Bipolar Disorder + Original Articles

Establishing a Routine to Better Manage Bipolar Disorder

Sticking to a regular routine can help balance the ups and downs of bipolar disorder, but for some, establishing a routine can be a major challenge. There's nothing routine about having bipolar disorder. Also commonly referred to as manic depression, this is a psychiatric disorder that causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior, explains Alicia R. Camlibel, PhD, LPC, a psychotherapist in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.

America s Mental Health Crisis

Not only is access to mental health care declining, a new study finds the majority of psychiatrists don t accept health insurance. "My colleagues and I were hearing a lot of stories from patients who wanted mental health care but were unable to find a psychiatrist willing to take their insurance, so we decided to look into the problem," explains Tara Bishop, MD, an assistant professor of public health and an assistant attending physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

How to Comfort Someone With Bipolar Disorder

Though efforts are underway to raise awareness, you can do your part by acting compassionately toward those living with this condition. Dealing with someone who has bipolar disorder requires knowledge, understanding and an extra dose of patience. People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of depression and mania that can lead to irresponsible and risky behaviors, which can be challenging to live with.

Neurofeedback Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

With this therapy, brain waves are "trained" to keep mood more stable. Everyone experiences highs and lows in their moods over time, but if you're one of the 5.7 million people in the United States with bipolar disorder, the problem can be magnified. There are two main types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I disorder causes extreme mania and/or depression, while bipolar II disorder causes milder shifts from hypomania to depression.

Is Bipolar Disorder Avoidable?

Living with bipolar disorder presents an array of challenges. What if there was a way to prevent its onset? Bipolar disorder can be one of the most difficult conditions to live with. One day, an individual may feel on top of the world and able to accomplish anything. But euphoria, joy, and confidence are inevitably followed by a period of profound sadness and feelings of hopelessness.

Bipolar Disorder: Foods That Help and Foods That Hurt

Make your management of bipolar disorder comprehensive. Find out which edibles can improve or exacerbate your condition. Bipolar disorder is a complicated mental health condition that provides experts plenty of food for thought. In fact, mental health experts agree there are foods that are helpful and foods that are harmful in dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder.

Could You Be Bipolar?

We all have our ups and downs; however, if they're too extreme, it may be indicative of a larger issue. Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive Illness, is a serious mental health condition, and the sixth leading cause of disability among 15 to 44-year olds. Complicating things, many individuals with bipolar disorder also have high rates of co-existing psychiatric and medical conditions.

Bipolar Disorder: What's Normal, What's Not?

Here's how to measure normal daily emotions against mania and depression. Everyone's mood fluctuates during a typical day. "It's normal to have mood swings," says Alan Manevitz, MD, clinical psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.  For an individual with bipolar disorder, however, mood swings can be so intense and extreme that they have a negative impact on daily functioning.

Signs Your Loved One Has Bipolar Disorder

While bipolar disorder symptoms are similar to signs of regular depression, they are more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings. Bipolar disorder, a serious mental health condition, is the sixth leading cause of disability among 15 to 44-year olds. Complicating things, many individuals with bipolar disorder also have high rates of co-existing psychiatric and medical conditions.

Women, Men, and Depression

Depression affects both men and women. But there are key difference in their symptoms. Although depression strikes both men and women, they differ in prevalence and symptoms. Women are twice as likely to develop depression. Mental health experts estimate that 10 to 20 percent of women will likely suffer from major depression at some point in their lives, compared to less than 10 percent of men.
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