Monthly Archives: April 2016

1. It Gives You Strength, Tenacity, or “Chutzpah” “Having bipolar disorder means I am a fighter and a survivor. I have been through things other people couldn’t imagine, but I am a stronger person because of it.” – Olivia Fuller “Bipolar … Continue reading →

DUCATE & INSPIRE When it comes to mental health conditions, silence is not golden. Silence breeds stigma, and stigma hurts. It prevents people from seeking life-saving treatment and support. International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) hopes that you will join forces with … Continue reading →

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your … Continue reading →

The “bottom line” of diagnosis If your depressions are complicated; if you have mood swings, but not “mania”, you can still be “bipolar enough” to need a treatment that’s more like the treatments we use in more easily recognized Bipolar … Continue reading →

Bipolarity Index Table The Bipolarity Index: a 5-dimension, 100-pt. system Dimen­sion 20 points 15 points 10 points 5 points 2 points Episode Charac­teristics Manicsymp­toms with “prom­inenteuphoria, gran­diosity or expan­sive­ness”. Manic symp­toms with dys­phoria, irritab­ility Hypo­manic symp­toms; or mania fol­lowing an anti­depres­sant Hypo­manic symp­toms fol­lowing an … Continue reading →

Sometimes referred to as Psychiatric or Psychological Disorders, Mental Health Disorders are caused by complex interactions between physical, Psychological, social, cultural, and hereditary influences. They involve disturbances in thinking, emotion, and/or behavior. Small disturbances in these aspects of life are … Continue reading →

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability and hypersensitivity in interpersonal relationships, instability in self-image, extreme mood fluctuations, and impulsivity. Diagnosis is by clinical criteria. Treatment is with psychotherapy and drugs. Patients with borderline personality disorder … Continue reading →

Bipolar disorders are characterized by episodes of mania and depression, which may alternate, although many patients have a predominance of one or the other. Exact cause is unknown, but heredity, changes in the level of brain neurotransmitters, and psycho social … Continue reading →