Health Expert Jerry Kennard shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/7712/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/7712/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/7712/index http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/7712/140329/depression-good Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:27:02 -0400 Jerry Kennard 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 send out when things are wrong. We feel thirst because some mechanism in our body tells us we need... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/7712/140329/depression-good http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/132584/high-temperaments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:44:24 -0500 Jerry Kennard 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 notice. Staff constantly came and went so I guessed he was a student and I set about my work for the... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/132584/high-temperaments http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/131930/fanning-kindling Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:09:07 -0500 Jerry Kennard 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 triggers. One thing we know about mood disorders is that once they start people do not develop a... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/131930/fanning-kindling http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/129556/expectations Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:40:48 -0500 Jerry Kennard 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 has bipolar disorder.   Sit with them and the issues start to emerge. He says his partner... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/129556/expectations http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/128494/bipolar-anxiety Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:57:06 -0500 Jerry Kennard 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 anxiety increases the risk of recurrence of bipolar episodes. Mild symptoms of anxiety are relatively... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/128494/bipolar-anxiety http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/126563/bipolar-boundaries Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:49:28 -0500 Jerry Kennard Bite-sized chunks of information may be easier to digest, but they can only go so far in explaining often complex, sometimes contradictory and sometimes poorly understood information. When discussing bipolar, for example, two reference points generally anchor the discussion. The first relates to formal diagnostic categories and their associated symptoms and the second relates to personal narratives, that is, the lived-experience of bipolar.... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/126563/bipolar-boundaries http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/126498/episodes-explained Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:52:22 -0500 Jerry Kennard Seasoned Bipolarconnect readers will be familiar with the term ‘episodes' when reference is made to depression, hypomania or mania. For those less familiar with the terminology I thought I'd use this opportunity to unpack the term a little further and explain the symptoms associated with any given ‘episode' of illness.   An episode of illness is really just a reference to the experience, intensity and duration of symptoms.... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/126498/episodes-explained http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/125221/bipolar-depression Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:09:46 -0500 Jerry Kennard It may be convenient to think of depression as simply a low or very low mood - but the real picture is more complex. In fact symptoms of depression tend to cluster differently and this is one of the reasons why depression in bipolar is different to the classic symptoms associated with unipolar depression. In this Sharepost I focus on just three of the combinations of depression associated with bipolar disorder.   One of the most obvious... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/125221/bipolar-depression http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/124880/thoughts-christmas Sat, 20 Nov 2010 06:21:00 -0500 Jerry Kennard We're moving towards December and talk is of Christmas. How do you view the prospect? If you're looking forward to it because you have good experiences then this Sharepost isn't for you. If there's a hint or more of dread, made worse by the prospect of a grumpy old relative, then pull up a chair.   Here's a scenario. You used to love the idea of Christmas (maybe you still do) but now your husband/wife/partner insists on imposing their... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/124880/thoughts-christmas http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/122305/distinguishing Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:26:07 -0400 Jerry Kennard Clinical diagnosticians have sometimes struggled in their attempts to distinguish between childhood bipolar disorder and ADHD. There are a number of similarities in the two conditions but if diagnosis is incorrect the treatment subsequently prescribed may be ineffective or possibly even damaging.   Bipolar disorder in children is less marked than in adults. Unlike the swings in mood that typify adult bipolar disorder, children may exhibit... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/7712/122305/distinguishing