Hypomania also needs management Of all the different mood states that people working through bipolar I or II have to deal with, hypomania may be the most difficult to understand. Often misdiagnosed, or left untreated for a variety of reasons, hypomania can also have its own stigma attached, as a post in BPHope reminds us. Friends, family members and other colleagues and contacts may be ready to support someone who obviously struggling with depression, but the “enjoyable” state of hypomania may not be seen as something that needs to be managed or cared for. Yet hypomania has its own real risks, and experiencing it puts you in the position of having to resist behaviors that may seem pleasant, productive, or, ...
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Low Serotonin – What do you need? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and hormone that our bodies produce naturally and that is used by the brain to regulate and support several systems throughout the body. The body produces serotonin using building blocks synthesized from nutritional input. The amount of serotonin produced can vary depending on a number of circumstances, some of which may be genetic, and some of which are affected by the body’s overall health, good nutrition, sunlight, and exercise. Research is as yet unclear as to how, exactly, serotonin functions in the body, especially in mood regulation, however there is a link between lower levels of serotonin receptors in the brain and mood symptoms such as depression and anxiety ...
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ADHD lasts into adulthood more frequently than thought Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may last into adulthood more frequently than previously thought. A recent study took a longitudinal perspective and retested individuals with childhood-onset ADHD up to eight times within a 16-year period after the baseline assessment. Although it is not uncommon to find young adults have completely recovered from childhood ADHD, the study found that symptoms may recur, even after an assessment showing their absence. Previous research has suggested that up to 50% of ADHD patients will experience full remission of symptoms, but the latest study, using several follow-up points, found that, while 31.4% of participants experienced full remission at one point in time, 59.4% of those went on to ...
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Three-minute exercise benefits People who sit for many hours at a desk, computer, or in front of the TV are at higher risk for health problems like obesity and other risk factors for heart disease, and a recent study finds that a three-minute break every 30 minutes can improve measures of blood sugar and blood sugar fluctuations. The study participants used a simple timer that reminded them every 30 minutes to stop, get up and do some simple exercise like walking or stair climbing. Compared to the control group, those who followed the 30-minute/3-minute regime had moderate improvements in levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as fewer spikes in blood sugar over the course of the ...
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What is a dating coach? Is it for you? Even without a pandemic, lots of us are uncertain, anxious, ambivalent, or just plain scared of getting back into the dating pool. We want a good relationship, but how to find the right person? Sign up for dating and relationship apps. Go out with friends of friends. Go to a matchmaker? Ask your mom? It’s a jungle out there, and a dating coach can help you find the pathway through to the other side. One of our patients recently had a great experience with a dating coach after a series of depressive episodes. She was struggling with how to “sell” herself on an online dating app, and the coach turned out ...
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Meditation Apps: a new review Meditation is one of the best ways to cope with the stresses and anxieties of daily life, and MoodSurfing has long been a fan of awareness and relaxation techniques from many sources. Recently, the phenomenon of websites and apps to facilitate the meditation experience has become widespread and the field is competitive and constantly changing. The five best Writing on the website Zapier, author Harry Guinness does us all a big favor by reviewing five of the “best”, not only by content, but also considering ease of user interface, varied content, beginners’ programs, and availability of a free trial. Beyond the free trial, most have a subscription cost, but he also highlights “the best free ...
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Welcome to MoodSurfing.com, the site that highlights strategies for living creatively with moods and coping with depression. This site is for people with bipolar, depression, cyclothymia, and others who experience powerful moods and want to figure out how to integrate these experiences into successful lives.
Although most of us are mental health clinicians of one kind or another, this site is not about providing people with medical or clinical advice (see below). We hope that we can help you cope with depression, maybe even allow you to live well with moods.
If you like what you see here, be sure to sign up to get updated with new posts.
We have done a series of interviews with people who have interesting things to say about different aspects of living creatively with moods. You can find those under the heading “Conversations.”
DISCLAIMER
This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, Moodsurfing provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Moodsurfing is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.
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