Dr. Mark Frye, chair of the department of psychology and psychiatry at Mayo Clinic, participated in a discussion on state-of-the-art treatments for bipolar disorder Sunday at the 2012 American Psychiatric Association meeting. The panel featured some of the top names in the field of bipolar research and treatment.
Frye called it a fast moving review of how best to treat the acute phase of mania; how best to treat bi-polar depression; how to bring in structures psychotherapies – and discussion about how to keep people well after they’ve been treated.
Arguably one of the most difficult illnesses in mental health, bipolar disorder — sometimes called manic-depressive disorder — is associated with mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania.
Our 2012 APA blog posts:
http://bit.ly/APAblog
Our 2012 APA YouTube videos
http://bit.ly/MCAPAvideo
Our 2012 APA Photos
http://bit.ly/APApics
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When our son was 17 we were told the good news is I don’t think it’s bipolar but schizophrenia. I have often wanted to go back and ask that person why she thought this one was better than bipolar. Our son is now 31 living with us. We have had him in a group home, group house and a few times living on the street for months. The answer is always, “we can’t force him to take his meds.” I watched a small show yesterday where they are taking care of dogs who are homeless and I LOVE dogs but seems we care more about dogs than the mental. We have been told it’s his right. We are not ones to give up hope but fear we will never get any help for him.
Thanks to Dr Frye and others that have commited their careers to helping people with these very challenging conditions. I am so glad and proud that we have someone like Dr Frye on-board here at Mayo! There is a great need for more understanding, research, and resources to help individuals and families who’s life is touched with this very difficult situation. We have a son who suddenly, at age 19, with no warning or suspicion came down with Bi-polar one. This happened six years ago at college. It was so sudden – I mean we visited him and he seemed fine/normal, and a week later was in mania and had to go to the ER. Three hospitalizations since then and we never know what the future holds. We are glad for medicines. We have compassion for individuals and families that go through this.
Our daughter was diagnosed with Bipolar I approximately eight years ago. She is today is the hospital having overdosed on her Lithium and Wellbutrin. She had done well for many years but the Lithium was beginning to cause her neuropathy problems, her feet being numb most of the time. She is and has been under psychiatric care for all of the eight years. Her doctor has tried many phychotic drugs with her but she has not been able to tolorate them. The doctor at hospital today is starting her on Serequal (?sp). This drug her regular doctor has put her on last month but she did not continue it because she began to “hear voices” and so stayed on the Lithium and was hospitalized (she called the ambulance) when she took 30 Lithium pills, am not sure of the milligram tab and 30 Klonopin (?sp). She is now 51 yrs old, is a vegetarian, and we now believe (the family) that she has not only the Bipolar but perhaps an eating disorder. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
(We live in North Carolina close to Charlotte and her doctor is in Charlotte.)
Hi Mary, unfortunately, we cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment
recommendations through this correspondence. If you would like to seek help from Mayo Clinic,
please call one of our appointment offices. The numbers can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.org/
under “request an appointment”.