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Mood Disorder Community
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Administrator
Administrator
14912 Posts
Gratitude: 593
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 Posted - 06/30/2005 : 10:18:12
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("Crows Over Wheat Fields" by Vincent van Gogh painted a few days before his suicide)
Dear Members,
I have created a mini-lecture on the causation of Bipolar Disorder. To start this slide-show, click on the title: "Click Here For Mini-Lecture On This Topic" (at the very top of this screen).
What are your thoughts about the causation of Bipolar I Disorder?
Phil Long M.D.
Administrator  |
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| Staypuft
Starting Member
2 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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Posted - 07/01/2005 : 22:13:26
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I really like the idea of what you are doing. Learning is a powerful thing.
I can help on "technical" issues, but content and general thoughts would be much better off coming from the community.
In a former life I owned a Web development company. While there I designed a CME courseware solution for a large organization that turned into a commercial product. I also worked with and consulted for several educational companies. I'm still in the Web business but doing something a little different.
Your YABB board and the people on it pretty much saved my life. I'd love to help you out with this project. If you need anything just email.
That Would Be Great Staypuft!
Shortly, we will be offering more of these little learning modules, and we would greatly appreciate your comments on how we could improve our work.
I have one additional favor to ask. We have a number of new members that are in great distress and they question if they ever will get better. They would really benefit from hearing from someone like you. One or two of our new members are slipping into psychosis, but refuse treatment. They won't believe anything that I, a psychiatrist, will say. But they will believe you.
Welcome back aboard Staypuft. Looks like we are going to be shipmates for a long time. I look forward to that.
Phil Long M.D.
Administrator
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| GentleLady
New Member
80 Posts
Gratitude: 5
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Posted - 07/02/2005 : 08:18:08
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First, I would like to thank you, Dr Long for starting this board, and for your compassionate responses to all of us. It is very comforting to know that there is a Doctor out there who cares so much that he would establish a board like this, and stay so closely connected to it. It gives me a sense of self worth.
As for my opinion of the cause of bipolar, I have two ideas, based on personal experience. I definately believe that there is a strong genetic component to this disorder. My son has it, and he cycles worse than me. I also think that there may be life events the precipitate more pronounced cycling, and a diagnosis and maybe even the onset of the disorder. I didnt get a diagnosis until I became deeply depressed and anquished over my son's drug and alcohol abuse when I was in my late 40's. I had no idea why he would choose this path. But now I do. Nor did I know much about bipolar disorder. Looking back I see signs of my bipolar disorder much earlier in my life. However my problems didnt drive me to seek treatment until the precipitating events.
That is my opinion, Dr Long.
GentleLady
Seeking friends who understand
Dear GentleLady,
I greatly appreciate all the help you have given our other members. Your postings are always honest, wise and compassionate. I especially appreciate your help with these learning modules. Comments like this one that you just posted bring this topic alive.
Phil Long M.D.
Administrator |
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| BlueAngel
New Member
89 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2005 : 00:06:40
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Using twin studies to prove the genetic nature of bipolar disorder makes me a little uneasy. The subjects (identical twins) are such intimate companions that I believe one sybling with bipolar disorder might influence the behavior of the other to such a degree that the healthy twin could appear to have the disorder, too. Of course, twins raised separately could not acquire their symptoms this way.
In my marriage (22 years, so far), I noticed that my husband gradually began to assume the moods that afflicted me. If I was depressed for very long, he would acquire the same attitude and appearance of depression. When I went manic, his tempo increased, too. If he was tested during one of my extremes of mood, I think he'd exhibit the symptoms that could lead to a bipolar diagnosis; but he isn't bipolar. Just very empathic, I guess.
I don't argue the truth that bipolar appears to run in families, but maybe it's not in the genes but rather in the modelling a sick parent shows an impressionable child. Perhaps, that's the way we pass it on.
Or it might be genetics, after all.
BlueAngel
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| Morganah
Starting Member
20 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 10:54:20
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| I believe its both nature and nuture. My paternal grandmother was bipolar, however, it seems to have jumped a generation as neither my father or his sister are bipolar, although my aunt does suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Her daughter, like me is bipolar. I have five syblings and I am the only one that is bipolar but do have a sister that suffers from mild bouts of depression off and on. So although my syblings and I were genetically predisposed for bipolar, there was some trigger event in my life that set it off in me and not in my brothers or sisters. Morganah. |
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| BlueAngel
New Member
89 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 12:37:10
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Hi, Morganah. It's good to see you here.
BlueAngel aka DeeCee |
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| synapse
Full Member (100+ posts)
228 Posts
Gratitude: 44
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Posted - 07/31/2005 : 07:21:15
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| When I went through a short course of hypnotherapy and regressed into my life the little memory I still have left from the sessions pointed to environmental factors and also how my mum shaped me during childhood |
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| sbauer
Full Member (100+ posts)
139 Posts
Gratitude: 22
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Posted - 08/06/2005 : 07:30:13
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I have done a lot of reading on this topic over the past months. There is clearly a huge genetic component, but they say that there is likely more than one gene locus responsible. In spite of that, the cause does seem to be multifactorial. It seems that often psychosocial stressors are an influence in either the initial or subsequent bouts.
In my case, it was the psychosocial stressor of a marriage breakdown to trigger first a long bout of depression, such that I was barely able to function (as a physician) and then the subsequent hypomania/mild mania. I had had symptoms for many years, and had been afraid to seek help because of the stigma associated with psychiatric illness - it was OK for a physician to treat psychiatric illness, but not OK for a physician to have a psychiatric illness. I am amazed at the times that I was clearly not well, yet nobody came forward to say anything to me. And even now, that I am finally receiving treatment, I would not dream of letting most of my colleagues know - only a very few, who did recognize that I was ill and were concerned know.
I also want to thank Dr Long for maintaining this site - I do not know how you have time to do this! I have only recently begun visiting the site, but already feel a part of this wonderful supportive community. |
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| sbauer
Full Member (100+ posts)
139 Posts
Gratitude: 22
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Posted - 08/06/2005 : 08:19:24
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| Me again - trust me to have sent my first response before having done the learning module! This was a concise, easy to follow learning module - compressed much of what I spent weeks reading into a few paragraphs. The sound modules made it easy to follow, and the multiple choice questions gave a motivation to listen properly and retain the information. Where were modules like this when I was plowing throught those huge, dry textbooks years ago in medical school?! |
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| seeker
Starting Member
4 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2005 : 11:34:43
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I recently read that the #1 statistical match for manic depression is being born in the winter.
Not that this negates the importance of genetics, but if people like us have kids we may want to conceive in the winter or fall to lower the likelihood of our children manifesting the disease. |
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| sputnik
Starting Member
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2005 : 19:42:39
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As a Newbie, what I have read so far makes sense. Who inherits the illness and who doesn't sounds quite varied. I vote for about 50/50 nature and nurture. All three in my family had nasty parental training but I apparently was more 'suseptable'.
On the other hand, I was also the family member 'designated' as different so one wonders if some of my symptoms are merely the scripts given to me in the past? I perpetuate them of course, consciously or not. I wonder if childhood proscriptions add to the genetic component?
Some of us may be resistant to meds because we are acting bipolar in order to feel normal.
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| Grazer
Starting Member
1 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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Posted - 11/13/2005 : 19:24:13
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I developed bipolar disorder through being treated with antidepressants. Within weeks/months of being on tricyclics, I went manic. After dealing with the resultant chaos, I turned my back on psychiatric treatment and was med-free, well and functioning for well over a decade. Unfortunately, at one point, I became depressed again and, as psychiatrists seem to only have one approach, they put me on SSRIs. This time, the bipolar reappeared very quickly. Again, it took me a while to shake myself loose from psychiatric intervention.
I've been med-free now and happy for well over a year and I intend to stay that way for the rest of my life. Both of my depressions were situational; that is, I had specific issues in my life at those times that were not being dealt with. There is no room in psychiatry to deal with this. A psychiatrist only thinks one way -- check the symptoms against the DSM, come up with a psychiatric label and medicate. I'd encourage everybody to explore alternatives to biomedical psychiatry. |
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| Pixelle
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2005 : 20:58:32
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Hi,
I am very new here and very recently, finally, formally diagnosed with Bipolar NOS and ADHD.
I can, with certainty, tell you the cause of my disorder. I had an oligodenroglioma resected from my right frontotemporal lobe in a 1992 crainiotomy/partial, selective lobectomy to treat partial complex absence seizures refractory to pharmacotherapy.
I'm very excited to learn more about bipolar and the similarities in mood disorders and ADHD.
Thanks for putting the group together!
Kindly,
JLW |
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| Hamlet
Starting Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2005 : 19:27:09
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| I know my mom drank before and during her pregnancy with me, and I know she suffered from depression. My cousin is bi-polar, and I think my dad was, although he was never diagnosed with it. I would like to know what the implications of this disease are that make it so easily dismissable to the patient. I have been diagnosed and both treated and not treated since I was 15, but I still can't believe I have it. |
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| Malissa
Starting Member
10 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 10:47:00
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Hi everyone I have bp and I was adopted at birth. There was no mental illness in my adopted family whatsoever. I suffered from severe depression from the age of 14. I was just dx bp a few yrs ago. I never had any knowledge of my birth family until I was 25 yrs old. My b father has depression and my b mother has bp as do her 3 sisters. Her grandmother committed suicide. I believe there is a genetic link to mental illness
V Malissa |
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| sushihvh
Starting Member
45 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2006 : 22:52:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Administrator
("Crows Over Wheat Fields" by Vincent van Gogh painted a few days before his suicide)
Dear Members,
What are your thoughts about the causation of Bipolar I Disorder? Please post your comments.
Phil Long M.D.
Administrator
Please vote to tell us if this mini-lecture was helpful
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The Causation of Our Bipolar Disorder
