efforts to those of the gay-rights and similar movements of a generation ago. Just as gay-rights activists reclaimed the word queer as a badge of honor rather than a slur, these advocates proudly call themselves mad... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439661 Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:47 +0100 1439661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=721364&cid=t_130410_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F131898918%2F This study can be said to open more questions, rather than to provide answers: What does it mean that “20-60 percent of the variations that predispose someone to autism” also predispose them to bipolar disorder, or to schizophrenia? If some interplay between genes and the environment might lead to autism, is it really possible to develop something like a blood test or other prenatal test? And, as we learn more about the genetics of autism, new questions arise, such as whether families should own genetic information?, as Hsien Hsien Lei asks Eye on DNA. What will be the impact of knowledge about autism and genetics not only on our understanding of autistic persons, but on families in which there is an autistic relative? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=721364 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:43:58 +0100 721364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=552035&cid=t_130410_140_f&fid=35471&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolar-a-way-of-life.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F11%2Fsuicidal-tendencies.html I'd like to start this post off with a quote from the 2000 film '28 Days':"No one adult human being is happy! People are born, they have a limited amount of time going around thinking life is dandy but then, inevitably, tragedy strikes and they realise life equals loss! The whole point of the game is to minimise the pain caused by that equation! Now some people do it by having kids, or making money, or taking up coin collecting, and others do it by getting wasted."I'm in agreement with pretty much all of that. I don't spend my time getting wasted, but it sure is appealing. In short, I've had an awful weekend. It looked promising on Friday night: I went out with my husband and a couple of other people, got drunk and had fun. By 2am I was sitting here on my sofa with every blister pack, bott... Bipolar: A Way of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=552035 Sun, 19 Nov 2006 02:11:00 +0100 552035