Information on Biploar Disorder from the National Library of Medicine (NIH)
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness. People who have it experience dramatic mood swings. They may go from overly energetic, "high" and/or irritable, to sad and hopeless, and then back again. They often have normal moods in between. The up feeling is called mania. The down feeling is depression. Read more at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Information on Bipolar Disorder from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UMPC)
Bipolar disorder results in extreme swings in mood, energy, and ability to function. The mood changes of bipolar disorder are more dramatic than normal ups and downs. They can hurt relationships and cause poor job or school performance. Bipolar disorder can be treated. Contact your doctor if you think you may have this condition. Read more at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Information on Bipolar Disorder from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH)
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. Read more at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health.
Online Screening Tools: Depression/Mania
Take a confidential online depression screening at the Mental Health Screening Center, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Interactive Tool: Wellness Tracker
DBSA Wellness Tracker is an online tool to help you better recognize potential health problems and mood triggers in your daily life. Each section of the DBSA Wellness Report provides helpful information to help you better partner with your clinicians on treatment plans that address your overall health and well-being. Sign up for free at Facing Us, from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Interactive Tool: Stress Screener
How stressed out are you? Take this quiz, provided by Mental Health America.
Fact Sheet: Bipolar Disorder
Because bipolar disorder is a chronic illness, continuous treatment is necessary to prevent relapse of manic or depressive symptoms, to improve overall health, and to maximize the quality of life. Several types of medications may be used, alone or in combination, to treat bipolar disorder. Read more from The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Video: Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another. Watch the video below, provided by the National Health Service, England, to see Professor John Geddes talk about the diagnosis and symptoms of bipolar disorder and the different treatments that may be offered.
Video: Bipolar Disorder and Relationships
You can watch the "The Face of Relationships" video story by Lisa C. of Mariposa, presented by Rebecca's Dream at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Podcast: Bipolar Disorder
The topic is bipolar disorder; the speaker is Dr. David Novicki, professor and staff counselor at the Michigan State University Counseling Center. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Listen to the podcast, provided by the Michigan State University Counseling Center.
Podcast: Bipolar Disorder: Signs and Symptoms
Psychiatrist, Dr. Linda Austin, explains how to recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and describes the differences between bipolar disorder and regular depression. Listen to the podcast, provided by the Medical University of South Carolina.
Video: Mental Illness PSA
1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Watch the video, presented by Bring Change 2 Mind.
Bipolar disorder. The management of bipolar disorder in adults, children and adolescents, in primary and secondary care.
Healthcare professionals should fully involve patients in decisions about their treatment and care, and determine treatment plans in collaboration with the patient, carefully considering the experience and outcome of previous treatment(s) together with patient preference. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Bipolar affective disorder. A national clinical guideline.
Recommendations for the treatment of acute depression. Recommendations of the treatment of acute mania. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder.
Standard therapy, based on the adult literature, typically includes lithium, valproate, and/or atypical antipsychotic agents, with other adjunctive medications used as indicated. Although multiple agents are often required, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary polypharmacy. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
The management of bipolar disorder in general practice.
General practitioners have a key role in managing patients with bipolar disorder, a condition which affects at least one in 200 Australians each year and is the sixth leading cause of disability in the population. Although diagnosis and treatment of the illness is complex, effective treatment can lead to good outcomes for many patients. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Molecular effects of lithium.
Bipolar affective disorder is a common, severe, chronic, and often life-threatening illness, associated with other medical and psychiatric conditions (i.e., co-morbidity). The treatment of this devastating disorder was revolutionized by the discovery of lithium's antimanic effects over fifty years ago. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Protein kinase C inhibitors: rationale for use and potential in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Until recently, little has been known about the specific molecular and cellular underpinnings of bipolar disorder. Overall, a growing body of work both on a preclinical and clinical level indicates that PKC signalling may play an important role in the pathophysiology and treatment of bipolar disorder. The development of CNS-penetrant PKC inhibitors may have considerable benefit for this devastating illness. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Relationship between antiepileptic drugs and suicide attempts in patients with bipolar disorder.
On January 31, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration issued an alert regarding increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior related to use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Despite Food and Drug Administration reports regarding increased risk of suicidality associated with AED treatment, the current study reveals that, as a class, AEDs do not increase risk of suicide attempts in patients with bipolar disorder relative to patients not treated with an AED or lithium. Abstract available through Pubmed.
Bipolar disorder: from genes to behavior pathways.
Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a devastating illness that is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. In addition to these cyclic episodes, individuals with BPD exhibit changes in psychovegetative function, cognitive performance, and general health and well being. In this article we draw from neuroimaging findings in humans, postmortem data, and human genetic and pharmacological studies as well as data from animal models of behavior to discuss the neurobiology of BPD. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Suicide in Bipolar Disorder: Risks and Management
Bipolar disorders are prevalent, often severe, and disabling illnesses with elevated lethality largely due to suicide. Suicide rates average approximately 1% annually, or perhaps 60 times higher than the international population rate of 0.015% annually. Suicidal acts typically occur early in bipolar disorders and in association with severe depressive or mixed states. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Treating bipolar disorder. Evidence-based guidelines for family medicine.
Treatment of bipolar disorder involves three therapeutic domains: acute mania, acute depression, and maintenance. Lithium has been a mainstay of treatment for some time, but antiepileptic drugs like divalproex, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine, along with novel antipsychotic drugs like olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine, alone or in combination, are increasingly being used successfully to treat acute mania and to maintain mood stability. Full text available free through Pubmed.
Long-term lithium therapy for bipolar disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The authors sought to determine the efficacy and acceptability of lithium for relapse prevention in bipolar disorder. Lithium treatment reduces the risk of relapse in bipolar disorder. The preventive effect is clear for manic episodes, although it is equivocal for depressive episodes. Full text available free through Pubmed
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