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Medscape Bipolar Disorder Resource Center   Divided into Information and Diagnosis, Treatment etc.  Higher estimate of prevalence at 3% than most sites. Regularly updated. Bipolar Disorder Research At the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Fact Sheet Research has shown that antidepressants, when taken without a mood-stabilizing medication, can increase the risk of switching into mania or hypomania, or of developing rapid cycling OBAD's Book - The Guide to Recovery!    Alberta  Site has been updated.  62 page book can be downloaded in pdf as well as be ordered online. However, it is no longer available in webpage format. Bipolar Disorder Well-Connected Report  Reuter's June 2001 11 pages well written and easy to read  It is estimated that only one-third of affected people are diagnosed. Of those, less than a third receive appropriate therapies. This makes bipolar disorder the most undertreated of psychiatric conditions Bipolar Affective Disorder 1998 well-connected report  Even family members who seek support and education for themselves and for the patient often cannot tolerate the devastating mood swings, particularly if the patient is verbally or physically aggressive during a manic episode or goes on spending sprees, putting the family into debt Bipolar Disorder DSBA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) The overview is basic but there are some good Brochures on various aspects of the disorder. Mood Disorders Society of Canada Bipolar Information pages Navigation is via dropdown menu. Like many other medical disorders such as heart disease, one theory suggests that in genetically ‘vulnerable’ individuals, the illness can be triggered during periods of stress. The brains of people with bipolar disorder appear be more vulnerable to emotional and physical stress and have disturbances in the transmission of nerve impulses that normally restores calm. MSN Canada - Bipolar Disorder Well Connected 1999 It is very important for psychotherapists who treat patients with bipolar disorder to meet with family, partners, or close friends to help strengthen the social and emotional supports that are so necessary for patients with bipolar disorder. Internet Archives www3.healthgate.com/default.asp?docid=/hic/wcon/wcon-66 Bipolar Disorder FAQ v 1.1 (1 of 4) 1996 old  but sometimes includes answers to questions not covered in most FAQ's Dr. Ivan Goldberg  explains: While folks in an agitated depression show increased motor activity, they never show increased sociability, increased creative thinking, joking and punning that may be seen in someone experiencing a dysphoric (hypo)manic state. Bipolar Disorder Munson Healthcare Simple and well-written . If you decide to try counseling, interview counselors, social workers, psychologists, or family therapists who specialize in working with people (and their families) who have bipolar disorder. Dr.Joseph F. Smith Medical Library Bipolar Sections are short but includes a list of terms Bipolar disorder is a chronic recurrent illness in over 90% of those afflicted, and one that requires lifelong observation and treatment after diagnosis About Bipolar Disorder Massachusetts General Hospital The Harvard Bipolar Research Program  Emil Kraeplin found that the average period of feeling "well" after a mood episode is: 4.3 years after the 1st episode ,2.8 years after the 2nd episode,1.8 years after the 3rd episode ,1.7 years after the 4th episode,1.5 years after the 5th episode Bipolar Affective Disorder Signs & Symptoms Canmat short  The depressive cycle of bipolar disorder and major depressive illness are the same, except that people with bipolar disorder can often feel more irritable than depressed. People with bipolar illness also tend towards too much sleep when they are depressed rather than insomnia as is more typical of major depressive disorder. They also tend to gain weight rather than lose weight as do some depressed people and they often experience extreme fatigue. Bipolar Disorder/Manic-Depressive Illness Information book for patients, their families and friends Erika Bukkfalvi Hillard, MSW, RSW Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, B.C. Winter 1992 mentalhealth.com Even though somewhat outdated especially regarding medications ( No discussion of SSRI's as a treatment, for instance) the other information is well-written. and includes a short section on how it affects other Family members.  A Primer on Depression and Bipolar Disorder Dimitri Mihalas,1999a Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (and a member of the National Academy of Sciences) 1999 written from the viewpoint of personal experience Merck Manual  Mood Disorders  Bipolar Disorder  Cyclothymic Disorder (Short) Drug Company sites  Abbott Labratory Within the Brain: A Focus on Mood Disorders    Personal Mood Evaluation  Migraines Migraine More Common in Bipolar II Than in Other Affective Disorders medscape Bipolar Disorder Not Uncommon in Migraineurs medscape Nov 8, 2000 the total prevalence over the bipolar spectrum was 8.6%. Internet Archives cached site psychiatry.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/11/11.08/20001107epid002.html  Migraine, Cluster, Trigeminal Neuralgia, and Mood Disorders- Common Ground for Treatment medscape cme  Are Migraines and Bipolar Related? Psychiatric Times August 2002 In our second study, 82% of the patients with BDII had migraine, compared to 27% of the patients with BDI Severe Anxiety, Agitation Are Warning Signals of Suicide in Bipolar Patients Erik L. Goldman, New York Bureau 1999 medscape Internet Archive Direct Link  Based on a series of patient interviews, Dr. Fawcett reported that roughly 90% of bipolar patients who attempted suicide reported severe anxiety symptoms in the day preceding the attempt; 80% were panicked Bipolar affective disorder -left out in the cold BMJ 2002;324:61-62 ( 12 January ) Editorial The McLean-Harvard First-Episode Mania Study: Prediction of Recovery and First Recurrence medscape Abstract The American Journal of Psychiatry Dec. 2003 Although the majority of patients achieved syndromal (DSM IV) and symptomatic recovery (rating scales), only 43% had functional recovery( returning to level of premorbid functioning) after two years. Not official but helpful BP I - a classification of Bipolar Disorder characterized by episodes of mania and major depression BP II - a classification of Bipolar Disorder characterized by episodes of hypomania and major depression BP III - a classification of Bipolar Disorder entitled cyclothymia which is characterized by minor episodes of hypomania and depression BP IV - a classification of Bipolar Disorder characterized by antidepressant induced hypomania BP V - a classification of Bipolar Disorder characterized by major depression and a family history of Bipolar Disorder BP VI mania only Dead links This site no longer exists: Depression and Bipolar Centre McMaster University to view go to Internet Archives and typle in http://www-fhs.mcmaster.ca/direct/depress/pub.html   a Physicians Section Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression  http://www-fhs.mcmaster.ca/direct/phys/diagmen.html#Bipolar    Among medications and drugs, the following have been associated with the induction of mania: steroid hormones, antidepressants, sympathomimetics, l-dopa, thyroxine, captopril, cyproheptadine, and stimulants including amphetamines, cocaine, and PCP. In addition, alcohol intoxication may produce a manic syndrome. to check out rapid cycling links Rapid Cycling DBSA As many as half of all people with bipolar disorder may develop rapid cycling at some time during their illness. www.mhsource.com/pt/p960533.html www.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/1073/23220 www.sciencedaily.com/ search for articles on rapid cycling bipolar disorder