Are negative ions antidepressants? This has been the topic of an extensive discussion among a group of psychiatrists with an interested in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of depression recently. Negative ions can be generated by negative ion machines, but they are formed naturally where water mixes with air, such as at the seaside (waves), near waterfalls, and after a rainstorm. And …
Treating Anxiety – An Update by Kelsey
Treating anxiety is an important part of working with people with depression or bipolar. This update focuses on changes that have taken place in the field in the last five years that might be relevant to many people dealing with depression and anxiety. Imagine that you are taking a nice, peaceful walk in the woods. It is a lovely, warm, clear …
A Master Storyteller Writes About Homeless People
Silent Voices: People with Mental Disorders on the Street Dr. Okin is a master story teller. Still, when I decided to read the book I was ambivalent. I thought to myself, this is a book that I should read, and reluctantly put it in my bag for the holiday weekend. It turned out to be a series of stories as …
The Power of Daily Rituals: A Morning Walk
What is the power of a morning walk? Even such a simple daily ritual can have profound effects on mood. After two years working with a young woman who is now heading off to graduate school and bright future, we were reflecting on lessons learned. “I can be a bit dense about cause and effect. I am surprised when something …
Controversy is Good
Controversy is good. We’ve been talking with several people this past week about blog posts that have evoked strong reactions from one reader or another.One of the things that we’ve said a number of times over the course of these various communication threads is that we like people to offer dissenting opinions on this site.The easiest way to do this is by …
Robin Williams: Preparing for Depression – Lyndsey
Much has been made of Robin Williams’ ongoing struggle with darkness culminating with his suicide after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. People have commented mostly on how confusing it seems that someone who gave so much laughter could be visited by such exquisite pain. But we bipolars know all about this. It’s almost like living with two distinct personalities in …
Working with a Psychiatrist Effectively
If you are a psychiatrist, sometimes you have an opportunity to experience a response to treatment that seems like a miracle. But when miracles don’t happen, what are strategies for working with a psychiatrist effectively? Early in my career, the serotonin re-uptake inhibitors SSRIs) were released, and I had a chance to see a number of people who had given up hope …
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is many things, and its role changes over time for those who remain involved in it long term. Most importantly, AA can be a life line for those who are suffering from the potentially fatal illness of substance abuse. It is a way of achieving freedom from alcohol and drug addiction with the help of supportive peers who …
A Bipolar Couple
This morning one of the clients we have worked with for several years came in with his wife. It was a surprise that she joined the weekly session. They had just returned from a vacation in Mexico. And neither of them had had any fun on the trip. When he left for Mexico, he was very mildly hypomanic and, I suspect, stayed that …
Fatigue and Depression or Bipolar
Fatigue is a common symptom in people with recurrent depression or bipolar. And in fact a common symptom in the general population. It is estimated that up to 10% of otherwise healthy people suffer from fatigue. And it is a more common symptom in women than in men. Sometimes fatigue may persist well beyond other symptoms of depression. First, it …
Wise Selfishness
Wise Selflessness– The Dalai lama says, “It is important that when pursuing our own self-interest we should be “wise selfish” and not “foolish selfish”. Being foolish selfish means pursuing our own interests in a narrow, shortsighted way. Wise selfishness means taking a broader view and recognizing that our own long-term individual interest lies in the welfare of everyone. Being wise selfish means …
Foundations of Wellbeing
Rick Hanson’s Foundations of Wellbeing online seminar has helped many people enjoy better, richer, happier lives. As regular readers of this blog know, we very much like Rick Hanson’s books and other writings, and now he has created a wonderful online seminar. We don’t usually make such a big deal about programs, but we think this is going to be …
It Is That Time… See Ya Later Friends! – Arnrow
There is nothing that surprises me as much, and as often, as time—its swiftness, stealth. My last day at Gateway Psychiatric Services was on Thursday, and now, as I pack for another year at university, it is strange to acknowledge that three months have come, and gone. I guess it is true what they say about time, and how it sure …
Rick Hanson – Trust in Love
It has been a while since we mentioned Rick Hanson’s wonderful website and listserve – Just One Thing. Along comes not only a wonderful blog post from him (see below) but also an exciting online seminar series that he will be leading this coming year. The post below will give you a sense of Rick’s work, I encourage readers to …
Blowing Things Up: Self-Destructive Responses to Frustration
Why do we sometimes come up with self-destructive responses to the unpleasant feeling of being trapped or the anxiety of an unhappy life situation? I talked about this a little bit in an earlier post that was based on an article in the New York Times. In that article, it was noted that many people may find it so hard to deal with the stress …
Bipolar Benefits: More Social and Verbal Abilities?
Why does bipolar disorder persist at a constant level across generations and around the world if it can be associated with depression, psychosis, despair and even suicide? Are there bipolar benefits associated with the same genes that can lead to the disorder? In August 2014, in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a very careful and detailed research study identified a …
Accepting Uncertainty
We are often trapped more by what we think about how things should be, or “have to be,” than by the reality of the challenges we face. This week I have been noticing how often the phrase “I can’t stand.XX” precedes a statement that is quite obviously not true. Someone who has been living with the uncertainty of multiple sclerosis for …
In Memoriam of My Favorite Neighbor – Arnrow
“That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?” – Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society Having grown up in San Francisco in the 90s, I was always proud of …
Mindfulness and Bipolar
Mindfulness and Bipolar. I just posted a timely conversation with Bob, someone I have known for several years, about how integrating a mindfulness practice into your daily routine can help you live creatively with bipolar. I encourage you to read the article and post your comments. Have you had experience with a mindfulness practice? What has worked, and what has …
Being Busy is an Antidote to the Terror of Being Alone
My attention was captured when I read an article that suggested that there was a common human experience that many people in our busy worlds find so disturbing that they voluntarily give themselves electric shocks in order to distract themselves from feeling it. No Time to Think. Nowadays, people can keep negative thoughts at bay with a frenzy of activity. …