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
Drugs and Side Effects
Most of us take medications to help manage our BP and many of those meds have some side effects. I was just checking on Abilify and found some good sites. First through the companys website. www.abilify.com Similar websites are found for other drugs. Also 2 key sites to find all drugs and side effects are: www.drugs.com and www.rxlist.com So if you want to check one your taking or research a possible new one, check them out.
Intent of this Blog site
It is our intention for this site to offer support and information to those who are affected by Bipolar Disorder. We encourage you to post questions about BP topics, comments regaurding posts as well as information about your stuggle to manage this illness. If a topic is brought up our inquired about, We will research it and respond to it asap. Our goal is to add current content and a new journal entry on a daily basis. So check this site regularly. Thanks for checking us out and let us know what else would be helpful to you.
Bipolar Disorder an Overview
A Disorder that Affects Moods
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes episodes of depression (sadness and hopelessness) and episodes of mania (severely elevated mood). These episodes commonly affect your energy level, behavior, ability to function, and your ability to think clearly or make sound decisions.1
While there is no known cure for bipolar disorder, some medications have been approved to treat the different phases of bipolar disorder.
A Range of Moods
It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in bipolar disorder as a range:
At one end of the range, there is severe mania. Mania is characterized by periods of elated mood, which can include racing thoughts, extreme irritability, or reckless behavior
In the middle, there is the normal or balanced mood state. This is a time during which you are relatively free of the signs and symptoms associated with bipolar disorder
At the other end of the range, there is depression, which can be mild to moderate or severe. Depression involves overwhelming feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness
The episodes of bipolar disorder can interfere with your daily life, making it more difficult to accomplish and enjoy the things you normally do. However, by working with your health care provider you can receive treatment that’s appropriate for you.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes episodes of depression (sadness and hopelessness) and episodes of mania (severely elevated mood). These episodes commonly affect your energy level, behavior, ability to function, and your ability to think clearly or make sound decisions.1
While there is no known cure for bipolar disorder, some medications have been approved to treat the different phases of bipolar disorder.
A Range of Moods
It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in bipolar disorder as a range:
At one end of the range, there is severe mania. Mania is characterized by periods of elated mood, which can include racing thoughts, extreme irritability, or reckless behavior
In the middle, there is the normal or balanced mood state. This is a time during which you are relatively free of the signs and symptoms associated with bipolar disorder
At the other end of the range, there is depression, which can be mild to moderate or severe. Depression involves overwhelming feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness
The episodes of bipolar disorder can interfere with your daily life, making it more difficult to accomplish and enjoy the things you normally do. However, by working with your health care provider you can receive treatment that’s appropriate for you.
Today
So far so good. I feel stable and in a good mood. I do have some tremblingin my hands and legs from my lithium. I have my therapy session on monday and my PDoc appt, to review my meds on tuesday. I am looking forward to both. I think I will ask about getting off of Abilify due to the cost. Plus I am pretty sure I can do without it. I am nervous about future things and still ruminate on things but not as bad as I was a few months ago. Still looking for a job but nothing yet, not even a interveiw. I start school on line on monday for my second degree. I willbe working on an associates in human services in hopes of getting a job in a psychiatric hospital or clinic, working with the patients. Kind of the wounded healer concept. I just know I want to help people who deal with the same thing I do.
Hopefully the rest of the day goes as good as it has so far.
Hopefully the rest of the day goes as good as it has so far.
Manic Phase
I must be in a manic phase right now. I am going on little sleep and still have lots of energy but in a good productive way. I have been like this for the last 2 weeks. I enjoy the manic phase, it sure beats fighting depression. Unfortunatly what goes up must come down. I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Lithium for Bipolar Disorder
Lithium is of particular interest to me since it is the Primary medicine in my arsenol to combat Bipolar Disorder. Here is some information on Lithium and its uses in the field of mental health.
Lithium: Mineral and Drug
Pure lithium, like sodium, calcium, or potassium, is a naturally occurring mineral. Lithium is found abundantly in certain rocks and the sea and in minute amounts in plant and animal tissues. Lithium also shows up in water, notably in the springs and spas where in earlier times people "took the waters," bathing in and drinking the lithium-rich water for its soothing effects. Whether lithium actually calmed 14th-century ladies and gentlemen has never been documented. What we do know is that, from time to time since antiquity, doctors have noticed that lithium can control over excitement in some of their patients. Today, lithium is administered to patients as a lithium salt, usually as lithium carbonate or lithium citrate, which is taken by mouth in capsule, tablet, or syrup form. Pharmaceutical companies often assign a "trade name" to their products. Examples of trade names for lithium are Cibalith, Eskalith, Lithane, and Lithobid. Some companies use only the chemical name, that is, lithium carbonate or lithium citrate. Modern physicians rely on these various forms of lithium to treat serious mental illness. Properly administered, it is one of the most powerful medications available for mood disorders.
The Development of Lithium Treatment
John Cade, an Australian physician, introduced lithium into psychiatry in 1949 when he reported that lithium carbonate was an effective treatment for manic excitement. Unfortunately, Dr. Cade's discovery coincided with reports of several deaths from the unrestricted use of lithium chloride as a salt substitute for cardiac patients. Four patients died, and several developed toxic reactions. It was not known at that time that lithium can accumulate to dangerous levels in the body or that lithium has to be used with special caution in patients with cardiac disorders. As a result of these experiences, lithium was virtually neglected in this country until the early 1960s. Research by European psychiatrists, especially Dr. Mogens Schou in Denmark, hastened acceptance of lithium in the United States. Renewed interest in the compound led to numerous clinical trials, including pivotal studies conducted by NIMH. These studies showed how lithium could be used safely and effectively to treat psychiatric disorders. In addition, research-both in animals and humans-showed that lithium influences several functions in the body, including the distribution of sodium and potassium, which regulate impulses along the nerve cells. Lithium can affect the activity of neurotransmitter and biological systems because it alters the way in which a variety of messages are transmitted after they reach their target. Although scientists have many promising leads, they have yet to explain the biochemical actions of depression. In 1970, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lithium as a treatment for mania. Four years later, the FDA also approved the use of lithium as a preventive, or prophylactic, treatment for manic-depressive illness.
Lithium's Uses
Psychiatrists use lithium in two ways: to treat episodes of mania and depression and to prevent their recurrence. Lithium can often subdue symptoms when a patient is in the midst of a manic episode, and it may also ameliorate the symptoms of a depressive episode. The single most important use for lithium, though, is in preventing new episodes of mania and depression. Lithium is also being used experimentally to treat other disorders.
Lithium: Mineral and Drug
Pure lithium, like sodium, calcium, or potassium, is a naturally occurring mineral. Lithium is found abundantly in certain rocks and the sea and in minute amounts in plant and animal tissues. Lithium also shows up in water, notably in the springs and spas where in earlier times people "took the waters," bathing in and drinking the lithium-rich water for its soothing effects. Whether lithium actually calmed 14th-century ladies and gentlemen has never been documented. What we do know is that, from time to time since antiquity, doctors have noticed that lithium can control over excitement in some of their patients. Today, lithium is administered to patients as a lithium salt, usually as lithium carbonate or lithium citrate, which is taken by mouth in capsule, tablet, or syrup form. Pharmaceutical companies often assign a "trade name" to their products. Examples of trade names for lithium are Cibalith, Eskalith, Lithane, and Lithobid. Some companies use only the chemical name, that is, lithium carbonate or lithium citrate. Modern physicians rely on these various forms of lithium to treat serious mental illness. Properly administered, it is one of the most powerful medications available for mood disorders.
The Development of Lithium Treatment
John Cade, an Australian physician, introduced lithium into psychiatry in 1949 when he reported that lithium carbonate was an effective treatment for manic excitement. Unfortunately, Dr. Cade's discovery coincided with reports of several deaths from the unrestricted use of lithium chloride as a salt substitute for cardiac patients. Four patients died, and several developed toxic reactions. It was not known at that time that lithium can accumulate to dangerous levels in the body or that lithium has to be used with special caution in patients with cardiac disorders. As a result of these experiences, lithium was virtually neglected in this country until the early 1960s. Research by European psychiatrists, especially Dr. Mogens Schou in Denmark, hastened acceptance of lithium in the United States. Renewed interest in the compound led to numerous clinical trials, including pivotal studies conducted by NIMH. These studies showed how lithium could be used safely and effectively to treat psychiatric disorders. In addition, research-both in animals and humans-showed that lithium influences several functions in the body, including the distribution of sodium and potassium, which regulate impulses along the nerve cells. Lithium can affect the activity of neurotransmitter and biological systems because it alters the way in which a variety of messages are transmitted after they reach their target. Although scientists have many promising leads, they have yet to explain the biochemical actions of depression. In 1970, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lithium as a treatment for mania. Four years later, the FDA also approved the use of lithium as a preventive, or prophylactic, treatment for manic-depressive illness.
Lithium's Uses
Psychiatrists use lithium in two ways: to treat episodes of mania and depression and to prevent their recurrence. Lithium can often subdue symptoms when a patient is in the midst of a manic episode, and it may also ameliorate the symptoms of a depressive episode. The single most important use for lithium, though, is in preventing new episodes of mania and depression. Lithium is also being used experimentally to treat other disorders.
Famous Bipolars
DO you know of any famous persons with Bipolar Disorder? I know a couple. Carrie Fisher-Princess Leia, Virginia Woolf-famous turn of the century writer, George Frideric Handel- Composer, Britney Spears, Linda Hamilton and probably Van Gough and Einstine. Please provide some you may know.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
There is no conclusive proof of what causes Bipolar Disorder but there are several schools of thought. They are Neurotransmitters, Ion activity, brain structure, and genetic factors.
Neurotransmitters-Mania may be linked to high nerepinephine activity or low serotonin activity.
Ion activity-research has found that membrane defects in the neurons of persons with Bipolar Disorders and have observed abnormal functioning in the proteins that helphelp transport Ions across a neuron membrane
Brain Structure-Postmortem studies have indentified a number of abnormal structures in people with bipolar disorders
Genetic Factors-Many experts believe that people inherit a biological predisposition to develop Bipolar disorders. Family pedigree studies support this idea.
Food for thought.
Neurotransmitters-Mania may be linked to high nerepinephine activity or low serotonin activity.
Ion activity-research has found that membrane defects in the neurons of persons with Bipolar Disorders and have observed abnormal functioning in the proteins that helphelp transport Ions across a neuron membrane
Brain Structure-Postmortem studies have indentified a number of abnormal structures in people with bipolar disorders
Genetic Factors-Many experts believe that people inherit a biological predisposition to develop Bipolar disorders. Family pedigree studies support this idea.
Food for thought.
Friday, August 22, 2008
First Post
I guess I should introduce myself, I am Scott. I was diagnosed with having BP about 3 years ago. I showed the signs as far back as Jr. High. I also have Borderline Personality Disorder. I had severe trama when younger and lived for years in a very hostile environment. I am still learning to cope with BP and the required medicine regiment. I am currently going to therapy once a week. I will discuss that in my next post. From a medicine perspective I feel my current cocktail is working fine. The best mix since I started. Currently I am on the following meds and doses: Lithium 1200mg, Lamictal 200mg, Abilify 30mg, Paxil, and Ativan as needed. It has taken me a while to get use to so many meds and realizing that they must be taken religously if the are to work properly. Yes, I have quite taken them 3 times because I decided there was nothing wrong with me. Yes, I ended up hurting myself and into the psych ward for a few days or weeks. My last stint was 3 weeks ago and I overdosed and spent 3 days in the mental ward. The funny thing is now that med meds have stabilized I feel fine and what happened is like a dream. Of course it was very real especially to my family. I am writing this blog to be encouraging to others living and coping with BP and to have discussions about issues we face.
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