Found this article interesting, I am going to ask my Doctor about it in hopes of trying it out.
What is Life Charting?
A life chart is a systematic collection of retrospective (past) and prospective (current) data on the course of illness and treatment recorded by a patient and/or clinician on the retrospective (by month) and prospective (by day) Life Chart Methodology (LCM) forms.
On each life chart, the horizontal line across the middle of the chart represents the baseline (euthymia, neither depressed nor hypomanic or manic) and the dateline. Retrospective life charting is done monthly and prospective ratings are done daily. Hypomania and mania are charted above the dateline, and depression is charted below the dateline, creating a graphical picture of mood fluctuations above and below normal over time. Any hospitalization (for mood) is considered a severe episode and is completely darkened for easy recognition.
Dotted lines represent estimated episodes (unsure of date). Ultra-rapid (four or more episodes per week) or ultradian (rapid mood shifts within a day) cycling is indicated by vertical lines. Treatments, including medications and psychotherapy, are charted above the top of the mania section. Comorbid symptoms, such as alcohol and/or substance abuse, anxiety, panic attacks, and others are recorded below the depression section. Significant life events are charted below the comorbidity section with an impact rating from -4 (very negative) to +4 (very positive), with 0 representing no impact.
Excerpt from Bipolar Weekly News
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
China Dominates the Gold
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 22, 3:45 pm EDT
BEIJING – Across the Chinese media, the story has hit saturation coverage. China, once mocked as “the weaklings of Asia,” is going to win what it calls the total medal count for the Beijing Games.
China, like most of the world, values gold medals above all and only counts them in the standings. With 47 and counting, its total dwarfs all other nations. The United States is second with 31.
In the U.S., all medals are counted, so the Americans still hold a lead (102-89 after Friday’s competition) by that standard. The U.S. is trying to retain the total medal supremacy (by its count) it’s held since boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The U.S. has won the most golds since 1996.
In China, the accounting differences don’t matter. By the Chinese’s standard, this is over. And that’s the only standard. They talk about China’s victory all day on state-run television. Stories are all over the nation’s government-controlled major newspapers.
“China’s Gold Boom!” screamed one show on CCTV.
The difficult thing for the Americans to stomach is the situation is unlikely to change in future Games. This isn’t a one-time surge by a host nation. This isn’t even a run of great success.
China’s system of athletics places value on the medal count above all – as opposed to professional success or athlete choice. Whether the U.S. holds on this time or not, eventually China’s system, coupled with its 1.3 billion people, should be unstoppable.
Aug 22, 3:45 pm EDT
BEIJING – Across the Chinese media, the story has hit saturation coverage. China, once mocked as “the weaklings of Asia,” is going to win what it calls the total medal count for the Beijing Games.
China, like most of the world, values gold medals above all and only counts them in the standings. With 47 and counting, its total dwarfs all other nations. The United States is second with 31.
In the U.S., all medals are counted, so the Americans still hold a lead (102-89 after Friday’s competition) by that standard. The U.S. is trying to retain the total medal supremacy (by its count) it’s held since boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The U.S. has won the most golds since 1996.
In China, the accounting differences don’t matter. By the Chinese’s standard, this is over. And that’s the only standard. They talk about China’s victory all day on state-run television. Stories are all over the nation’s government-controlled major newspapers.
“China’s Gold Boom!” screamed one show on CCTV.
The difficult thing for the Americans to stomach is the situation is unlikely to change in future Games. This isn’t a one-time surge by a host nation. This isn’t even a run of great success.
China’s system of athletics places value on the medal count above all – as opposed to professional success or athlete choice. Whether the U.S. holds on this time or not, eventually China’s system, coupled with its 1.3 billion people, should be unstoppable.
Sunday Morning
Up early after being up late. You gotta love mild mania. I am not sure how I am feeling today but I am a least optimistic about the day. I will post some stuff on the blog then I do not know. I have been thinking about medication and how it is a love hate relationship. I love it when it works well and keeps me stable and in control. I feel steady and can function like anybody else with not letting stuff really bother me. I am a better father and husband because I am not obsessed with myself. I can hate it sometimes though because it is a twice daily reminder of how messed up I really am and that I have to be reliant on them too function correctly. Also truth be tols, I miss the full blown mania sometimes. The euphoric feelings and wreckless abandonment that I am so used to. Being normal and stable feels weird to me still. But normal and stable is what I need, to many years of chaos and ups and downs. So today I am thankful for my medications.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tonight
I slept earlier so I am wide awake now at 2:00 am. I think it is my abilify. Anyways am on www.dailystrength.com as well chatting with other beepers(bipolar persons)
A brief history of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the oldest known illnesses. Research reveals some mention of the symptoms in early medical records. It was first noticed as far back as the second century. Aretaeus of Cappadocia (a city in ancient Turkey) first recognized some symptoms of mania and depression, and felt they could be linked to each other. His findings went unnoticed and unsubstantiated until 1650, when a scientist named Richard Burton wrote a book, The Anatomy of Melancholia, which focused specifically on depression. His findings are still used today by many in the mental health field, and he is credited with being the father of depression as a mental illness.
Jules Falret coined term "folie circulaire" (circular insanity) in 1854, and established a link between depression and suicide. His work led to the term bipolar disorder, as he was able to find a distinction between moments of depression and heightened moods. He recognized this to be different from simple depression, and finally in 1875 his recorded findings were termed Manic-Depressive Psychosis, a psychiatric disorder. Another lesser-known fact attributed to Falret is that he found the disease seemed to be found in certain families thus recognizing very early that there was a genetic link.
Francois Baillarger believed there was a major distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He characterized the depressive phase of the disease. It was this achievement that allowed bipolar disorder to receive its own classification from other mental disorders of the time. In 1913, Emil Krapelin established the term manic-depressive, with an exhaustive study surrounding the effects of depression and a small portion about the manic state. Within fifteen years, this approach to mental illness was fully accepted and became the prevailing theory of the early 1930’s.
In 1952, an article appeared in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorder, analyzing the genetics behind the disorder, and revealing the likelihood that manic depression ran in families already stricken with the disorder. Throughout much of the 1960’s many with the disorder were institutionalized and given little help financially because of Congress’ refusal to recognize manic depression as legitimate illness. Only in the early 1970’s were laws enacted and standards established to help those afflicted, and in 1979 the National Association of Mental Health (NAMI) was founded.
In 1980, the term bipolar disorder (1980) replaced manic-depressive disorder as a diagnostic term found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-III). During the 1980’s research finally was able to distinguish between adult and childhood bipolar disorder, and even today more studies are needed to find the probable causes and the possible methods to treat the illness.
Pulled from Web
Jules Falret coined term "folie circulaire" (circular insanity) in 1854, and established a link between depression and suicide. His work led to the term bipolar disorder, as he was able to find a distinction between moments of depression and heightened moods. He recognized this to be different from simple depression, and finally in 1875 his recorded findings were termed Manic-Depressive Psychosis, a psychiatric disorder. Another lesser-known fact attributed to Falret is that he found the disease seemed to be found in certain families thus recognizing very early that there was a genetic link.
Francois Baillarger believed there was a major distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He characterized the depressive phase of the disease. It was this achievement that allowed bipolar disorder to receive its own classification from other mental disorders of the time. In 1913, Emil Krapelin established the term manic-depressive, with an exhaustive study surrounding the effects of depression and a small portion about the manic state. Within fifteen years, this approach to mental illness was fully accepted and became the prevailing theory of the early 1930’s.
In 1952, an article appeared in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorder, analyzing the genetics behind the disorder, and revealing the likelihood that manic depression ran in families already stricken with the disorder. Throughout much of the 1960’s many with the disorder were institutionalized and given little help financially because of Congress’ refusal to recognize manic depression as legitimate illness. Only in the early 1970’s were laws enacted and standards established to help those afflicted, and in 1979 the National Association of Mental Health (NAMI) was founded.
In 1980, the term bipolar disorder (1980) replaced manic-depressive disorder as a diagnostic term found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-III). During the 1980’s research finally was able to distinguish between adult and childhood bipolar disorder, and even today more studies are needed to find the probable causes and the possible methods to treat the illness.
Pulled from Web
Dual Diagnosis
Many of us deal with addiction problems on top of having BP. Here is an informative article about Dual Diagnosis
Dual Diagnosis and Bipolar Disorder
By Sherrie Mcgregor, Ph.D.
June 12, 2007
When mental health professionals use the term, “dual diagnosis,” they are almost always referring to a person who has a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. Drug and alcohol abuse are far more common among people with bipolar disorder than any other Axis I psychiatric disorder — and the lifetime prevalence is an astonishing 60 percent or more among those who have childhood- or adolescent-onset bipolar disorders. Drug and alcohol use also usually starts during the teenage years, sometimes even earlier.
Choice of drug may even be a diagnostic clue: up to 30 percent of cocaine addicts fit the criteria for bipolar disorder, as do a sizable portion of alcoholics and amphetamine users. It is not yet known whether these individuals abuse drugs as a result of their bipolar illness, or have bipolar-like symptoms as a result of their drug use. There is some pretty compelling evidence that the former, rather than the latter, is usually the case.
Substance abuse can complicate diagnosis and treatment. In the past, the conventional wisdom was that the alcoholic or drug addict had to be clean and sober before psychiatric treatment could succeed, but current clinical experience indicates that it’s essential to treat the underlying bipolar disorder along with the substance abuse problem. In fact, mood stabilization may be a very necessary part of substance-abuse treatment for this population. Medication and therapy can greatly reduce the relapse rate.
Many people with bipolar disorder have other psychiatric or medical problems to contend with, a fact that can complicate their treatment and even contribute to mood swings. Several neurological and physical problems occur more often in people with bipolar disorder than in the general population. The list includes migraines, seizure disorders, ADHD, developmental delays, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorders, autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. Many of these conditions have symptoms that can be mistaken for those of bipolar disorder.
From Psych Central Website
Dual Diagnosis and Bipolar Disorder
By Sherrie Mcgregor, Ph.D.
June 12, 2007
When mental health professionals use the term, “dual diagnosis,” they are almost always referring to a person who has a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. Drug and alcohol abuse are far more common among people with bipolar disorder than any other Axis I psychiatric disorder — and the lifetime prevalence is an astonishing 60 percent or more among those who have childhood- or adolescent-onset bipolar disorders. Drug and alcohol use also usually starts during the teenage years, sometimes even earlier.
Choice of drug may even be a diagnostic clue: up to 30 percent of cocaine addicts fit the criteria for bipolar disorder, as do a sizable portion of alcoholics and amphetamine users. It is not yet known whether these individuals abuse drugs as a result of their bipolar illness, or have bipolar-like symptoms as a result of their drug use. There is some pretty compelling evidence that the former, rather than the latter, is usually the case.
Substance abuse can complicate diagnosis and treatment. In the past, the conventional wisdom was that the alcoholic or drug addict had to be clean and sober before psychiatric treatment could succeed, but current clinical experience indicates that it’s essential to treat the underlying bipolar disorder along with the substance abuse problem. In fact, mood stabilization may be a very necessary part of substance-abuse treatment for this population. Medication and therapy can greatly reduce the relapse rate.
Many people with bipolar disorder have other psychiatric or medical problems to contend with, a fact that can complicate their treatment and even contribute to mood swings. Several neurological and physical problems occur more often in people with bipolar disorder than in the general population. The list includes migraines, seizure disorders, ADHD, developmental delays, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorders, autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. Many of these conditions have symptoms that can be mistaken for those of bipolar disorder.
From Psych Central Website
A Brief History of Lithium
THE DISCOVERY OF LITHIUM TO TREAT MOOD DISORDERS
Australian psychiatrist John Frederick Joseph Cade once said, "I believe the brain, like any other organ, can get sick and it can also heal."
He made huge gains in healing the brain through his work with sufferers of bipolar disorder by discovering that lithium salts -- a naturally occurring chemical - could be used to treat the illness.
Previously, electro-convulsive therapy and lobotomies had been the major treatments for bipolar disorder.
After having been a prisoner of war in World War II, Dr. Cade served as the head of the Bundoora Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne Australia. It was at an unused kitchen in Bundoora where he conducted crude experiments that led to the discovery of lithium as a treatment of bipolar disorder. After trials on humans, Dr. Cade speculated that bipolar disorder was a "lithium deficiency disease" and that a dose of lithium had a calming effect.
Dr. Cade published findings in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1949 entitled "Lithium salts in the treatment of psychotic excitement."
He died in 1980. Lithium is still used successfully in the treatment of mental illness to this day.
From CNN.com Website
Australian psychiatrist John Frederick Joseph Cade once said, "I believe the brain, like any other organ, can get sick and it can also heal."
He made huge gains in healing the brain through his work with sufferers of bipolar disorder by discovering that lithium salts -- a naturally occurring chemical - could be used to treat the illness.
Previously, electro-convulsive therapy and lobotomies had been the major treatments for bipolar disorder.
After having been a prisoner of war in World War II, Dr. Cade served as the head of the Bundoora Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne Australia. It was at an unused kitchen in Bundoora where he conducted crude experiments that led to the discovery of lithium as a treatment of bipolar disorder. After trials on humans, Dr. Cade speculated that bipolar disorder was a "lithium deficiency disease" and that a dose of lithium had a calming effect.
Dr. Cade published findings in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1949 entitled "Lithium salts in the treatment of psychotic excitement."
He died in 1980. Lithium is still used successfully in the treatment of mental illness to this day.
From CNN.com Website
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