Vital Signs: Bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?
We see many people who enter the mental health system who have self-diagnosed themselves as having bipolar disorder. I'll often ask how they came to this conclusion, and they will often describe “flying off the handle” at the drop of a hat and other …
Read more on The Daily Progress

Feds: Suspect in ricin case believed in body-parts plot
“He is bipolar, and the only thing I can say is he wasn't on his medicine,” Laura Curtis told The Associated Press this week. Curtis is accused of sending letters containing ricin to Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and to Lee County (Miss.) Justice …
Read more on The Sheboygan Press

Brain Abnormalities Found in Children with Bipolar in Manic Stage
TherapyNewsPic71 Bipolar can impair quality of life for those who live with it. Periods of mania and depression can cause someone to be very erratic and can lead to extreme behaviors that put strain on relationships. Family members, co-workers and …
Read more on GoodTherapy.org (blog)

Interview: Pamela Hearon, 'The Summer Place'
Pamela: I was an alcohol/drug abuse counselor as well as a school counselor for 10 years, so I've truly seen it all. How sad it is to talk with a 13-year-old … Pamela: There were actually two facts about PTSD that shocked me. One was the staggering …
Read more on USA TODAY (blog)

Bipolar Disorder in Women Vol. 2: What I Wish I Knew Before
Women are at a greater risk of co-morbid conditions like alcohol abuse, thyroid disease, medication-induced obesity, and migraine headaches than men. Pain disorders occur more in … Did you know all of these facts above? If not, what surprised you or …
Read more on PsychCentral.com (blog)

Task Force criticizes unclear policies
The University has not publicly released the report, Dean's Office fellow Garrett Fiddler '11 said, in order to keep specific facts about Yale's drinking culture out of the national media and because administrators will not implement all …
Read more on Yale Daily News (blog)

Delray Recovery Center Now Offers Intervention Services for Drug Addiction
Florida's Delray Recovery Center offers treatment plans for alcohol addiction, drug addiction, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. Knowing that one of the hardest parts of addiction treatment …
Read more on PR Web (press release)

Almost Addicted: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drug Use a Problem?
In its latest installment, Almost Addicted: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drug Use a Problem?, primary author J. Welsey Boyd and Eric Metcalf delve into the sensitive time when one's drug use has become troubling, but has not yet reached the diagnostic …
Read more on PsychCentral.com (blog)

In search for the right combination

Image by L.G.Mills
What is Bipolar Disorder?

* Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is a serious, lifelong medical condition. It affects more than 2 million people in the United States.
* Bipolar disorder is a treatable illness. And when symptoms are treated, life can be better.
* The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown. It’s a medical condition. Bipolar disorder may be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain, genetics, or abnormalities in brain structure.
* People with bipolar disorder can have mood swings, including depression (extreme lows) and mania (extreme highs).
* A period of depression or mania is called an episode. Individuals may experience episodes of depression or mania throughout life.
* Episodes may be separated by long periods with few or no symptoms. To help keep bipolar disorder under control, medication is often taken even when few or no symptoms are present.

No longer silent: Man with bipolar disorder speaks up about his illness …
A few months ago, Logan Noone made a decision that everyone told him would be a terrible idea. He started talking. In May 2011, Noone was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a psychiatric condition marked by alternating periods of intense depression and …
Read more on Fox News

Report: Ashley Judd's depression is bipolar disorder
She has often talked about her depression and troubled childhood, but the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is more blunt than the co-dependency Judd has talked about. It's another reason for Democrats to be wary of her bid in Kentucky. Some are already …
Read more on Washington Examiner

Teen wounded by Denver police is bipolar, grandmother says
The grandmother of a teenager who was shot and wounded by Denver police officers said Tuesday that he suffers bipolar disorder and "just had a breakdown" before he grabbed a pair of kitchen knives and started fighting with his family. Relatives called …
Read more on Denver Post

Vital Signs: Bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?
We see many people who enter the mental health system who have self-diagnosed themselves as having bipolar disorder. I'll often ask how they came to this conclusion, and they will often describe “flying off the handle” at the drop of a hat and other …
Read more on The Daily Progress