Teen Bipolar Disorder

Children and teenagers with bipolar disorders can have manic or depressive symptoms. Some children may mostly have depression and others a combination of manic and depressive symptoms. Highs are usually combined with alternative lows.

Bipolar disorders usually begin in childhood and during the teenage years, and may be diagnosed in adult life. This illness can affect anyone and without any specific history. If one or both parents have a bipolar disorder, the chances are greater that their children may develop it at an early age. Family history of drug or alcohol has also been associated with greater risk for bipolar disorders.

Symptoms of bipolar disorders in children and teenagers are - severe changes in -- unusually happy, silly, sometimes very irritable, angry, agitated or aggressive. Some teenagers experience unrealistic highs in self-esteem, for example, a teenager may start feeling very powerful or like a superhero with special powers. They may develop an increase in energy and the ability to go with little or no sleep for days without feeling tired. An adolescent may start talking too much, too fast and changes topics too frequently, without interruption due to depression. They also get distracted very easily, and attention moves constantly from one thing to another. They may also develop repetitive, high risk-taking behavior; such as abusing alcohol and drugs, reckless driving or sexual promiscuity

When a teenage is in a depression he or she may develop excessive irritability, depressed moods, unrelenting sadness, frequent crying, thoughts of death or suicide, loss of enjoyment in favorite activities, frequent complaints of physical illnesses such as headaches or stomach aches, low energy level, fatigue, poor concentration, complaints of boredom and a major change in eating or sleeping patterns, such as oversleeping or overeating.

Teenagers with bipolar disorder can be successfully treated. Treatments include educating the patient and their families about the illness, mood-stabilizing medications such as lithium and valproic acid and psychotherapy. Mood stabilizing medications will often reduce the severity of manic episodes, and also help prevent depression. Psychotherapy helps a child adapt to stresses, rebuild self-esteem and enhance relationships. The diagnosis of bipolar disorders in children and teens is complicated and involves careful observation over an extended period of time.

How to Deal and Cope With a Loved One When They Are Sick Or Feeling Down

To see those you love in pain whether it is emotional or physical can be difficult. It often begins to start affecting you. Fear of loss can increase as well as a sense of hopelessness.Those are the moments when
you need to take some space to get yourself together.

These feelings combined transform into a catastrophic mindset.The key is to prevent that from occurring. When the person who you view as a pillar of strength is now fighting for their life let alone strength can leave an uneasy feeling; thought as well as position.

Life has a consistency of change. We must learn to adapt and fight for the sake of the small hope we have inside of us. You must learn how to switch into the roll of a leader.

Take some space to relax, think and most importantly build yourself up. In order to deal with any situation you must be mentally prepared.

You do this by encouraging yourself. You can begin by working out and eating right. Read positive messages and quotes. Constantly remind yourself that you are more then able to succeed if you begin to look deep in yourself and discover your strength.

It is important to encourage those who are feeling down and sick. When someone is ill creating a positive mindset changes everything.

Often times a person who is sick weather they are suffering from depression or cancer will become
mentally drained. These people need to hear empowering words so their bodies can properly fight their symptoms. As well as recharge their mind and sooth their soul.

Being there for a loved one can be tough because of the love or relationship you share. Simply remember
that you must build yourself up so you in return can be able to build up your friend or loved one back to their happy state with encouraging words.

What's Behind the Highly Inflated Cost Our Healthcare? You Might Be Surprised at How Inflated It Is!

"According to the FDA, more than 2 million serious adverse drug reactions occur each year, and adverse drug reactions are the fourth-leading cause of death, responsible for about 100,000 deaths each year." - USA Today, March 19, 2008.

Due to the current rapidly evolving global economy, as a nation we are now experiencing an ever-increasing threat to our industry. Our pay scale is considerably higher than that of most developing countries, and due to the rapidly increasing cost of employees' healthcare, we are losing our competitive advantage. Then, as third world countries continue developing their technology, that threat will just escalate, and thus must be addressed. If not, and if the current trend is allowed to continue, our economy will decline each year, until the problem is finally resolved.

Our society spends billions of dollars on employees' healthcare, a cost that continues to escalate at an ever-increasing rate. The basic problem stems from the high cost of the insurance premiums for employees, although, the source of the problem is the increasing the number of medications patients are being placed on - partly due to direct advertising of drugs to the public. Not only is the increasing cost of these premiums becoming a burden to employers, but the end result is also reflected in employees' reduced productivity, as well as more time off for sick leave. And the fault is our current flawed healthcare system - not the employees.

Many unnecessary surgeries are also being performed each year. How much surgery is really necessary? According to the late Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn's book, "Confessions of a Medical Heretic," around ninety percent of surgery is a waste of time, money, energy, and life.

In 1992, Dr. Nortin Hadler, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina Medical School, concluded that 95 to 97 percent of the coronary bypass surgeries done that year were unnecessary - even though patients are usually told that without the surgery they will die. This is a very serious issue considering just how expensive and highly invasive bypass surgery can be, and that additional surgeries are often necessary within seven to 10 years!

In truth, just like surgeries, most medications prescribed by doctors today are unnecessary; they don't offer a true cure, but instead contribute to a worsening of the patient's overall health. According to Dr. Charles E. Page, M.D., "the cause of most disease is in the poisonous drugs physicians superstitiously give in order to affect a cure."Fatigue, pain and depression, are quite common side effects associated with many prescription medications, all conditions that contribute to reduced productivity, as well as increased insurance rates. According to a study conducted in 2002 by Georgetown University, adults over 65 fill an average of 20 prescriptions per year. And it's possible that because the Medicare Prescription "Benefit" plan is now in place, that number will dramatically increase - that's a lot of money!

Speaking of spending a lot of money, according to research by the non-profit Life Extension Foundation, the average markup over the cost of the ingredients in 16 of the most popular medications was an astounding 78,693 percent, making it the most profitable industry in the entire world. The pharmaceutical companies will continue charging top dollar for drugs whose risks far outweigh any potential benefit. While a lifetime of symptom-suppressing drugs makes much more financial sense to the manufacturer, it definitely doesn't help the employer who pays the higher insurance costs, or the employee with poor health.

The Primary Contributing Factors

We obviously can't continue doing the same things yet expect to get different results; some necessary changes are in order. Research indicates that time after time, people go through the following process:

1. They seldom need the medications they are taking.

2. Many medications are prescribed to treat side effects associated with their other medications (the typical domino effect).

3. After withdrawing from unnecessary medications, patients' drug-related symptoms soon disappeared.

4. Their health gradually begins to improve, as they no longer experienced the nutritional deficiency that drugs often create.

5. They often feel more energetic, and with antidepressants, their emotions returned and they began feeling more normal.

Where Does It All Start? And What's The Solution?

Dr. Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., in her book Detoxify or Die (2002), helps identify the basic underlying problem when she quotes an article from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that "documented howover 87% of physicians who make up the panels of 'experts' who determine the practice guidelines for medicine receive compensation from the drug industry. These are the guidelines that your doctors and insurance companies follow"(JAMA 287: 6,12-6 17, 2002). Unfortunately, we are not even allowed to enjoy the basic freedom we should all enjoy - the freedom of choosing our own healthcare.

If you, as the employer, are paying the premiums for your employees' insurance, you and your employees should have a say in what coverage they would prefer - not the insurance company.

As an employer, it's time to research self-insuring your employees - which would result in considerable savings, as well as happier, healthier, and more productive employees - or find an insurance company that would provide coverage for a true healthcare system; presently, none are known to exist.

Anyone with knowledge about nutrition, disease prevention and natural therapies could help a corporation establish a far more cost-effective healthcare program. Only by addressing the issue of discriminatory health care coverage, which excludes natural therapies and nutritional supplements, (proven to be far more effective, and much less expensive), can the problem be truly resolved. This change must take place if we ever expect to finally have a true, financially-sustainable healthcare system, based on disease prevention.

"The necessity of teaching mankind not to take drugs and medicines is a duty incumbent upon all who know their uncertainty and injurious effects; the time is not far distant when the drug system will be abandoned." - Charles Armbruster, M.D.

I can only add amen, as that has been my objective for more than a decade. This is without a doubt a timely issue. Especially after discovering the many health issues patients were experiencing, were actually related to their medications, that appeared to be totally inappropriate to begin with. Wasting billions annually on drugs and surgeries, that are not only highly expensive, but also totally ineffective, is something that we as a nation can no longer afford. The greatest abuse lies in, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health care.

I could easily help establish protocols for all four conditions, that would not only be "much cheaper", but also far more effective. Not only that but, each one would also enhance your overall health in the process - - contrary to traditional therapies! I'm sure other doctors in the nation could likely do so as well.

My Depressed Husband Feels Nothing, Doesn't Love Me Anymore, and Wants a Divorce

I get a lot of emails from wives whose husbands are dealing with some form of depression. The descriptions given run the gauntlet from clinical depression, to a chemical imbalance, to bipolar disorder, to manic depressive disorder. And, in today's very tough economic environment, folks feeling as though they are just not able to cope and who therefore shut down their feelings as a result are very much on the rise.

Of course, the depression affects everything in the husband's life - including your marriage. And, many of the wives who write to me want my advice on how to handle the husband's recent request for a divorce. It's logical to think that the depression is clouding the husband's perception and / or his ability to feel affection. Many wives tell me that their depressed husbands "feel nothing for anything or anyone, including me." So, again they logically blame the depression for robbing them of what was once their happy husbands.

These are tough situations because many of the wives know in their hearts that all of this negativity and divorce business is the depression talking, not the husband that they love. So, in the following article, I'll offer tips and advice on how to best cope with this situation.

Know That You Can't Tackle This Alone. People Who Are Depressed Have A Medical Condition: Before I get into telling you how to handle the request for a divorce, I first want to stress that no matter how much you love your husband, unless you are a medical professional who deals with depression, you can not and should not handle this alone. Most people who are severely depressed need medical help. This is a disease just like diabetes or cancer. It's no one's fault, but it can be managed.

Many wives tell me that they believe if they just love their husband through this or can make him happy or can show him that the marriage can be a positive influence in his life, his depression will lift. This can sometimes appear to happen, but it's not likely that severe depression is going to go away on it's on. And many times, the marriage isn't the cause of his depression, so fixing the marriage is not going to miraculously make it go away (although you should fix the marriage, as this is affecting you too.)

If your husband is not under a doctor's or counselor's care, gently suggest that you want him to be happy and believe that seeing someone could really help. If he already has a doctor, let that doctor in on what is going on. It may be that the depression truly has nothing to do with his wanting a divorce, but you don't know this so you should mention it so that the doctor can follow this up and dig a bit deeper. With that said, know that this isn't your fault and that you can only do the best that you can. It's just not a reality that you and you alone can make someone else happy or cure them of a medical condition through sheer will or positivity. These things can and do help, but it often takes much more than good intentions or a loving relationship.

How To Respond To Your Depressed Husband's Wanting A Divorce: Many wives are very tempted to do one of two things here. The first is to flat out tell the husband that you both know full well that this request is the depression talking. The other reaction is to try to be over accommodating and affectionate, hoping that if you can make your husband happy in the marriage again, the depression issue will just disappear.

The problem with both of these tactics is that they don't validate your husband. Your reactions are insinuating that he is wrong and that he's not mentally able to form his own perceptions or decisions. Many men tell me that this makes him feel like a child and that they very much resents this.

The better way to handle it is to listen calmly and to focus on the happiness issue. Tell him that you're deeply sorry that he's not happy right now because you love him and that his well being is your top priority. Tell him that for your part, you're going to focus on things that you can do to improve the relationship and communication between you. This is what you are able to control and contribute. What he is able to contribute is to see if he can work with his doctor so that he is approaching this from a healthy place. Tell him that you are fully aware that this still may result in the marriage ending, but at least this way you both know that you took control over what you could, and should you have to walk away, you will be able to hold your head high and will have peace in your heart knowing that you handled this in the most healthy way that you could.

You and I both know that you have no intention of allowing this divorce to happen or in letting your marriage end, but you should not share this information with him. If you do, he will think that you are attempting to manipulate him or that your loving stance is only meant to ultimately change his mind. You need him to be open to and receptive to you, so you can't do anything that would run counter to this.

At the end of the day, you can't force him or fool him into being happy with life in general or with his marriage. But what you can do is support him as he struggles, conduct yourself in a way that brings about positive rather than negative feelings, and have a certain degree of confidence that the combination of dealing with the depression and focusing on making the marriage better will turn this situation around so that you are both much happier in the end.

Natural Methods to Treat Divorce Depression - 5 Strategies to Ease Symptoms

Depression often arises during the process of divorce.   This is understandable, as the emotional impact of divorce is very strong. There is a change is a large number of areas - living arrangements, finances, standards of living, the loss of ideals, a loss of intimacy, and loss of accessibility and/or time with children. It is not uncommon for sadness, hopelessness, anxiety about the future, loss of energy and interest in doing enjoyable activities, and changes in sleep habits or appetite to set in. In severe cases, you might need to see a doctor to take some antidepressants to help you through this trying time. However, for milder cases, a natural approach can be successful is managing the symptoms. Here are 5 strategies for attacking the depression of divorce with natural methods:

1.       Eat a healthy diet. Eat lots of fresh produce, proteins that are lean, and whole grains. The body and mind are connected and improving your physical health will help support your emotional well being. Often, appetite is impacted by feelings of depression. If you don't feel like eating much, try carrying around snacks and eating them throughout the day in small portions. If you eat more than you really need to maintain a healthy weight and good energy, try setting a cutoff time past which you won't eat. Also, turn off the TV while you eat. The distraction can keep you from being in touch with your body and sensing when you are truly full.

2.      Try supplementation if needed. A food based multivitamin can be a good place to start, adding calcium if you don't eat a lot of calcium rich foods. Fish oil is a good supplement that supports the body in various ways, including supporting brain health. L-theanine is an anti-anxiety supplement that can be beneficial, and os often taken with 5 HTP (hydroytryptophan), a natural antidepressant that converts to serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. It is best to consult with your health care provider before trying new supplements.

3.      Exercise as a form of depression treatment. Check with your doctor to find out the best level of activity for your body and fitness level, then choose a cardiovascular regime that will elevate your heart rate for a period of time. This is important because endorphins are released with sustained cardio activity. Try to exercise regularly, ideally reaching 45 minutes five times per week. 

4.      Talk things out if needed. A professional counselor can be an excellent sounding board, and offer a trained and unbiased perspective to help you sort out your issues. Supportive friends and family are also a great emotional support, and can keep you connected and prevent isolation.

5.      Take a moment in each day to do something that honors you. Make a list of little things you enjoy, then choose one each day to do. Make this a habit - when the first list is finished, start another.

What Factors Affect The Prices Of Precious Metals?

The prices on silver and gold are affected by various factors like economic downturns and upturns, demand policy decisions by governments and turmoil's in war torn countries.

It is a known fact during an economic depression, investors look towards precious metals as a safe haven for investments, due to which prices tend to rise. Inversely, when the economic and social situation is going strong, predictions are made of a positive future, as a result prices of precious metals tend to drop. Researchers who work on predicting the prices of metal refer to the historic pricing data as how metals perform during certain economic, social and war situations. The graph followed over a certain era gives them an estimate on the nature of the metal's reaction to given conditions.

Various metals do not necessarily follow each other's path. While behavior of gold and silver prices is likely to depend on each other, palladium and platinum respond to demand and manufacturing. Although values of all these four metals are quotes along each other on market charts, they behave differently because palladium and platinum are industrial commodities whilst silver and gold are used more into investments.

Where gold and silver price is concerned, the economy of United States and the decisions made by its government have a major impact on their future predictions. If the US economy is ailing and the dollar is weak, prices fall and vice versa. As prices on silver are dependent on gold, gold prices get affected first while silver prices follows them.

Investors are also concerned about the changes in the exchange rate, as a downward trend will result in rising prices and vice versa. When exchange rates freeze in a certain zone, the prices of precious metals also float around a small pricing zone.

Economic depression and recession have turned out to be a major reason for the rising and falling prices of precious metals, since speculation have a tendency to affect the volatile nature of prices on metals. Investors want to fall back on dependable investments like silver and gold during crisis as they view the metals as a store of value and hedge against fixed assets. As economies improve, investors start selling the metals leading to drop in prices because the market is swamped with metals.

Natural disasters, major political events, change in currency values cause variations in the prices of precious metals though they are not directly responsible for it. Wrong speculation also results in premature buying or selling of the metal that causes unnecessary volatile fluctuation on the market graph.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder - Everything You Need to Know

Bipolar disorder is also commonly known as depressive- manic illness. It is the major cause of abnormal mood swings and energy levels that can affect someone's daily life. Bipolar spectrum disorder is a disorder in another level and range of disorders. It can have a single episode, a mild episode or a lot of severe mood swings. The mood swings can be separated by a period of normal behavior. In some other cases the manic episode and the depression episodes can be very alternate and occur frequently. Rapid cycling is what is used to refer to these alternate mood swings. Bipolar disorder is mostly noticed in early adulthood.

The symptoms of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder include both manic and mania episodes and also depression and depressive episodes. This is a change in both the mood and behavior and it noticeable by the patient. The symptoms in mood changes are; a loss of interest with the activities that would make the person happy, periods that will last long of being happy and extremely high. The person will get easily irritated and will always be uneasy; they will also have a feeling of emptiness and a lot of worry with no apparent reason. Behavioral changes symptoms are; being very excited and the tendency to talk fast, a great change with the sleeping and eating patterns, will be very restless. The person will be very easy to distract and will lose concentration in any activity very fast. They will also have a great problem when it comes to decision making. They will complain of being exhausted when they have done a small amount of work.

Bipolar spectrum disorder has four types of disorders which are; Bipolar 1 disorder. It is a combination of both the manic and mania episodes. It can easily last for two weeks. It can also be an episode of depression or hypomania that might need immediate care in the hospital. It is the main manic-depressive illness. The second type is Bipolar 11 disorder. It is characterized by one episode that is hypo manic. It will occur frequently with a lot of intensity than a manic episode. It will be followed by one major depressive episode.

It is very difficult to diagnose bipolar II because the hypo manic episode will look like a high productivity period. The third type is Cyclothymic and Cyclothaymia disorder. This is milder compared to bipolar II. Mostly occurs for two years and not very severe but have some everyday interference with normal activities. The fourth one is Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. It is also referred to as sub-threshold. It is noticed when a person is suffering from manic and depressive bipolar spectrum symptoms.

Bipolar spectrum disorder has no cure and it is an illness that will occur frequently. But the treatment to keep it in control will be offered once it is diagnosed. The patient will be on medication for the rest of their lives.