Category: Medication
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Spring is REALLY LOUD
Springtime can trigger seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in both those with depression and bipolar disorder. For those of us with bipolar disorder, SAD can trigger mania and hypomania. The stressors of these changes contributed to my psychiatric hospitalization a decade ago. As spring has approached and the days have lengthened, I have had mild symptoms of hypomania, including insomnia, which I addressed with my…
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Medications: To have or not, that is the question! | International Bipolar Foundation
My friend Dyane Harwood of Birth of a New Brain responded to a recent IBPF blog article by Susan Zarit entitled Medications: To Have Or Not, That Is The Question! Susan Zarit of Bravely Bipolar has struggled unsuccessfully to find a medication combination that works. I can only imagine what Susan must go through mood cycling on a daily…
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This Is My Brave Now – A Guest Post by Kitt O’Malley
Thank you, Jennifer Marshall for featuring my guest post on This is My Brave: This Is My Brave Now – A Guest Post by Kitt O’Malley. This is My Brave as I write these words. This is My Brave as I blog about living with bipolar disorder. This is My Brave as I use social media to…
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Bipolar Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Outside a cacophony of birds outside loudly pronounce that they have important work to do, nests to build, eggs to lay, offspring to bring into the world. Spring has sprung. The sun is bright. The season of rebirth is here. Hypomania is officially here, as well, folks. Yes, I have concurrent bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder.…
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NAMI Provider Education – Week Three
Saturday I attended the third class of NAMI’s Provider Education. Here I summarize, paraphrase, and quote the handouts from the NAMI Provider Education Course Participant Manual 2013. In the third week course we learned about the cascade of secondary traumas which occur when a family is left to cope with mental illness alone. Kitt’s Note: Stage…
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Dear Younger Me
You fuel your rage by seeing a psychoanalyst one to three times a week, exploring over and over how you had been abused as a child. You deepen your depression by studying psychodynamic theory in graduate school. Doing so defeats you and undermines your mental health. Yes, therapy will enable you to work through issues you have with your…
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Bipolar Network News
Today I quote the fabulous Bipolar Network News, 6th issue, 2014. The Bipolar Network News keeps track of the latest research on bipolar disorder and its treatment and summarizes it for you. How awesome is that?! I highly recommend visiting their website and signing up for their newsletter. Thank you, Bipolar Network News! In this issue Positive Traits in Bipolar…
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Bipolar is a Progressive, Organic Brain Disease. Medication Helps Stop Damage to Brain.
Excellent post summarizing research on the negative effect of bipolar disorder on the brain over time. Medication, lithium in particular, heals and protects the brain. Take your meds, folks. Mania is damaging.
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Groggylicious
This time of year can be difficult for those of us with mood disorders. The recent time change made what the clock says is the late afternoon now the dark of night. My dogs know it is the night-time. They are not fooled by our clocks. Seasonal affective disorder now kicks in. Our bodies are…