I’m going to explain my research process in greater depth in another post, because it works for academic, personal and professional projects, but I have google alert emails daily that post information (news and blog posts mostly) that mention my keywords prominently.  In the ‘bipolar+disorder’ set, I found this link, and wanted to share the underlying idea with you.

The link was called ‘common causes of schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder’ and talks about a study that was undertaken in Sweden and has recently appeared in the Lancet.

What the study found

Though I’ve not seen this study myself (because I can’t access Aleph, the computer’s library from home), it says that there was a statistical link found between those with bipolar disorder and the incidence of schizophrenia, and vice versa.  Net result of the study of 2 million families was interesting, and probably not for the reasons listed in the report.

Of the 2 million studied families, 35,985 (1.7% – or just under 2 in 100) had schizophrenia and 40,487 (2.02%) had bipolar disorder as a confirmed diagnosis.  In total, they amount to less than 4% of the studied group, and yet, they found that there was a link of increased incidence between the two diseases if you have one in your family.

I know how convoluted these studies can be, first hand – and my tutors deliberately teach me to question the information in every study to ensure that it meets both scientific, ethical and common sense standards.  And the question now arises, having looked at the brief abstract, ‘is there an increased or correlatable percentage between the 96% and their chance of developing bipolar disorder?  What diseases make up the ’1 in 4′ percentage that is always so highly vaunted in medical fields, if bipolar and schizophrenia only make up 4% in these studied cases, and most importantly, is there a real world value to this information, other than a statistical link to two diseases that paralyze families?

I’ll let you know what I find out

IF you do though, and you leave your name and URL – I’ll put you up, credited.   I’ll post more later though.

Anyway, laters gators!

People with bipolar disorder — or manic depression — suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found.

…”Although we do no yet know the cause of this brain shrinkage, it may be that repeated episodes of illness harm the brain and lead to the decline. Another possibility is that the brain changes are caused by stress or genetic factors, which tend to lead both to more frequent illness episodes and to greater brain loss. Further research will be required.”

[source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720103036.htm]

Its probaby a very odd thing to reference, but the first thing I thought of was witchdoctors, shrinking our heads.

The post goes on to talk about something I’ve been saying for a while – that lithium (possibly) makes our brains shrink.
Anything that increases certain  elements in our blood damage our brains – that damage is sometimes used to control other disorders and health issues, such as epilepsy, and migranes, but in the case of bipolar disorder, I believe this may be a very bad thing.

I believe that stronger, and more in depth studies of bipolar disorder will have to be completed, at which point, we, those of us that have to agree to the treatments, or are placed on them, can choose whether we want to run the risk of damage, shrinkage or anything else that may, or may not come up in the course of our treatment. With informed choice, its possible to build, and rebuild our lives effectively, and survive.

I’d also recommend exploring ‘Stir Crazy’.  It looks like its quite a good blog – and we’ve blogrolled it here.

Someone said that she was about to ask me a dumb question this month and then proceeded to ask some things about bipolar disorder that I’ve answered many times. So this month I decided to do a crash course on my perceptions of bi-polar disorder.

Myth: bipolar disorder isn’t manic depression

Fact: Bipolar disorder is just another term for manic depression. Typically people with depression are referred to as unipolar (as in they only go to one extreme, or ‘pole’) and people with bipolar disorder (manic depression) have two extremes or ‘poles’. Bipolar disorder is further characterized by grades, dependent on the severity of your mood swings and whether there are some other characteristics alongside them.

Myth: You can diagnose bipolar disorder with a blood test

Fact: Not that I know of. Bipolar disorder does not have markers, and though there is some evidence of genetics being able to keep track of what is going on, the human genome mapping project is a long way from finished and therefore not everything is understood.

Myth: Bipolar disorder is easy to diagnose

Fact: It’s missed in most people until someone that knows exactly what they are looking at sits down and talks to the patient. What could be mistaken for moody teens can sometimes be bipolar disorder. I’m not saying ALWAYS, just sometimes.

Myth: Bipolars are easy to spot/can’t hold down a job

Fact: Where it’s true that it’s easier to tell if we are different when we are at one of our extremes, not every bipolar gets really hyper or really depressed. Some of us are as ‘normal’ as the rest of the world. And if the bipolar disorder is under control then it’s not that hard to hold down a job. Like everything else it’s dependent on both our triggers and our control over ourselves.

Myth: Bipolars have an excuse for ‘bad’ behaviour.

Fact: We are just as in control of our reactions as most others, most of the time. Bipolar disorder isn’t any more of an excuse for rudeness than having a bad day, PMT or sleep problems. Sometimes our control is a bit stretched, especially in times of stress and difficulty, but the fact of the matter remains that we cannot excuse our bad behavior any more than anyone else.

Myth: Bipolars aren’t aware of how they should behave

Fact: Like I said above, Bipolars are no different to people that deal with depression or anything else. We DO have an extra component, but that just makes most of us ‘faster’. When we are at one of our extremes we can be slightly more difficult to relate to and interact with, but we are inherently ‘normal’.

Myth: Moods don’t mix and it’s very easy to judge where someone will be based on what they’ve been saying and doing.

Fact: Some people are very stable bipolars. Some people however, medicated or not, are not stable. These people do need help and support until they find their feet.

Myth: You cannot get pregnant if you are bi-polar

Fact: I’m the mother of two children, though admittedly they didn’t realize I was bipolar till after I had my eldest child. It is true however, that some of the medication they use to control bipolar disorder are very dangerous and not suitable for use when pregnant. It’s always best to discuss any plans that would affect your medication with your doctor or other professional health care official.

Bipolar disorder hasn’t been fully investigated, and isn’t understood like depression. It IS caused by a chemical imbalance. What is harder to determine is why it happens and whether it’s a genetic inheritance or a fault at the level of DNA that sometimes occurs. Bipolars are usually medicated, because severe mood swings can be incredibly disruptive, and sometimes dangerous

There is a lot of work to go into the effective tracking of this disease, and a lot more understanding needs to start, as most of the misconceptions about bipolar disorder cause many misunderstandings and gaps in knowledge. The battles against this need to start at grass roots level; encouragement and support from the community and the spread of understanding is a must.

We take mental health very seriously at bi-polarbears so we’re working hard to ensure that the sites are suitable, and can be considered to be valuable, and worthwhile.

We’d love your feedback, here – or at the email address provided in each section.  Watch this space!

What causes bipolar disorder?

Everybody’s brain contains chemicals that make their body and brain work like a machine. These chemicals help your body grow and change. They tell you when something hurts or when you are in danger. They also help you feel emotions like happiness, sadness, anger or love. Most of the time, these chemicals work without us noticing they are there.

In some people, the chemicals that help control moods (neurotransmitters) don’t work as expected. When your brain produces too much of one chemical you become too happy. Happy is good, but too happy can create problems. This is called mania. Your brain then tries to even out your emotions and may produce too much of another chemical or stop producing the one that made you feel manic. When this happens, you can become too sad. This is called depression. Going from mania to depression, then back to mania again is called cycling. Cycling is the main symptom of bipolar disorder.

Does this mean I’m crazy?

No!! Bipolar disorder is a difference in the working of your brain. This does not make you crazy, bad, or anything like that. It just means your brain works differently. Many times you will need medication to help your moods become less drastic, but people take medications every day to make there hearts work better or to keep their blood pressure from going too high or too low. Many intelligent, productive people have bipolar disorder.

How did I get bipolar disorder?

Nobody knows for sure why some brains work differently than others. Scientists do know bipolar disorder is genetic, just like eye or hair color. This means if one of your parents or grandparents have it, your chances of having bipolar disorder are greater. Someday, scientists may be able to change this. For now, they just know that nobody caused this disorder, it just happened.

Will my bipolar disorder go away?

Doctors have not yet found a way to get rid of bipolar disorder. There are many things you can do, however, to control it and live a very productive life. The doctor will probably want you to take some medicine. This will help your brain create the correct chemicals. You may also be asked to talk to a counselor for a time. This person will help you understand better what is going on inside you. Best of all, this person will help you learn what things you can do to become the best person you can be.

Do I have to take medication?

Most people find medications helps them deal with the changes of bipolar. There are some, however, who do not take medication. They have learned how to manage their symptoms without aid of medication. Taking medication is what is most often recommended, but that will be a decision you need to make for yourself. Ask questions and learn all you can about any medication suggested, then you will be able to make a better-informed decision.

We will talk more about bipolar disorder in future articles. The most important thing to remember right now is that you have bipolar disorder, but it is only part of the wonderful human being you are. It is scary at first, but the more you learn, the less scary it gets. Work with your parents and doctor and, in time, you will be able to see this difference can be a good thing once you have it in control.

[Mania] [Depression]

Senior editor Joyce Anthony.