Monthly Archives: September 2016

What are the basics of bipolar disorder treatment? Principle A: Maximize Non-Medication Approaches Principle B: Medications — use evidence-based Mood Stabilizers Principle C:  Beware of Antidepressants Which mood stabilizer should I start with? What should I do with my antidepressant? … Continue reading →

Used by permission of Dr. Nassir Ghaemi and developer Dr. Ron Pies The BSDS is a test for subtle versions of bipolar disorder. Before you start this test, you should know that it will not give you a “yes or no” … Continue reading →

The “bottom line” of diagnosis What happened to “manic-depressive”? What’s “Bipolar II”?  What is the “mood spectrum?”  What do “bipolar variations” look like? Non-manic markers of bipolarity? Even with no hypomania at all? Anxious depression could be “bipolar”? Yes, in … Continue reading →

What’s with this “spectrum” talk? The DSM is the official rule book of diagnoses, right? “Spectrum” is not radical More evidence that the DSM-only view is changing Double depression, bipolarity-style Conclusion Bottom line:  The “bipolar spectrum” view used to be … Continue reading →

Weight gain is one of the main reasons that people diagnosed with depression and other mood disorders stop taking their medication. Some people gain as much as seven percent of their body weight — or more — from psychiatric meds. In a study funded … Continue reading →

By Therese Borchard A substantial amount of research points to the benefits of faith to mitigate symptoms of depression. In one study, for example, researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, found that belief in God was associated with better … Continue reading →