I guess we've all become accustomed to thinking of depression as a disease process and something that is entirely negative. There's a very strong case for this but perhaps we shouldn't dismiss our negative emotions as entirely without function or purpose?
We're actually quite used to listening to and understanding the signals our bodies... Read more
I was probably about 24 years of age when I first came into contact with mania. I walked into the admissions unit and there, surrounded by nurses, was a young athletically-built man holding court. He was a little flushed in the face, but then he was rattling off jokes like there was no tomorrow and making everyone laugh. I didn't take very much... Read more
They say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but how well does this home-baked philosophy stand up to our understanding of bipolar disorder? Well, not at all according to the kindling model of mood disorders.
The issue of relapse has never fully been understood beyond some of the factors known to, or suspected of, acting as... Read more
I know of a couple whose relationship seems characterized by regular flare-ups, walk-outs and threats of divorce. It's a stormy relationship but somehow it has lasted like this for a number of years. In some ways it's no different to the lives of some other couples but one key difference, and a source of much of the conflict, is the fact that one... Read more
Many people with bipolar find they also suffer with anxiety. Anxiety may be a feature prior to the onset of bipolar symptoms or it may be a feature of a bipolar episode. It's important to raise the issue of anxiety with your doctor and not assume that it comes as part of bipolar and therefore cannot be treated in its own right. For some people... Read more
