Understanding And Dealing With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is not the result of a "weakness" in one's personality or character. People with bipolar disorder have limited or no control over their moods, intellectual processes and energy. Bipolar disorder can become disabling, but it is also a treatable or manageable mental illness in most cases. 

A combination of medications and psychotherapy helps a vast majority of people with this illness return to happy fulfilling lives. The challenge is to provide treatment as soon as possible. Unrecognized and untreated symptoms of Bipolar disorder can have a profound and lasting impact on personality and one's character.

In many cases, the symptoms of bipolar disorder will occur with other problems such as substance abuse, poor school performance, family conflict or trouble a work. 

People with bipolar disorder are very prone to medicate they symptoms with alcohol, stimulants and sedatives. Some will turn to stimulants to help them cope with their depression. Treatment of more that one problem may be necessary.

Most people with bipolar disorder are usually treated with medications such as Lithium which tends to manage mania. Tegretol (Carbamazepine), Valproate (Depakote), Lamotragine (Lamictal) are three additional medications that were originally used to control seizures. These drugs have been found to act as a mood-stabilizers and to manage bipolar symptoms. Benzodiazepines such as Lorazapam and Ativan are sometimes prescribed for insomnia. A number of medications are used to manage mania especially when it cannot be controlled. Combinations of medications have been used with some success. Some of these include antidepressants and antipsychotic medications. A relatively new medication, Zeprexia, has been used to quickly manage and control manic symptoms in bipolar disorder. However this drug is often associated with severe side effect including massive weight gain and increased risk for diabetes. Treatment of bipolar disorder is not always easy, especially in the early stages, and requires a great deal of trial and error. 

If a person is in the midst of a manic episode, he or she may not recognize or appreciate the impact of their behavior. Children may not feel at risk or that they are impulsive, reckless or taking any risks. In fact, many people conclude that a manic episode is just normal adolescent behavior. While it may appear that way at first glance, the cycles in a child's behavior will tell the difference. A person in the midst of a manic episode may experience an elevated sense of well being or over confidence that he and her or she may refuse to get help. They can be very difficult to deal with. People in mixed phases can be very irritable, even volatile, aggressive and difficult to interact with. Parents may notice a change but not know what is causing it. In some cases, a person who is very manic, severely depressed, or mixed, may need to be hospitalized for his or her own protection in order to receive treatment. Education, guidance and support from a psychotherapist is often very helpful when a manic or depressive episode resolves. A therapist can help the person to deal with personal relationships, maintain a healthy self-image and ensure that the person complies with his or her treatment. Family counseling and support can be very helpful where the family is willing and able to participate productively. Psychotherapy can also assist the person in coping with the side-effects of the medications. 

Serious and Critical Symptoms

• Suicidal behavior, thoughts, feelings
• Dangerous, threatening or self-harming behavior
• Extreme neglect and lack of self-care

Information And Steps You Can Take

• Seek immediate help if a child has any serious and critical symptoms.
• Consultation with a qualified mental health professional or crisis intervention specialist is recommended if a child is in the midst of a manic or depressive episode.
• Anyone with symptoms of bipolar disorder should have a comprehensive medical, social and psychological evaluation.
• Ongoing encouragement and support from friends and family are also very important. It may be helpful to join a self-help or support group to help those coping with this illness.
• Ask about, evaluate, and address any suicidal, self harming or dangerous behavior.

Dated: December 30, 2007

http://www.incrisis.org/Library/Bipolar.htm

10 Helpful Books About Bipolar Disorder

About 6 million people in the U.S. have bipolar disorder, which is characterized by episodes of mania and depression. But the condition is not always easy to diagnose.

All too often, people don’t know that their extreme highs (creativity, energy, poor judgment, and risky behavior), extreme lows, and problems with relationships and substance abuse may actually be due to bipolar disorder.
Reading about bipolar disorder can help. Here are 10 books for anyone interested in the topic.

Learning more about bipolar

By Tammy Worth
About 6 million people in the U.S. have bipolar disorder, which is characterized by episodes of mania and depression. But the condition is not always easy to diagnose.

All too often, people don’t know that their extreme highs (creativity, energy, poor judgment, and risky behavior), extreme lows, and problems with relationships and substance abuse may actually be due to bipolar disorder.

Reading about bipolar disorder can help. Here are 10 books for anyone interested in the topic.

An Unquiet Mind

Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD, had already written a bipolar textbook by the time she decided to reveal that she herself had the disorder. An Unquiet Mind, which details her 30-year struggle with bipolar, was published after she got tenure as a psychiatry professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The book was on the New York Times best-seller list for 5 months and has been translated into 25 languages. "An Unquiet Mind is a rare and insightful view of mental illness from inside the mind of a trained specialist,” says a Time magazine review.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Wishful Drinking

This memoir details humor actress Carrie Fisher’s well-known struggles with troubled personal relationships, alcohol and drug abuse, and bipolar disorder. Published in 2009, the relatively short book (only 163 pages) is based on Fisher’s tell-all stand-up routine, in which she caustically analyzes her life of what she calls "Hollywood inbreeding."

The effect of Fisher’s humor and insight "is extraordinarily painful while being extremely entertaining," a reviewer for the Los Angeles Times comments.

Madness: A Bipolar Life

Marya Hornbacher has suffered from symptoms of bipolar disorder from the time she was a toddler. She spent her youth and teenage years struggling with alcohol, promiscuity, drug abuse, and cutting. She was not diagnosed with bipolar disorder until her mid-20s.

Hornbacher is a pro at examining the difficulties of mental illness in this New York Times best seller. "Hornbacher will touch a nerve with readers struggling to cope with mental illness," writes a reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly.

Madness: A Bipolar Life

Touched With Fire

Kay Redfield Jamison’s book looks at how the "artistic temperament" may, in fact, be bipolar disorder. While not all artists and writers are bipolar, "madness" can sometimes act as both an inspiration and impediment for those who are.

A review by Kirkus Associates says, "The relation between madness and genius is a fascinating subject."

Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament

Manic: A Memoir

Terri Cheney’s journey with bipolar disorder has been one of disorienting, extreme mood swings. She moves from deep lows riddled with suicide attempts to highs filled with promiscuous behavior, and recounts it all in this New York Times best seller.

Though it may be a slightly difficult read—the narrative jumps, much like her moods—it offers a glaring, honest account of bipolar. A Providence Journal reviewer calls the book "superb" and adds: "Cheney’s remarkable chronicle of her painful odyssey is as eloquent as it is brave. It is also profoundly necessary, both for her and for us."

Manic: A Memoir

The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide

This 2002 book by David J. Miklowitz, PhD, focuses specifically on patients. The author, a professor of psychiatry in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute, concentrates on helping people come to terms with the disease, recognize their mood swings, and get help.

"He has provided patients and families with just the right psychoeducational tool," comments Frederick K. Goodwin, MD, director of the Center on Neuroscience, Medical Progress and Society at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know

To Walk on Eggshells

The book gives an open, honest account of what it is like to care for a family member with bipolar disorder. The author Jean Johnston recounts how she dealt with the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of her daughter, Suzy.

Looking after someone with mental illness can be "frightening and isolating," Johnston writes. "I hope this account of my experiences and how I felt, along with what I learned, will help to alleviate the loneliness of their situation."

To Walk On Eggshells

Detour

By the time she was 23, Lizzie Simon was an Ivy League-educated woman with a bright career. All of this occurred in spite of the fact that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teen. Detour relates Simon’s experiences as she travels, seeking others who are bipolar in an attempt to find “a herd” of her own.

Simon is a freelance writer and, in 2002, was a field producer for MTV’s True Life: I’m Bipolar, a show that was inspired by her book.

Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D

Positive Parenting for Bipolar Kids

In 2008, Janet Wozniak, MD, and Mary Ann McDonnell, PhD, with Judy Fort Brenneman, released this guide for parents (originally published as Is Your Child Bipolar?), which helps them identify serious symptoms; communicate with teachers, doctors, and other caregivers; and get the right diagnosis and treatment.

"This unique approach demystifies the disorder, eases the apprehension that parents feel, and equips them to better work with the professionals who treat and educate their children," comment Demitri F. Papolos, MD, and Janice Papolos, authors of The Bipolar Child.

Positive Parenting for Bipolar Kids: How to Identify, Treat, Manage, and Rise to the Challenge

The Up and Down Life

Paul E. Jones is a stand-up comedian and motivational speaker who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003. His 2008 book, with Andrea Thompson, uses humor to help people understand how to cope and succeed in their home lives and careers, and offers clinical information and resources.

This all adds up to what a Library Journal" reviewer calls "a heartfelt, highly personal story to which anyone affected by the illness can relate."

The Up And Down Life: The Truth About Bipolar Disorder—the Good, the Bad, and the Funny

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20447472,00.html

From [mentalhealth.gov] Myths and Facts of Mental Health

Myths and Facts

Mental Health Problems Affect Everyone[mentalhealth.gov]

Myth: Personality weakness or character flaws cause mental health problems. People with mental health problems can snap out of it if they try hard enough.

Fact: Mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak and many people need help to get better. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, such as genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse
• Family history of mental health problems

People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.

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Helping Individuals with Mental Health Problems

Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health problems. Once a friend or family member 

develops mental health problems, he or she will never recover.

Fact: Studies show that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they work.

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Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health problem.

Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. Only 38% of adults with diagnosable mental health problems and less than 20% of children and adolescents receive needed treatment. Friends and family can be important influences to help someone get the treatment and services they need by:

• Reaching out and letting them know you are available to help
• Helping them access mental health services
• Learning and sharing the facts about mental health, especially if you hear something that isn't true
• Treating them with respect, just as you would anyone else
• Refusing to define them by their diagnosis or using labels such as "crazy"

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Myth: Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill?

Fact: Treatment for mental health problems varies depending on the individual and could include medication, therapy, or both. Many individuals work with a support system during the healing and recovery process.

Myth: Mental health problems don't affect me.

Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. In 2011, about:

• One in five American adults experienced a mental health issue
• One in 10 young people experienced a period of major depression
• One in 20 Americans lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It accounts for the loss of more than 38,000 American lives each year, more than double the number of lives lost to homicide. Learn more about mental health problems.

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Myth: Children don't experience mental health problems.

Fact: Even very young children may show early warning signs of mental health concerns. These mental health problems are often clinically diagnosable, and can be a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and three quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24.

Unfortunately, less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need. Early mental health support can help a child before problems interfere with other developmental needs.

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Myth: People with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable.

Fact: The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%-5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness. In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. You probably know someone with a mental health problem and don't even realize it, because many people with mental health problems are highly active and productive members of our communities.

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Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

Fact: People with mental health problems are just as productive as other employees. Employers who hire people with mental health problems report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees.

When employees with mental health problems receive effective treatment, it can result in:

·        Lower total medical costs

·        Increased productivity

·        Lower absenteeism

·        Decreased disability costs

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Myth: Prevention doesn’t work. It is impossible to prevent mental illnesses.

Fact: Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors such as exposure to trauma that can affect the chances that children, youth, and young adults will develop mental health problems. Promoting the social-emotional well-being of children and youth leads to:

• Higher overall productivity
• Better educational outcomes
• Lower crime rates
• Stronger economies
• Lower health care costs
• Improved quality of life
• Increased lifespan
• Improved family life