A list of bipolar Internet sites

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Question:

>INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER

Thanks Lynda, That post went on the hard disk

Response:

thanx girl, u are a great asset to this flagging group. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER > This document contains many Internet resources sewn together into one quilt of > resources designed primarily for newcomers to bipolar disorder. > What is Depression? > A diagnosis of major depressive disorder (or unipolar major depression) is made > if an individual has five or more of the following symptoms during a two-week > period. Unipolar depression typically presents in discrete episodes that recur > during a person’s lifetime. > Symptoms of DEPRESSION include: > a.. Persistent sad or blue mood > b.. Significant changes (decrease or increase) in sleep, appetite disturbance > or body weight > c.. Low energy > d.. Lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed > e.. Trouble thinking or concentrating > f.. Withdrawal from family and friends > g.. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness > h.. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide > What is Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder)? > Manic-depressive illness (or bipolar disorder ) is a mental illness involving > episodes of serious mania and depression. The person’s mood usually swings from > overly "high" and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with > periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar disorder typically begins in > adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. An overview and > introduction to bipolar disorder published by the National Institute for Mental > Health called Bipolar Disorder is available at > http://www.nimh.nih.gov/dart1/bipolar/bipolar.htm > Symptoms of MANIA include: > a.. Abnormally and persistently elevated mood or irritable mood > b.. Decreased need for sleep > c.. Continuous high energy > d.. Racing thoughts > e.. Overly-inflated self-esteem > f.. Distractibility > g.. Increased talkativeness > h.. Increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation > i.. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high > potential > for painful consequences. > GETTING STARTED WITH BIPOLAR INTERNET SITES > a.. Start with the alt.support.depression.manic FAQ (responses to Frequently > Asked Questions) > The alt.support.depression.manic FAQ is an internet "classic," a set of > questions (and answers) written by people struggling with bipolar disorder for > other bipolars, and their families and friends that deal with topics like: > a.. What is Bipolar Disorder? > b.. What treatment options are available? > c.. I’ve just been diagnosed. What do I do now? > d.. A friend or family member has just been diagnosed. What can I do to help? > e.. How do I find more information about Bipolar Disorder? > Bipolar Disorder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) File (Version 1.1, 9/25/96) > http://www.moodswing.org/bdfaq.html > a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder > The Pendulum Resources home page is a collaborative effort, created and > maintained by bipolar members of the Pendulum mailing list. It includes all of > the basics you would expect from a comprehensive bipolar site (the a.s.d.m. FAQ > listed above, diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, a

bibliography, famous – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> bipolar individuals). In addition, it has: > a.. Links to bipolar home pages of note > b.. Best (and worst) things to say to someone who is depressed > c.. Several humor sections > d.. Alternative treatments to be used in addition to (or, much more > dangerously, instead of) standard medical treatment > The Pendulum Resources Bipolar Disorders Portal > http://www.pendulum.org/ > Joy Ikelman’s bipolar site on bipolar disorder combines solid information with > a > very personal touch. Her site again includes the basics and adds unique > features > such as > a.. Direction to a suicide crisis intervention internet site > b.. A listing of feature-length movies, made-for-TV movies, and documentaries > of interest to people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses > c.. Scientific abstracts concerning comorbid (co-existent) psychiatric > disorders that bipolar patients are known to experience in addition to their > bipolar disorder > d.. Help in determining who else in your family tree may have had bipolar > disorder. The signs of undiagnosed mental illnesses to look for in your family > tree. > Joy Ikelman’s (famous) bipolar home page > http://www.frii.com/~parrot/bip.html > a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder > Moodswing.org. Barry Campbell created a "Resource Page" for people with > bipolar disorder. He has a good links page which points you to other internet > resources. > Moodswing.org > http://www.moodswing.org/links.html > The Mental Health Net was not written or maintained by bipolars, but it does > offer an extensive links page to a wide variety of internet links, and provides > a rating system (1-5 stars) for the links . It is also useful in that it > provides links to the various manic-depressive newsgroups, such as > alt.support.depression.manic, to mailing lists such as pendulum, and it has an > extensive set of links to articles about manic-depression. > Mental Health Net > http://mentalhelp.net/guide/bipolar.htm

______ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> b.. Guidelines for the conservative treatment of Bipolar Disorder > The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Expert > Knowledge Systems publishes "The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of > Bipolar Disorder." This group is "a knowledge-transfer company dedicated to > bringing expert intelligence to bear on critical decision making for > government, > industry, and the individual. Among its services, EKS creates, validates, and > communicates practical clinical guidelines for the improvement of health and > the > prevention and effective treatment of illness." EKS is led by a distinguished > panel of MD’s. > The guidelines — written for non-professionals. The first document published > by > EKS is "Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for > Patients and Families." It is relatively non-technical and aimed at non-medical > professionals who are attempting to educated themselves about the disorder. > This > handout is readable, excellent, and comprehensive: > Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for > Patients > and Families. (4/17/97) > http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bphe.htm > The guidelines –written for psychiatrists. The group also publishes a second, > more technical publication, written for psychiatrists. If you want to get into > the psychiatric protocol for how medications are selected among the > mainstream/conservative choices — the "treatment selection algorithm" — this > will help you understand why psychiatrists make the choices they make. The > three > mood stabilizers recommended are lithium, Depakote and Tegretol. > The Expert Consensus Guideline Series: Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. (4/17/97) > http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bpgl.htm > 4. Less conservative treatments for bipolar disorder > More recent treatments for bipolar disorder. Some bipolar patients do not > respond well to the three medication mood stabilizing stand-bys (Lithium, > Depakote, and Tegretol). This next article is written for psychiatrists, and > discusses the use of two new anti-convulsants, Neurontin and Lamictal. It > discusses the advantages and disadvantages in using Lithium in treating bipolar > disorder, and the use of anti-convulsants (that probably includes all mood > stabilizers except for lithium: Depakote, Tegretol, and the newer > anti-convulsants Neurontin and Lamictal) in the treatment of bipopolar > disorder. > Current Treatments in Bipolar Disorder. (1998) > http://www.cme-reviews.com/supplements.html > The use of several drugs in combination for treatment of bipolar disorder. Some > psychiatrists prefer using only a few medications in treatment, whereas others > prefer the use of many medications in combination. In the following article, > also written for psychiatrists, the rationale for using several drugs in > combination in refractory (treatment-resistant) bipolar illness is explained: > The Role of Complex Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory Bipolar > Illness. (undated) > http://www.cme-reviews.com/CNS598_post.html/

______ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> 5. Medication resources > Dr. Ivan’s web page. For general information about drug treatment for mood > disorders, Ivan Goldberg, M.D. provides a great starting point. Dr. Goldberg is > a psychiatrist and clinical psychopharmacologist in private practice in New > York > City. He was formerly on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health > and the Departments of Psychiatry of the Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center, > and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. On his web page > he > covers topics such as > a.. Determine if your psychiatrist is truly an expert in psychopharmacology > b.. Foods to avoid when you take an MAO inhibitor > c.. Weight gain from SSRIs > d.. Strategies for the treatment of individuals with Bipolar Disorder > e.. Anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers > f.. Why new drugs behave differently when prescribed than when tested > g.. A guide to psychiatric drug information on the Web > Dr. Ivan’s Depression Central — Internet’s central clearing house for > information on mood disorders > http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html > The "gold standard:" medications for bipolar disorder. This next article > focuses > on the most

Response:

INTERNET RESOURCES FOR NEWCOMERS TO BIPOLAR DISORDER This document contains many Internet resources sewn together into one quilt of resources designed primarily for newcomers to bipolar disorder. What is Depression? A diagnosis of major depressive disorder (or unipolar major depression) is made if an individual has five or more of the following symptoms during a two-week period. Unipolar depression typically presents in discrete episodes that recur during a person’s lifetime. Symptoms of DEPRESSION include: a.. Persistent sad or blue mood b.. Significant changes (decrease or increase) in sleep, appetite disturbance or body weight c.. Low energy d.. Lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed e.. Trouble thinking or concentrating f.. Withdrawal from family and friends g.. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness h.. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide What is Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder)? Manic-depressive illness (or bipolar disorder ) is a mental illness involving episodes of serious mania and depression. The person’s mood usually swings from overly "high" and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. An overview and introduction to bipolar disorder published by the National Institute for Mental Health called Bipolar Disorder is available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/dart1/bipolar/bipolar.htm Symptoms of MANIA include: a.. Abnormally and persistently elevated mood or irritable mood b.. Decreased need for sleep c.. Continuous high energy d.. Racing thoughts e.. Overly-inflated self-esteem f.. Distractibility g.. Increased talkativeness h.. Increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation i.. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences. GETTING STARTED WITH BIPOLAR INTERNET SITES a.. Start with the alt.support.depression.manic FAQ (responses to Frequently Asked Questions) The alt.support.depression.manic FAQ is an internet "classic," a set of questions (and answers) written by people struggling with bipolar disorder for other bipolars, and their families and friends that deal with topics like: a.. What is Bipolar Disorder? b.. What treatment options are available? c.. I’ve just been diagnosed. What do I do now? d.. A friend or family member has just been diagnosed. What can I do to help? e.. How do I find more information about Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Disorder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) File (Version 1.1, 9/25/96) http://www.moodswing.org/bdfaq.html a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder The Pendulum Resources home page is a collaborative effort, created and maintained by bipolar members of the Pendulum mailing list. It includes all of the basics you would expect from a comprehensive bipolar site (the a.s.d.m. FAQ listed above, diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, a bibliography, famous bipolar individuals). In addition, it has: a.. Links to bipolar home pages of note b.. Best (and worst) things to say to someone who is depressed c.. Several humor sections d.. Alternative treatments to be used in addition to (or, much more dangerously, instead of) standard medical treatment The Pendulum Resources Bipolar Disorders Portal http://www.pendulum.org/ Joy Ikelman’s bipolar site on bipolar disorder combines solid information with a very personal touch. Her site again includes the basics and adds unique features such as a.. Direction to a suicide crisis intervention internet site b.. A listing of feature-length movies, made-for-TV movies, and documentaries of interest to people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses c.. Scientific abstracts concerning comorbid (co-existent) psychiatric disorders that bipolar patients are known to experience in addition to their bipolar disorder d.. Help in determining who else in your family tree may have had bipolar disorder. The signs of undiagnosed mental illnesses to look for in your family tree. Joy Ikelman’s (famous) bipolar home page http://www.frii.com/~parrot/bip.html a.. Web pages created by people who have bipolar disorder Moodswing.org. Barry Campbell created a "Resource Page" for people with bipolar disorder. He has a good links page which points you to other internet resources. Moodswing.org http://www.moodswing.org/links.html The Mental Health Net was not written or maintained by bipolars, but it does offer an extensive links page to a wide variety of internet links, and provides a rating system (1-5 stars) for the links . It is also useful in that it provides links to the various manic-depressive newsgroups, such as alt.support.depression.manic, to mailing lists such as pendulum, and it has an extensive set of links to articles about manic-depression. Mental Health Net http://mentalhelp.net/guide/bipolar.htm b.. Guidelines for the conservative treatment of Bipolar Disorder The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. Expert Knowledge Systems publishes "The Expert Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder." This group is "a knowledge-transfer company dedicated to bringing expert intelligence to bear on critical decision making for government, industry, and the individual. Among its services, EKS creates, validates, and communicates practical clinical guidelines for the improvement of health and the prevention and effective treatment of illness." EKS is led by a distinguished panel of MD’s. The guidelines — written for non-professionals. The first document published by EKS is "Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families." It is relatively non-technical and aimed at non-medical professionals who are attempting to educated themselves about the disorder. This handout is readable, excellent, and comprehensive: Expert Consensus Treatment Guidelines for Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families. (4/17/97) http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bphe.htm The guidelines –written for psychiatrists. The group also publishes a second, more technical publication, written for psychiatrists. If you want to get into the psychiatric protocol for how medications are selected among the mainstream/conservative choices — the "treatment selection algorithm" — this will help you understand why psychiatrists make the choices they make. The three mood stabilizers recommended are lithium, Depakote and Tegretol. The Expert Consensus Guideline Series: Treatment of Bipolar Disorder. (4/17/97) http://www.psychguides.com/eks_bpgl.htm 4. Less conservative treatments for bipolar disorder More recent treatments for bipolar disorder. Some bipolar patients do not respond well to the three medication mood stabilizing stand-bys (Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol). This next article is written for psychiatrists, and discusses the use of two new anti-convulsants, Neurontin and Lamictal. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages in using Lithium in treating bipolar disorder, and the use of anti-convulsants (that probably includes all mood stabilizers except for lithium: Depakote, Tegretol, and the newer anti-convulsants Neurontin and Lamictal) in the treatment of bipopolar disorder. Current Treatments in Bipolar Disorder. (1998) http://www.cme-reviews.com/supplements.html The use of several drugs in combination for treatment of bipolar disorder. Some psychiatrists prefer using only a few medications in treatment, whereas others prefer the use of many medications in combination. In the following article, also written for psychiatrists, the rationale for using several drugs in combination in refractory (treatment-resistant) bipolar illness is explained: The Role of Complex Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory Bipolar Illness. (undated) http://www.cme-reviews.com/CNS598_post.html/ 5. Medication resources Dr. Ivan’s web page. For general information about drug treatment for mood disorders, Ivan Goldberg, M.D. provides a great starting point. Dr. Goldberg is a psychiatrist and clinical psychopharmacologist in private practice in New York City. He was formerly on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Departments of Psychiatry of the Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center, and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. On his web page he covers topics such as a.. Determine if your psychiatrist is truly an expert in psychopharmacology b.. Foods to avoid when you take an MAO inhibitor c.. Weight gain from SSRIs d.. Strategies for the treatment of individuals with Bipolar Disorder e.. Anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers f.. Why new drugs behave differently when prescribed than when tested g.. A guide to psychiatric drug information on the Web Dr. Ivan’s Depression Central — Internet’s central clearing house for information on mood disorders http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html The "gold standard:" medications for bipolar disorder. This next article focuses on the most conservative mood-stabilizing drugs lithium, Depakote (valproate), and carbamazepine, the most commonly used medications in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Treatment Options in Bipolar Disorder: Mood Stabilizers. (7/16/97) http://www.medscape.com/Medscape/psychiatry/journal/1997/v02.n07/mh32… m h3206.bowden.html 5. Medication resources Specific information about the 3 main drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. These links discuss each of the 3 major mood stabilizers, Lithium, Depakote, and Tegretol, individually: a..

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