A new study suggests that bipolar episodes may manifest in somewhat predictable times of the year. Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that is actually a disorder of the brain causing a person to experience severe changes in emotion and energy that range from one polar extreme to the other. Once called manic depression, the
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms May Follow Seasonal Trajectory Read More »
Both men and women suffer from bipolar disorder, and at similar rates, but women have a different experience. It is important for women living with bipolar disorder, and for the professionals treating them, to understand these differences. With a different experience, women require different diagnostic standards and treatment approaches in order to be able to
How Women Experience Bipolar Disorder Differently Than Men Read More »
Recent findings from a team of American researchers point toward a telltale shrinkage in brain size in women who have late-stage bipolar I disorder. Current evidence indicates that the effects of various bipolar illnesses can grow substantially worse over time, and researchers note clear differences between early-stage cases of these illnesses and late-stage cases. In
Brain Shrinkage Seen in Women With Late-Stage Bipolar Disorder Read More »
Mental disorders like depression, anxiety and eating disorders have a tendency to surface during periods of significant hormonal changes, such as adolescence, menopause or pregnancy. The period following childbirth could be a time of vulnerability for women diagnosed with depression. Dr. Verinder Sharma, a psychiatrist from Canada’s Western University, says that changes during childbirth can
Postpartum Depression Could Transition to Bipolar Disorder Read More »
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder affecting literally millions of Americans. Some of those struggling to overcome intense mood swings are brand new mothers. A study of women with various kinds of mental health disorders found that pregnant and post-partum moms with bipolar may have the toughest time of all. Researchers from Brown University conducted
Just about everyone at some point has had the experience of being unable to turn off their mind and fall asleep at night. But for the person with bipolar disorder, racing thoughts are a regular symptom of the illness and the inability to get to sleep or remain asleep can become a real impediment to
Parents can pass along physical characteristics and even mannerisms to their offspring. Unfortunately, they can also pass along genes for illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Researchers recently investigated how family history impacts bipolar disorder. Through the STEP-BP (Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder) study researchers found that a family history of mania
Family History of Bipolar Disorder May Make the Illness More Severe Read More »
Bipolar disorder is most often diagnosed during one’s college years. Dr. Russ Federman and J. Anderson Thomson Jr, both of the University of Virginia (UVA), know the challenges that college students with bipolar must negotiate during their years of intense studying, new social encounters and life away from home structure. In their book, Facing Bipolar:
Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a relatively rare mental health disorder that appears in some new mothers in the weeks immediately following childbirth. As the name of the disorder strongly implies, affected individuals develop symptoms of the mental state called psychosis, which can include both hallucinations and delusional thinking. Preexisting bipolar disorder is a known risk
Links Between Postpartum Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder Read More »