Overview of Bipolar Disorder

• What is Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)?
• Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder Is A Serious Psychiatric Condition
• The Effects of Manic-Depressive Illness
• Depression and Bipolar Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder FAQs
• How To Explain Bipolar Disorder to Others

Causes of Bipolar Disorder

• What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
• Is Bipolar Disorder A Biochemical Problem or Something That's Inherited?
• Genetics of Bipolar Disorder
• What Role Does Genetics or Family History Play in Bipolar Disorder?
• The High Prevalence of 'Soft' Bipolar II Features in Atypical Depression

Bipolar Diagnosis

• Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
• How is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed?
• Diagnostic Criteria For Cyclothymic Disorder
• Questions to Ask Your Doctor
• Diagnostic Criteria for Hypomanic Episode Bipolar Disorder
• Diagnostic Criteria for Major Depressive Episode
• Diagnostic Criteria For Mixed Episode Bipolar Disorder
• Early Warning Signs of a Bipolar Relapse or Oncoming Episode

Diagnosis: Bipolar Tests and Assessments, Mood Charts

• Bipolar Quiz: Take This Test to Find Out if You Might Be Bipolar
• Bipolar Mood Chart

People with Bipolar

Bipolar Children

• Childhood Bipolar Disorder
• Age of Onset and Gender Issues in Bipolar Disorder
• Impact of Bipolar Disorder on Girls
• What Are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Children?
• Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder in Children
• Bipolar Symptoms in Children Mimic Other Psychiatric Disorders
• Treatment for Bipolar Disorder in Children
• Medication and Therapy for Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children
• Summary of the Practice Parameters for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorders
• How Can I Help My Bipolar Child?

Women with Bipolar

• Women and Bipolar Disorder
• Managing Pregnancy and Bipolar Disorder
• Treating Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy
• Prescribe Sleep Postpartum: Monitor Bipolar Patients During, After Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding and Psychiatric Medications
• Preventing Against Postpartum Relapse of Bipolar Disorder
• Lithium and Depakote in Bipolar Disorder Patients of Childbearing Age

Bipolar in Elderly

• Late-Life Bipolar Disorder Guidelines and Challenges
• Comprehensive Management of Mania in the Elderly

Treatments For Bipolar Disorder

• Treatment for Bipolar Disorder Homepage
• Choosing a Doctor to Treat Bipolar Disorder
• Mental Health Providers: Making the Right Choice
• Effects of Undertreated and Untreated Bipolar Disorder
• Treatment for Bipolar Disorder Overview Learn about mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications, therapy and ECT for treatment of bipolar disorder
• Overview of Bipolar Disorder Treatments Overview of bipolar disorder treatments including medications for bipolar disorder, psychotherapy, hospitalization, ECT and self-help and the importance of medication compliance.
• Acute Phase of Bipolar Treatment
• Types of Bipolar Medications
• Bipolar Medications
• Mood Stabilizers: How to Minimize Serious Side Effects
• Bipolar Treatment for the Long-Haul

Bipolar Treatment

• Gold Standard for Treating Bipolar Disorder
  Authoritative information regarding all aspects of treatment for bipolar disorder
  • Gold Standard for Treating Bipolar Disorder - Table of Contents
  • Gold Standard for Treating Bipolar Disorder - Introduction
  • What Kind of Bipolar Disorder Do I Have?
  • What is the Most Effective Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?
  • What Medications are Currently Used to Treat Bipolar Disorder?
  • How Many Medications For Bipolar Should I Try?
  • What About Side Effects of Medications for Bipolar Disorder?
  • What is Microdosing?
  • What if I'm Only Getting Some Relief From the Bipolar Medications?
  • How Can I Get the Most from My Bipolar Medications?
  • Are Bipolar Disorder Medications Safe If I'm Pregnant?
  • After Medications, What is the Next Step in Managing the Illness Effectively?
  • Lifestyle and Behavior Changes
  • Does My Diet Have Anything to Do with Bipolar Disorder?
  • Does Exercise Really Make a Difference?
  • Is Bright Light Exposure Good For Bipolar Disorder?
  • What are Triggers and How Do They Affect Bipolar Disorder?
  • My Thoughts are Terrible. What Can I Do?
  • Do I Need a Therapist?
  • Do I Need to Go to the Hospital?
  • What if I Need More Help?
  • Current Bipolar Disorder Research
  • What Are Some of the Bipolar Disorder Treatment Challenges?
  • What is Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Disorder?
  • What if I'm Too Sick to Help Myself?

Specific Bipolar Medications

• Lithium for Maintenance Treatment of Mood Disorders
• Is Lithium Still Worth Using?
• Lithium and Suicide Risk in Bipolar Disorder
• Lithium Reduces Suicide Risk
• The Antisuicidal Effects of Lithium
• Overview Of Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Therapy In Bipolar Disorder
• FAQ: Topiramate (Topamax) for Treating Mood Disorders and PTSD
• Abilify (Aripiprazole) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Carbamazepine
• Carbamazepine Patient Information
• Depakote (Divalproex Sodium) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Gabapentin
• Geodon (Ziprasidone) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Lamotrigine
• Lamotrigine Patient Information
• Neurontin (Gabapentin) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Risperidal (Risperidone) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Seroquel (Quetiapine Fumarate) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Tegretol (Carbamazepine) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Topamax (Topiramate) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Zyprexa (Olanzapine) Pharmacology - Usage, Dosage, Side-Effects
• Comprehensive Information on Antidepressants
• Comprehensive Information on Antipsychotics

You can find extensive information on depression and antidepressants in the HealthyPlace.com Depression Community.

Bipolar Medication Compliance Issues

• Bipolar Treatment: Medications Compliance
• Impaired Awareness of Illness (Anosognosia): A Major Problem for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder
• Stopping Your Bipolar Medications
• Pilled Out: Quitting Medication for Bipolar Disorder
• Oops! Complacency: Another Reason for Medication Non-Compliance
• Adjusting Your Own Bipolar Medications
• Disastrous Medication Changes
• How to Manage Your Bipolar Medications
• Bipolar Medications Adherence: How to Help
• More Ideas on Managing Your Bipolar Medication
• Managing and Remembering To Take Bipolar Medications
• Not Taking Medications for Bipolar Disorder: Alternatives for Non-Compliance
• Medication Noncompliance Issues - Impact of Noncompliance
• Medication Compliance Among Patients with Bipolar Disorder and Substance Use Disorder

Alternative Treatments

• Nutritional Supplements for Bipolar Disorder
• Treating Depression and Bipolar Disorder Without Drugs

Management of Bipolar Symptoms

• Bipolar Recovery and Management Information Homepage
• What Recovery From Bipolar Disorder and Depression Means to Us
• Foundation for Effective Bipolar, Depression Recovery
• A Guide to Balanced Bipolar Living For Patients and Caregivers
• Bipolar Recovery: Reconstructing A Balanced Lifestyle
• Learning to Cope With Bipolar Disorder
• Managing Bipolar Disorder
• Managing a Manic Episode
• Bipolar Disorder: Preventing a Relapse
• Surviving Bipolar Disorder
• Life Events and Bipolar Disorder (Preliminary Findings)
• Dealing with Family Tensions Caused by Bipolar Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder and Family Therapy
• Family-Focused Therapy Program for Bipolar Disorder

Suicide

• Suicide Information: Bipolar Disorder and Suicide
• Suicide: A Very Real Threat to a Person with Bipolar Disorder
• Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide
• Why Live When You Feel Like Dying?
• How to Help a Suicidal Person
• Helping a Suicidal Friend or Relative
• Suicide Prevention: Bipolar and Suicide
• Dealing with Anger and Guilt After A Suicide
• Facts About Suicide
• Prevention of Suicidal Behaviors: A Task For All

You can find extensive information on Suicide here.

Dual Diagnosis

• Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
• Mood Swings and Substance Abuse in Adolescents
• Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Abuse

Supporting a Bipolar Person

• Supporting Someone with Bipolar
• What Does Support Really Mean?
• Principles of Living a Balanced Life
• Communication Guidelines
• Empathetic Guidelines
• Important Things to Know if Your Relative Suffers From Depression
• Help for Surviving Your Spouse's Mental Illness
• Taking Care of the Caregiver
• Dealing with Bipolar Disorder in the Family
• Coping Methods for the Family
• Mental Illness: Information for Family and Friends
• Do's and Don'ts When Supporting Someone with Bipolar
• Loving Tough: Dealing With A Bipolar Person
• Handling Guilt: For Bipolar Supporters
• Handling Your Bipolar Relative's Anger
• Why People Deny Mental Illness and Resist Psychiatric Medication
• How Caregivers Can Help with Medication Compliance
• A Guide for the Bipolar Caregiver
• Dealing with Bipolar Mania: Help for Caregivers
• A Member of Your Family is Mentally Ill - What Now?
• When A Close Friend Has A Mental Illness
• Spouses of Bipolar Sufferers ...The Other Half
• Family Considerations: Effects of Bipolar Disorder on the Family
• Coping Tips for Siblings and Adult Children of Persons with Mental Illness
• Advice to Children from Other Children
• Living with a Loved One's Mental Illness
• Best Things to Say to a Person With Bipolar Disorder
• Worst Things to Say to a Person With Bipolar Disorder
• The Role of Family and Friends in a Bipolar Person's Life
• Helping a Depressed Friend
• Twelve Things to Do If Your Loved One Has Bipolar, Depression or Some Other Mood Disorder
• The Effects of Bipolar Disorder on Family and Friends

Articles on Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar Articles, Table of Contents
• Diabetics With Mental Disorders at Increased Risk for Diabetic Complications
• UCLA-led Study Challenges Bipolar Depression Treatment Guidelines
• 2002 Annual AACAP Convention
• More Research Needed on Bipolar Disorder in Children
• Concerns for Our Bipolar Children
• The Medication Journey: Bipolar Medication Adherence
• The Shocking Tale of Andy Behrman
• New Research on Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology
• Bipolar Disorder: Two-Sided Trouble
• Bipolar Disorder Takes Over A Life: The Face of Depression
• Brain Damage From Bipolar Disorder
• Making Sense of Mania and Depression
• Depression: The Toughest Part of Bipolar Disorder
• Years Later, a Quieter Mind
• Bipolar Disorder: Is It Ignored?

Focusing on Celebrities

• Jane Pauley Discloses Bipolar Disorder
• Carrie Fisher and Manic Depression
• Patty Duke: Bipolar Disorder's Original Poster Girl
• Bipolar Celebrities

Personal Stories on Living with Bipolar Disorder

• Personal Stories on Living with Bipolar Disorder Table of Contents
• My Bipolar Story: The Crack in the Wall
• The Day I Was Diagnosed As Bipolar
• Sharing a Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder with Family And Friends
• Techniques for Managing Mania and Depression
• About Me (Juliet): My Life With Bipolar
• Juliet: What Hypomania, Mania and Mixed State Feels Like to Me
• What's It Like Being Hospitalized for Bipolar?
• Juliet: Family and Bipolar Disorder
• My Bipolar Story
• Dump the Stigma and Focus on Recovery
• Jean: Sparkly but with Rocks
• David: Riding the Wave

Online Conference Transcripts

• Bipolar Medication Non-Compliance, Dual Diagnosis, Dealing Effectively With Manic Episodes
  Guest: Dr. Eric Bellman
• Bipolar Medications
  Guest: Dr. Carol Watkins
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder - Manic Depression
  Guest: Dr. Ronald Fieve
• Experiences of Living with Bipolar Disorder
  Guest: Paul Jones
• Food and Your Moods
  Guest: Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons
• How to Better Cope with Bipolar
  Guest: Madeleine Kelly
• Living with Bipolar Disorder Guests: David and Jean
• Living Without Depression and Manic Depression: A Guide To Maintaining Mood Stability
  Guest: Mary Ellen Copeland
• Parenting Bipolar Children
  Guest: George Lynn
• Recovery Issues in Bipolar Disorder
  Guest: Dr. Emanuel Severus
• Successfully Managing Bipolar Disorder
  Guest Julie Fast

Websites

• Manic Depression Primer
• NIMH Bipolar Website

Books

• Books on Bipolar Disorder and Related Issues