by Joe Kraynak on November 19th, 2009
Bipolar disorder gets a lot of bad press, even among those of us who have struggled with it in our lives. I have noticed this particularly online, from exasperated family members and exhausted individuals with bipolar who haven’t yet found effective treatment.
I wonder whether it’s just the nature of the beast. Most people search the Web for answers and solutions, and when it comes to bipolar, they may be frustrated and angry, often understandably so. Those who have found their answers and solutions tend to go back to living their lives. Why dwell on it when life is good, right?
Unfortunately, people who achieve stability in their lives rarely return to tell their success stories. Hence, I think, the negative coverage of bipolar tends to considerably outweigh the positive.
This week, I’d like to commend those who are spreading a positive word about bipolar, including Web sites like bphope.com and bp Hope magazine, and encourage anyone out there who has a bipolar success story to share it with others. Please share your story or let us know of sources you have discovered online or off that present a more positive, hopeful view.
by Candida Fink MD on November 13th, 2009
Sara Asks…
I am trying to get back to work and find a better job. But what is “better?” I was doing what I thought I loved to do. I have spent $30,000 on my education, and have been working toward this particular career goal for 12 years. I have tried to get out of it as it seems that my major bi-polar episodes have coincided with work. But the more I get away from it the sadder and more detached from myself I feel.
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by Joe Kraynak on November 10th, 2009
Yesterday, Lynn posted a comment on our Bipolar Disorder Medication Spotlight: Seroquel. Here’s what she had to say.
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by Candida Fink MD on November 6th, 2009
With this post, we continue our biweekly series on medications used to treat bipolar disorder and related symptoms. This week, we focus the spotlight on medications that can help you sleep.
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by Joe Kraynak on November 3rd, 2009
When we were in Slovenia a couple weeks ago, Cecie and I did an interview for a televised report on bipolar disorder. The interviewer asked me what it was like to be married to someone with bipolar disorder. I stammered and stuttered, not really sure how to answer and then offered up some feeble response about how terrible it is during the manias, but how normal it is most of the time.
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by Candida Fink MD on October 30th, 2009
Garett Asks…
Five months ago, I was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. First I was on Depakote and then I told my doctor I was still having major problems with my sleep. I was always up and about knowing it was 3 o’clock in the morning. I told her about the lack of sleep, and she immediately took me off of the Depakote and switched me to Seroquel.
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by Joe Kraynak on October 27th, 2009
I was recently talking with a friend of mine, Mikal Belicove, who happens to be a marketing and positioning expert. I was describing someone I had met during a recent trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia to help promote the release of the Slovene edition of Bipolar Disorder for Dummies
– a well-traveled, well-spoken, accomplished businessman who has bipolar disorder.
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by Joe Kraynak on October 22nd, 2009
Yesterday, on Good Morning America, accomplished actress Glenn Close and her sister Jessie Close spoke about mental illness in their family (watch the clip). Except for George Stephanopoulos saying that Jessie “is” bipolar, I thought it was a good piece. The Close sisters did an excellent job of presenting bipolar, the stigma surrounding it, and the necessity of making a commitment to manage the disorder.
Please watch the video and share your insights.
by Joe Kraynak on October 13th, 2009
Mrs. Tovornik, Cecie Kraynak, Tatjana Novak, Maja Valic, Darja Budja, Joe Kraynak, Sanja Svajger (Journalist) at Book Presentation in Ljubljana, Slovenia, October 12, 2009
Cecie and I participated in another book presentation for the Slovene edition of Bipolar Disorder for Dummies. Unlike the presentation on Saturday in Koper, this one was dedicated solely to the book and was much more effective in promoting it.
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by Joe Kraynak on October 11th, 2009
Sitting: Peter Smole and Roman Peklaj and Maja Valic; Standing: Joe Kraynak, Darja Budja, Cecie Kraynak, Emi Kladnik, Ana Sorc, and Katja Jus
Cecie and I were invited to visit Ljubljana (lyoo-blee-ah-nah), Slovenia for the release of the Slovene edition of Bipolar Disorder for Dummies. We accepted and have been in Slovenia since this past Thursday, 10/8/2009. We flew into Venice on Thursday to meet our gracious hosts, Darja Budja (”j” is pronounced “y”) and her husband Simon Perko. Darja translated the book into Slovene and is a devoted bipolar advocate. She has created her own bipolar blog (bipolarna.si) and is one of the organizers of an active bipolar support group in Ljubljana.
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