News and Features Related to Bipolar Disorder

1. Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed?
   

   May 6, 2008 (Washington) -- Many people who have been told by their doctors that they have bipolar disorder don't really have it. So say researchers who used a standardized, comprehensive, psychiatric diagnostic interview to evaluate 700 adult psychiatric outpatients. About 20% had previously been d

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2. Balancing Act: A Mother and Her Sons Cope with Bipolar Disorder
   

   Fran Szabo, 61, of Bethlehem, Pa., is one of those moms who speak glowingly about her kids without sounding like she’s trying to one-up other mothers. All three are successful in their careers and personal lives. But the road to this happiness, Fran acknowledges, was bumpy for her, husband Paul, and

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3. Tamoxifen May Help Treat Bipolar Mania
   

   March 3, 2008 -- Tamoxifen, a widely used breast cancer drug, appears to help treat the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Researchers say the discovery should help them come up with even better drugs to treat bipolar patients. In a newly published study from Turkey, roughly half the manic patients wh

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4. A Blood Test for Mood Disorders?
   

   Feb. 25, 2008 -- Scientists may be one step closer to creating a blood test for bipolar disorder and other mood disorders. Mood disorders may have blood biomarkers -- chemicals in blood -- that can be detected, new research shows. In a preliminary study, researchers identified 10 biomarkers in blood

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5. Bipolar Disorder: Handling the Holidays
   

   The holidays can be a tricky for anyone. But people with bipolar disorder may anticipate November and December holidays with real dread -- and depression. "The holidays can be very hard for people with bipolar disorder," says Raymond L. Crowel, PsyD, vice president for mental health and substance ab

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6. 1 Decade, 40 Times More Bipolar Kids
   

   Sept. 4, 2007 -- Today's children and teens are 40 times more likely to have bipolar disorder than were the children of 10 years ago. That's 20 times faster than the growth in diagnoses of adult bipolar disorder over the same decade. Are we only now discovering a huge reservoir of untreated psychiat

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7. Bipolar Disorder: Tips for Family and Friends
   

   Ongoing treatment -- both psychotherapy and medication -- is essential to controlling the mood swings of bipolar disorder. How can family members help their loved one stick with treatment? "Learn as much as you can about the disease," says Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD, professor of psychiatry at John H

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8. When Bipolar Mania Gets Out of Control
   

   There's no denying the exhilaration that mania brings. For many with bipolar disorder, there's a period of denial -- a disbelief that the wonderful surge of energy and euphoria marks a disease that truly needs treatment. "Mania is a fascinating thing ... it's the brain creating its own hormonal high

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9. Bipolar Disorder: A Mistaken Diagnosis
   

   By Marissa Kristal One of biggest difficulties concerning bipolar disorder is the thorny issue of mistaken identity. It's a wonder that it even gets treated. A lot of people only notice the low mood swings, never mind those unbelievable highs that seem to send them to the moon. Bipolar disorder affe

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10. Many Genes May Affect Bipolar Disorder
    

    May 8, 2007 -- Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, may be influenced by several genes, a new study shows. The findings may one day lead to new treatments for bipolar disorder. "Treatments that target just a few of these genes or the proteins they make could yield substantial benefits

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