Doctors often do a poor job of educating their patients about their health problems. That is particularly troubling when you are talking about a condition as complicated as bipolar. We have been working on an educational program for this site based on the Barcelona psycho-education program for bipolar, to be called Bipolar 101. The Barcelona program has clearly been shown, …
I Can’t Stand It! (ACT)
This week began with me spending three or four hours writing up a summary of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for one of the people I saw two days ago. For those of you who haven’t heard the term, ACT is the “hot” new approach to therapy (although much of it dates back thousands of years to Buddhist practice). I enjoyed the …
Mind Body Dualism
A wonderful woman who has been meeting with me off and on for a couple of years, and who initially came in to see me for some fairly classic symptoms of bipolar type 2, just sent me a “goodbye” e-mail. In it, she noted that she has uncovered the strong likelihood that she has Lupus. Lupus is one of those rare medical conditions that …
Bipolar Books – Marbles
Bipolar books are coming out with greater frequency. I’m hoping to focus on some of the more creative examples in this site. I’m happy, once again, to post a sample of a wonderful book by Ellen Forney called Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me. This is a delightful cartoon book that was a New York Times bestseller. I’m hoping that …
Bipolar Suicide Film – Here One Day
I just attended the screening of a remarkable documentary at the Institute for Psychiatric Services meeting in San Francisco. The film is called Here One Day. It is an incredibly personal story by documentary film maker Kathy Leichter, about her mother, and her mother’s struggle with bipolar. The film is a tribute to a remarkable woman, who’s bipolar disorder both …
Sleeping at the Right Time
Sleeping can become a major preoccupation at times of stress, or when one is depressed, or when the seasons change, as they are doing now. We tend to think about sleep as being something that is good for you. The more sleep and the better the quality of that sleep the better off you are. Elsewhere in this blog I’ve …
New Forum
New Forum Ask and you shall receive. A couple of our favorite subscribers finally convinced us that the former forum (hosted by Bublaa.com) was inadequate. They wanted better ability to search for posts. They wanted a better “look and feel.” After all, the forum becomes a place where people who are facing the challenges of bipolar or depression can “hangout.” It needed …
Depression and the Tech Industry
It is no secret to us that depression and bipolar are extremely common among those who work in the tech industry. In fact, that is why we opened our Mountain View office. However this issue is not often discussed publicly. We were excited when we were given a link to a wonderful video on the topic. Check it out!
Law of Attraction – Creating a Hostile World
The law of attraction is the belief that “like attracts like.” Focusing on positive or negative thoughts can bring about positive or negative results. If you are angry or hostile your world responds with anger or hostility. Wikipedia has this to say about the philosophy that is called the Law of Attraction – “This belief is based upon the idea that people …
Risk Factors for Depression are Different for Men and Women
Risk Factors for Development of Major Depression Differ Among Genders, Study Reports Kenneth Kendler, M.D., a professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Human and Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, led a study identifying factors that distinguish the onset of major depression between men and women. The study, “Sex Differences in the Pathways to Major …
Bipolar or Unipolar Depression?
Bipolar or unipolar depression: How to distinguish between these two conditions, which can have very different treatment response remains a difficult question without really satisfying answers. As noted in the picture to the right, misdiagnosis is common and can have serious consequences. An article in European Psychiatry adds to the literature pointing to certain features that increase the odds that someone …
Exercise and Stress – How Exercise Prevents Depression
Exercise seems to reduce stress. But how does this work? And what about exercise effects on depression? An article in the New York Times summarizes a recent publication in the journal Cell which may explain how exercise prevents depression. A wealth of research shows that regular exercise reduces the risk of depression. A very large study in Britain, for example, suggested that …
Forum Progress
Forum progress has been made. Fingers crossed that it is all working now. Many thanks to our beta users and their feedback. As of now, if you clear the cache of your browser, you will no longer see a link to the Bublaa forum on the site. When you click on the “FORUM” heading on the main menu you will see …
Stop Smoking – Antidepressant Effects
Stop smoking – antidepressant effects? Smoking cessation is associated with improved mental health, even among patients with psychiatric conditions, according to a BMJ meta-analysis. Researchers reviewed 26 longitudinal studies that measured mental health immediately before smoking cessation and at least 6 weeks afterward. Average follow-up periods in these studies ranged from 6 to 12 months. Compared with those who continued to smoke, those who …
Breathing Practices for Stress Relief
Breathing Techniques One of the oldest “self help” movements is based on breathing, helping us to use our breath, and how we breathe in order to reduce stress and to achieve a sense of connection with the world around us: Prana Yoga. Prana is the Sanskrit word for “breath” and also means “life.” Therefore, prana can be translated as “the …
Seasonal Affective Disorder – Fall Reminder
Seasonal affective disorder affects many of us to some degree. Once again, it is nearing the Autumnal Equinox. This is the so-called “beginning of fall.” And for many people, it is around this time that they notice the shift from summer towards fall and winter and begin to experience a sense of fatigue or lethargy that can be the precursor …
New Forum is Coming
One of our long-time forum regulars posted a number of requests that I change the forum to make it easier to use. As a result, in a moment of enthusiasm, I created a Buddy Press forum for this site. Quick background: our forum is currently hosted by a separate website, bublaa.com. That site handles the registration of users and defines …
Lithium Health Benefits – Link to GPS
Several members of this forum sent me an e-mail with a link to an article that appeared in the New York Times on lithium that was provocatively titled “Should We All Take a Bit of Lithium.” We ended up publishing a blog post on this topic on our Gateway Psychiatric website. This might be a good opportunity to introduce readers …
Diagnosed Bipolar in a Crazy World – Lyndsey
I saw a production of Hamlet last month, performed by the Shakespeare-by-the-Sea ensemble. Having not seen it since my diagnosis, I felt as if I was watching the play for the first time. Do you remember the story? “To be or not to be?” – And all that. Hamlet, the young intense Danish Prince, is distraught over the sudden death …
Mental Health Parity Victory in California
On September 10th the California Supreme Court let stand a California Appeals Court decision that the California mental health parity law requires coverage of treatment that may have no equivalent in other medical specialties. Specifically, the Appeals Court held that Blue Shield of California must cover residential treatment for eating disorders. The Court noted that residential treatment was among the …