News on Bipolar Disorder

What Are the Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder?

2010-03-14T06:20:23Z

Bipolar, or manic-depressive, disorder is a mental health condition that happens within a certain time period and is characterized by varying degrees of mania, which is a hyper state of mind, and depression. Most people do experience times of elevated moods as well as depressed moods; however, the patient will have extreme mood swings lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few months. Many times sufferers have frequent thoughts of suicide.<br><br>This mental disease is always in...

Rise in self-diagnosis of bipolar disorder: research

2010-03-02T11:00:36Z

<div><p>Psychiatrists in Britain claim to have discovered a new phenomenon -- people diagnosing themselves with bipolar disorder, according to research published on Monday.</p><p>Celebrities talking publicly about suffering from the illness are linked to the rise in self-diagnosis, London-based psychiatrists Reuters Health) - Among people with bipolar disorder who strictly followed their medication plan, drinking alcohol did not appear to worsen their mood symptoms, hint findings of a small study from the Netherlands.</p><p>Bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings that require medication to control, and...

Mother found guilty in 4-year-old's drug death

2010-02-22T10:28:52Z

<div><p>BOSTON (Reuters) - A Boston-area woman was convicted on Tuesday of second-degree murder in the 2006 death of her 4-year-old daughter from an overdose of powerful psychotropic drugs.</p><p>The case rekindled a debate about the rising diagnosis of very young children with serious psychiatric conditions, and their treatment wit...

Mass. mom guilty of murder in girl's fatal OD

2010-02-22T10:30:05Z

<div><p>A Massachusetts woman was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday in the fatal prescription drug overdose of her 4-year-old daughter.</p><p>Carolyn Riley, 35, was accused of overmedicating her daughter, Rebecca, on powerful drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder by the time she was 3.</p...

Mass. mom convicted of murder in 4-year-old's OD

2010-02-22T10:30:45Z

<div id="subtitle">Mass. mother convicted of second-degree murder in 4-year-old's prescription drug overdose</div><div><p>A Massachusetts woman has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the prescription drug overdose of her 4-year-old daughter.</p><p>Carolyn Riley was accused of overmedicating her daughter, Rebecca, on powerful drugs prescribed by a...

Kids of bipolar parents at risk for mental woes

2010-02-22T13:49:57Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Your preschool child is throwing a fit: is it just a temper tantrum, or could it be an early sign of something more serious, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder? The answer may lie in your own mental health.</p><p>According to a new study, young children whose parents have bipolar disorde...

Okla. doctor competent to be tried in son's death

2010-02-22T17:58:46Z

<div id="subtitle">Judge rules Okla. doctor with bipolar disorder competent to be tried for stabbing son to death</div><div><p>An Oklahoma judge has ruled a doctor diagnosed with bipolar disorder who is accused of fatally stabbing his 9-year-old son is competent to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge.</p><p>The judge's Tuesday ruling didn't address whether <...

Bipolar diagnosis jumps in young children: study

2010-02-22T20:04:40Z

<div><p>BOSTON (Reuters) - The number of children aged 2 to 5 who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed powerful antipsychotic drugs has doubled over the past decade, according to research released on Friday.</p><p>The research suggests that while it is still rare to prescribe powerful psychiatric drugs to 2-year-olds, the practice is becoming more frequent...

Drugs can help symptoms of borderline personality

2010-02-22T21:32:36Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While there are no drugs that specifically treat borderline personality disorder, some medications can improve certain symptoms of the psychiatric condition, a new research review finds.</p><p>Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a serious mental illness marked by intense mood swings and difficulty with emotional control, impulsive b...

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

2010-02-23T08:28:11Z

Bipolar disorder, sometimes also called manic depression, affects an estimated 5.7 million adult Americans. It is described as a major affective (mood) disorder in which the sufferer experiences episodes of both mania and severe depression.<br><br>It is a serious and very real illness, believed to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. While everyone experiences up and down moods, the peaks and valleys of this disease are more severe and can negatively impa...

Pfizer's Geodon gets expanded FDA approval

2010-02-24T02:41:08Z

<div id="subtitle">Pfizer's bipolar disorder drug Geodon receives expanded FDA approval</div><div><p>Pfizer Inc. said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved Geodon as a part of a combination maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder in adults.&...

Smoking tied to suicide risk in bipolar disorder

2010-02-24T06:50:41Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with bipolar disorder who smoke appear to have a heightened risk of suicidal behavior -- possibly because they are generally prone to impulsive acts, a new study suggests.</p><p>Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is marked by dramatic swings in mood -- ranging from episodes of debilitating depression to periods of euph...

Schering-Plough gets FDA approval for Saphris

2010-02-25T20:23:03Z

<div id="subtitle">Schering-Plough gets FDA approval for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder drug Saphris</div><div><p>Schering-Plough Corp.'s new drug for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Saphris, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.</p>&...

Some conditions misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder

2010-02-25T20:40:31Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study published last year suggested that bipolar disorder may be over diagnosed in people seeking mental health care. Now new findings shed light on which disorders many of these patients actually have.</p><p>Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, involves dramatic swings in mood -- ranging from debilitating depression to eupho...

Fight Depression With Natural Vitamins

2010-02-26T04:39:47Z

Depression affects 22 percent of Americans between the ages of eighteen and older each year. It is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. Depression affects both young and old, and women twice as much as men. Depression is an illness of the whole body. It affects the nervous system, moods, thoughts, and behavior. It also affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you react to ...

FDA panel cautiously OKs antipsychotic drugs for kids

2010-02-26T22:39:37Z

<div><p>ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - Three widely used antipsychotic medications appear safe and effective overall in treating children and teenagers with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, a U.S. advisory panel said on Wednesday.</p><p>The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that three blockbuster psychiatric drugs appear safe and effective for children and adolescents, despite side effects that can increase the risk of diabetes.</p><p>The FDA's panel of psychiatric experts voted to approve the use of drugs from Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers began considering on Tuesday whether the makers of three blockbuster antipsychotic drugs should be allowed to promote them for children and teens with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.</p><p>Reuters) - Three antipsychotic drugs appear to work in children and teens but their risks must be weighed as the makers aim to promote the medicines for youth, U.S. drug reviewers said in documents released on Friday.</p><p>The