Friends of Hope

Friends of Hope

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Friends of Hope - DBSA Ardmore chapter

Friends of Hope is a DBSA chapter located in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The purpose of the group is to help people who are suffering from bipolar disorder, depression, or other types of mental illness. If you need help or you’re a friend of someone in need, you’re welcome to attend our weekly meetings. Meetings generally last about an hour to an hour and a half. The chief purpose of our meetings is to share our experiences with one another. Sharing, if you don’t know already, is very therapeutic — it’s a great complement to counseling and seeking professional advice. Remember we’re here to help!

Friends of Hope - Contact information

DBSA Ardmore
Contact 1: David Engle
Phone: (580) 222-9099
Contact 2: Kimberly Powell
Additional Phone: (580) 490-9750 or kimberly.powell@chickasaw.net
Email: david.engle@chickasaw.net
Meetings start at 7:00 p.pm. at the Ardmore Public Library.
Ardmore Public Library
320 E Street NW
Ardmore, OK 73401
(580) 223-8290

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RSS Daily Light on the Daily Path: English Standard Version Bible

  • Daily Light for September 8 September 8, 2010
    Morning“You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.” The LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.—“For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”—“The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”—Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?”—But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being.—You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing.Dan. 5:27; 1 Sam. 2:3; Luke 16:15; 1 Sam. 16:7; Gal. 6:7, 8; Matt. 16:26; Phil. 3:7; Ps. 51:6; Ps. 17:3 (Read full verses...) EveningChrist the firstfruits. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”—If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.—But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.—For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.—The Lord Jesus Christ . . . will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.The firstborn from the dead.—If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”1 Cor. 15:23; John 12:24; Rom. 11:16; 1 Cor. 15:20; Rom. 6:5; Phil. 3:20, 21; Col. 1:18; Rom. 8:11; John 11:25 (Read full verses...) >Excerpted from Daily Light on the Daily Path ©2002 Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

RSS Top Stories - cnn.com

  • BP releases findings of inquiry into oil rig disaster September 8, 2010
    "Multiple companies and work teams" contributed to the explosion aboard a Gulf oil rig that unleashed the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP's internal investigation finds.
  • Clinton condemns Quran-burning plan September 8, 2010
    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the planned burning of Qurans on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States as criticism mounts from Muslims around the world.
  • Obama in Ohio to push economy plan September 8, 2010
    As President Obama heads to Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday to roll out a set of comprehensive proposals aimed at fixing the ailing U.S. economy, top aides are knocking down suggestions that politics and the midterms are driving this effort.
  • Officials: Bodies may be Mexican cops September 8, 2010
    Officials in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas have found two bodies that may be those of two men investigating the massacre of 72 migrants in the state.
  • Feds: Threat on plane bound for LA September 8, 2010
    Authorities have begun an investigation after a threatening message was found scrawled on the lavatory mirror of a Thai Airways plane, the Transportation Security Administration said.
  • Food illness survivors demand action September 8, 2010
    After the recall of more than 500 million eggs from a salmonella outbreak this summer, food safety advocates and survivors of foodborne illness will call for the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that has been in limbo since last year.
  • Polygamist sect leader nixes extradition September 8, 2010
    Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs will stay in a Utah jail for at least two more months after his attorneys objected to his signing an extradition waiver in a Utah court Tuesday.
  • Vet who threatened Obama due in court September 8, 2010
    A former soldier arrested after a hostage incident at a Georgia military base is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
  • UN says it knew of mass rapes earlier September 8, 2010
    The United Nations on Tuesday acknowledged that it first learned of a report of rape in rebel-held territory of the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on July 30, nearly two weeks earlier than it had previously said.
  • Thousands evacuate as Colo. fire grows September 8, 2010
    A 7,100-acre wildfire burned out of control west of Boulder, Colorado, Wednesday, threatening hundreds of homes, forcing the evacuation of thousands and pressing additional fire crews into action, authorities said.

RSS World - cnn.com

  • U.N.: Congo sex attacks exceed 500 September 7, 2010
    U.N. officials estimated more than 500 rapes and other sexual attacks in eastern Congo in July and August, more than double the previous estimate.
  • N. Korean gathering may set up handover of power September 8, 2010
    North Korea's political leaders are expected to meet this month in a rare gathering, possibly to set the stage for the handover of power from Kim Jong Il to his youngest son.
  • 18 dead in shoe factory shooting in Honduras September 8, 2010
    Eighteen people died in a shooting Tuesday afternoon at a shoe factory in San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras, police said.
  • Netanyahu eyes Mideast peace deal in year September 7, 2010
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Jewish New Year greeting he promised to strive for a peace agreement by this time next year but said there is no guarantee of success.
  • 2 U.S. soldiers in Iraq killed September 7, 2010
    Two U.S. soldiers were killed in northern Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.

RSS U.S. - cnn.com

  • Jump-start needed to fix ailing economy September 8, 2010
    As President Obama heads to Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday to roll out a set of comprehensive proposals aimed at fixing the economy, top aides are knocking down suggestions that politics and the midterms are driving this effort.
  • BP to release results of oil spill probe September 8, 2010
    BP is expected on Wednesday to release findings of an internal investigation into the Gulf oil disaster, the oil giant said.
  • FBI: Bank robber put on mask too late September 8, 2010
    A brazen gunman wearing a porcelain doll mask robbed an Atlanta bank and made off with a stash of money, the FBI said.
  • Thousands evacuated as Colorado fire grows September 8, 2010
    A 7,100-acre wildfire burned out of control west of Boulder, Colorado, Wednesday, threatening hundreds of homes, forcing the evacuation of thousands and pressing additional fire crews into action, authorities said.
  • Survivors of foodborne illness to demand action on bill September 8, 2010
    After the recall of more than 500 million eggs from a salmonella outbreak this summer, food safety advocates and survivors of foodborne illness will call for the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that has been in limbo since last year.

RSS Politics - cnn.com

  • Obama missing from Dems' campaign ads September 8, 2010
    President Obama is in hundreds of campaign ads this election season, but the ads are mostly from Republicans and not his own party.
  • Obama in Ohio to push economic plan September 8, 2010
    As President Obama heads to Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday to roll out a set of comprehensive proposals aimed at fixing the ailing U.S. economy, top aides are knocking down suggestions that politics and the midterms are driving this effort.
  • Opinion: Obama shouldn't be campaigner-in-chief September 8, 2010
    White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel may have gotten his get-out-of-jail card in just the nick of time.
  • Dems to Obama: Get a clear message September 7, 2010
    From union activists to Democratic members of Congress, the message to the White House is clear: Present a clearer, more coherent message about turning the economy around.
  • Judge: No delay in stem-cell funding block September 7, 2010
    A federal judge Tuesday rejected the Obama administration's request to stay his recently imposed injunction against use of public funds in embryonic stem-cell research.
  • First-term Ohio Democrat struggles to keep seat September 7, 2010
    The broken windows and dilapidated walls of the abandoned Hercules engine plant is not just an eyesore for those who live here. It's a symbol of seemingly constant disappointment in this hard-hit district.
  • Imam: We're proceeding with NYC Islamic center September 8, 2010
    The imam at the center of an ugly controversy over an Islamic center near New York's ground zero broke his silence Tuesday, just hours after a broad coalition of Christian, Jewish and Islamic leaders denounced what they described as a rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry across the United States.
  • Obama to introduce another business tax cut September 7, 2010
    In another move aimed at stabilizing the still-shaky economy, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will introduce a new $200 billion tax cut giving businesses across the country an incentive to buy new equipment in the short term, according to a senior administration official.
  • Bachmann gets mixed reception at fair September 7, 2010
    It's 3 p.m. on a busy weekday afternoon at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul.
  • FBI: Gunman at Army post accused of threatening Obama September 7, 2010
    A former soldier arrested after a hostage incident at a military base in Georgia faces multiple charges that include threatening to kill President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, according to federal court documents filed Tuesday.

RSS Technology - cnn.com

  • iPad competitors are lining up September 7, 2010
    Apple's iPad may finally have some competition.
  • Google animated logo (un)connects the dots September 7, 2010
    Users of Google's search page were greeted Tuesday with a screen of colorful, interactive dots, even though the company didn't immediately explain why.
  • New site shows best of YouTube's worst September 7, 2010
    We watch more than 2 billion YouTube videos every day, but let's admit it -- we're usually viewing a top 25 clip, a video forwarded by a friend or an old standby like David After Dentist (some of those 66 million views must be repeats).
  • Google considering iTunes-like service? September 6, 2010
    Apple may get a nasty surprise this holiday season; rumors are swirling that Google's Andy Rubin is planning on a holiday-season launch for the search behemoth's new music download service.

RSS Science & Space - cnn.com

RSS Paranormal Phenomena Headlines

  • PARANORMAL NEWS: Museum Ghost, Ghostly Lights, Devil Mystery September 7, 2010
    Photo: Steven Devine Top story: Museum's ghost linked to war veteran's unburied remains Plus:...Read Full Post
  • Sasquatch of Vinton, Iowa September 6, 2010
    "One late afternoon in early August of 2009, I decided that I wanted to go for a walk to enjoy the countryside of Vinton, Iowa," reports Dennis. I made it to the end of the road just before it turned left onto another gravel road. At this point, it was around 8 p.m. and the sun had almost set. I figured it was getting dark so I should call it a night. As I was walking back, I noticed a neighbor's dog barking uncontrollably at something up the road. I brushed it off as a raccoon or opossum. As I walked further, I noticed a foul odor in the air. It smelled like a cross between a wet dog, a skunk and rotten eggs...." Uh-oh. That terrible smell could be a you-know-what. Read the rest of Dennis' story....Read Full Post
  • How To Report a Ghost or a Monster Sighting September 5, 2010
    Unexpected encounters with ghosts and creatures make up some of the best evidence we have for these phenomena. But don't rely on your memory to report these sightings. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your experience is documented accurately.
  • PARANORMAL NEWS: Psychic Regulation, Normandy Nessie, Atlantis Search September 4, 2010
    Photo: WTSP Top story: In the crystal ball: more regulation for psychics Plus: Normandy Nessie: has the mysterious sea creature returned? Residents phone emergency over ghost and UFO worries Many believe in spirits, but churches offer stern warnings Attempt to locate the mythical city of Atlantis Father-son experience missing time in remote Michigan Sea serpent captured, never identified Witch curse blamed for Wirral Magazine pub fire The Algonquin Hotel "orb" footage Paranormal Activity producers head to a zombified Bay ...Read Full Post

RSS Paranormal Phenomena What's Hot

  • The Skunk Ape
    The Skunk Ape A photo of Florida's Skunk Ape, cousin to Bigfoot
  • Paranormal News and Views
    The Latest Paranormal News and Views
  • Adonai's Minions
    Police officers are witnesses to many tragic and extraordinary events. But Elliot, an officer in Port Richey, Flordia, was not prepared for the strange and unexplained things he saw on a February night in 2003. This is Elliot's story.
  • Gettysburg Spirit
    Gettysburg Spirit

RSS Paranormal Phenomena Popular

RSS Latest news and information on bipolar disorder

RSS John McManamy - bipolar disorder

  • Meds Compliance: A New Series September 2, 2010
    This is the start of a new series on a very vital and contentious issue - meds compliance. The politically correct term these days is meds adherence, but I fail to see the point in replacing a term that everyone understands with a euphemism. Let's get started:The best med in the world is useless if we don't take it, and our track record on this count is not good. According to some studies I dug out: Fifty percent of patients on mood...
    John McManamy
  • Question of the Week: Making Relationships Last September 1, 2010
    Okay, everyone. I need your help - again. As you recall, a number of weeks ago, I asked about online dating services (I had just signed up on one site). The next week I asked about disclosing my illness (I was in contact with another person). Your answers were very helpful. I'm happy to report that I met a very wonderful woman through this online service and that we both consider ourselves in a relationship. Question:   What are your...
    John McManamy
  • Happiness: Capitalizing on Our Strengths and Virtues August 26, 2010
    Let's wrap up this series on happiness with one more look at Martin Seligman's 2002 book, "Authentic Happiness." Dr Seligman, as you recall, is the founder of "positive psychology," which seeks to answer the hardly ever-asked question of "what goes right?" We are already overfamiliar with the things that go wrong.A very important - indeed crucial - key to happiness, Dr Seligman explains, is building on our strengths and virtues. These are...
    John McManamy
  • Question of the Week: No! August 26, 2010
    Last week's Question of the Week had to do with saying, "yes." Why don't we flip it? Question:   When was the last time you said, "No"? What was the occasion? What did you get yourself into? Can you believe you actually told that person No?   Feel free to write a book. Comments below ...
    John McManamy
  • More on Happiness: Using the Flow August 20, 2010
    For six or seven weeks we have been focusing on the topic of happiness. You might say this is a sort of remedial class, being that we are all true scholars of misery. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, is changing that. Hence the considerable attention here to his 2002 book, "Authentic Happiness."   So far we have noted that happiness is more about lasting gratification than fleeting pleasure, and that gratification...
    John McManamy

RSS G.J. Gregory - bipolar disorder

  • We'll Miss You Kyle September 3, 2008
      Our son Kyle has left us, he was killed today in an accident in our home. He was 24 years old.   While Kyle suffered terribly at times, he also lived life to the fullest, and loved more deeply than words could describe. My wife used to say, "he was a unicorn in a stable of thoroughbreds."   I'm going to miss you kid.   8/15/08  
    G.J. Gregory
  • Thanks To All May 3, 2008
    Seven years ago I began blogging.  First to document my son’s struggles, then to help me deal with mine.   Blogging for me has filled many needs.  I started off looking for answers, hoping others could share insight on what my son, and then I, was experiencing.  While looking for answers, I discovered the therapeutic powers of blogging.  Then, while reaping those benefits I discovered an incredible community...
    G.J. Gregory
  • Wanted To Say Hello March 30, 2008
    I’m still around, even though I’ve only been able to manage one post in the last 2 months.   BipolarConnect has published a few of my older posts, so I appreciate them not allowing me to fade completely away.   It's been 2 months, and I continue to experience a debilitating mania.  But debilitating in ways I can’t understand.  I can (more or less) work, I can interact with others, I can attend...
    G.J. Gregory
  • Hold The Ladder - I'm Coming Down March 11, 2008
    Just a quick post today to say I'm still kicking.Recovering from a nasty episode of mania.  I've never been hospitalized for bipolar disorder, but I probably should have gone on this one.  I was in pretty bad shape.  For me, as I've written before, the criteria for true mania (as opposed to hypomania) is psychosis, or loss of touch with reality.  I know the perceptions of the word "psychosis", it has...
    G.J. Gregory
  • Another Mania March 5, 2008
    It seems like I'm always whining about something, doesn't it? I'm actually a very positive person, but when writing it's like opening the vault. All the stuff I've been holding inside comes to the surface. That's a very good thing - for me. But thinking back, a lot of my shareposts have been negative in nature. I try to give an accurate picture of how this disorder impacts my life, and for me there's a lot of...
    G.J. Gregory

RSS Dan Haupt, M.D. - bipolar disorder

  • How Do I Prepare My Child for Life With Bipolar Disorder? May 21, 2007
    For many parents, the difficulties associated with the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and the challenges associated with its treatment can be consuming. Finding a doctor can be difficult, let alone finding a board certified child psychiatrist. Many take limited or no insurance, preferring to avoid the hassles of reimbursement, but putting the burden of payment and insurance claims on the family. Treatment can be another dilemma, as parents...
    Dan Haupt, M.D.
  • Is Drug Treatment Enough? May 1, 2007
    What is the importance of psychotherapy in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder?  Is drug treatment alone sufficient to treat this condition, or is some form of therapy necessary?For the majority of people with bipolar disorder, a combination of psychotherapy and medication results in better outcomes. Determining whether or not this is the case in any given person requires communication between the patient, their family, and the...
    Dan Haupt, M.D.
  • Did using street drugs give me bipolar disorder? April 23, 2007
    It is very common for people who have used street drugs to wonder if the drugs may have caused their symptoms.Street drugs can cause many symptoms that can be found in mental illnesses, such as hallucinations, feelings of unreality, paranoia, and both extremely high and low moods. Because of this, it can be difficult or impossible to accurately diagnose (or treat) mental illness in someone who is also using street drugs.However, there is very...
    Dan Haupt, M.D.
  • What is the Likelihood that My Children Will Develop Bipolar Disorder? March 26, 2007
    Q: I have a couple of family members who were never diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but who definitely exhibited symptoms of the condition.  My husband has one family member who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well.  We’d like to start a family, but I’m afraid that our children might be at risk for developing the disease.  How concerned should I be?A: I think the key piece of information here is that neither...
    Dan Haupt, M.D.
  • The Bipolar Spectrum and the Importance of Diagnosis March 12, 2007
    One theory of bipolar disorder states that rather than simply consisting of just one or two types of illness (bipolar I and bipolar II), there is in fact a whole spectrum comprising lesser variants of the illness.In practice, this spectrum can be invoked to diagnose bipolar symptoms in people that likely are not mentally ill, but rather are behaving within the range of normal human behavior. This is related to the fact that some people have more...
    Dan Haupt, M.D.

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RSS Lynne Taetzsch - bipolar disorder

  • Goodbye for Now May 24, 2007
    This will be my last sharepost as an expert patient for BipolarConnect.com.  I am a full-time abstract artist, and lately it has been hard to keep up with everything.  In June I’m going to be in shows at The Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, New York, and Monkdogz Urban Art in New York City.  Plus I’ve been getting a lot of activity through my art website, http://www.artbylt.com.    Today being an artist means...
    Lynne Taetzsch
  • Resolving Conflicts in Support Groups May 14, 2007
    This week I got a call from a college student, let’s call her “Jane,” who wanted to observe our bipolar support group meeting in order to write a paper about it to fulfill a school assignment.  Jane was taking a class in Clinical Psychiatry and was to write about the format and process of our meeting rather than the content.  She assured me everything would be confidential and that she would use no names.  She asked if she...
    Lynne Taetzsch
  • Is Getting Sick a Way to Give Us a Break? May 7, 2007
    After getting through the whole winter without being sick, and congratulating myself on that fact, I picked up a head cold from my granddaughter last week.  I had had some sleepless nights and our new spring weather slipped back into freezing temps, so my defenses were down.    Adrian and I both got the cold, but each of us dealt with it in opposite ways.  Adrian went to the gym to work it out of his system.  I...
    Lynne Taetzsch
  • Money Management April 30, 2007
    This week at our bipolar meeting, we talked about problems dealing with money, and in particular, going through bankruptcy.  I remember the first time I had to file bankruptcy in the early 70s when my small business failed.  I felt such a sense of shame, failure, and humiliation.  I sat around drinking all day and thinking about killing myself.    The bankruptcy put the final nail in the coffin of my...
    Lynne Taetzsch
  • Is it Harder to Recover from Travels When We’re Bipolar? April 23, 2007
    We flew from New York to California for ten days to visit family, and while it was a good trip (every day sunny and warm), I seem to be having a lot of trouble getting my life back on track after returning.  Maybe it didn’t help that we got home at 2:30 a.m., or that traveling by plane these days is a grueling ordeal.  We started off on the wrong foot by missing our plane because Adrian left his wallet home and had no picture...
    Lynne Taetzsch

RSS Sue Bergeson - bipolar disorder

  • Everything Has Its Season September 5, 2008
      For the past several months, I've been unconsciously singing a song called "Corner of the Sky" from the musical Pippin. I'm not sure anyone remembers this song, but some of the lyrics read:   Everything has its season;Everything has its time.Show me a reason and I'll soon show you a rhyme.Cats fit on the windowsill;Children fit in the snow.Why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go?   Rivers belong where they can...
    Sue Bergeson
  • Sometimes We Make It Harder Than We Have To August 21, 2008
      Zen Question and Response The students of Tibetan Buddhist Kalu Rimpoche and those of Providence Zen Center founder Seung Sahn arranged for the two Zen masters to meet and engage in dialogue. When Seung Sahn arrived, he picked up an orange, held it in front of Kalu Rimpoche, and asked, "What is this?" The students awaited an insightful reply, illuminating the nature of reality, but Kalu Rimpoche looked stumped.   Seung Sahn...
    Sue Bergeson
  • The Sound of Music August 14, 2008
      What do Sting, James Taylor, Bobbi Brown, Judy Collins, Axel Rose, Rosemary Clooney and DMX all have in common?   They all live(d) with depression or bipolar disorder. Music plays an important role in the recovery journey for many of us. Some of us have certain songs we play to manage our depression, help energize us, calm us down or help us sleep. We have favorites to play while we exercise or during other wellness...
    Sue Bergeson
  • What Can We Learn from Others? August 6, 2008
    "I'd overcome a problem with drinking long ago-I hadn't touched alcohol in 18 years-but the pain was so unrelenting, I found myself drinking again. If you're in constant pain, you'll do anything. It just wears you down." --Ron, living with arthritis   "Finally, I began to realize the underlying problem: these doctors were not really listening to me. They were not hearing me. They just kept filling me up with the medicines they thought I...
    Sue Bergeson
  • When the Bird and the Book Disagree... July 31, 2008
    "When the bird and the book disagree, always believe the bird."--James Audubon (1785-1851)   I was on a phone meeting the other day (I know you're shocked to hear this—it seems to be all I do!) and found myself being confronted by a well-meaning health care professional trying to teach me the correct way to talk about the consumer/provider relationship. I was told that the word "consumer" is demeaning and that doctors are not...
    Sue Bergeson

RSS Craig Stoltz - bipolar disorder

  • Detecting Bipolar Episode Early Key to Control August 27, 2007
    A news report out of Australia provides intriguing evidence that early detection of a bipolar episode can have a powerful impact on disease control. Let's look. Bottom line first Patients taught to identify the earliest signs of a bipolar episode--lack of sleep being the most significant warning of a manic episodes--can reduce the severity and frequency relapses.  This study in 60 words or less Researchers enrolled...
    Craig Stoltz

RSS Jerry Kennard - bipolar disorder

  • You Don't Have Bipolar if . . . September 3, 2010
    I wonder how many times the ‘do I have bipolar?' question, or one like it, has appeared in our Question and Answer's Section?   There's lots of information on BipolarConnect.com about the signs, symptoms and lived experience of people with bipolar, but maybe some people would find it beneficial to turn things around a little and discuss what bipolar is not? In this post I've made a little list in order to attempt to answer that very...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Understanding Bipolar Disorder August 18, 2010
    The basis for this post comes from a question asked by Marlene, "How long can mania last?" Although Marlene has a specific question relating to her son, her question reflects many that arise about the course of bipolar whether or not it's treated. So in this post I'm offering some nugget-sized notes in an attempt to encapsulate a few key issues. You'll find me writing about ‘averages' so don't be concerned if the picture, or part of it,...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Managing Bipolar Disorder: How to Chart Your Mood August 5, 2010
    Many people with bipolar want to know more about their moods. This may stem from general interest, or they may have been encouraged to monitor them. One tool available for this is the daily mood chart. For example, you may have seen or read about the new Mood 24/7 mobile tool.   Daily mood charts provide a way to monitor mood over time, and in so doing, help to prevent relapse. Of course there are different ways to achieve...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Questions And Answers About Bipolar Disorder Medication July 10, 2010
    There are medications and there are medications for bipolar disorder. Unlike an infection, or headaches, where popping a few pills can alleviate the problem, the outlook for most people with bipolar is very different. In this Sharepost I've touched on some of the recurring questions asked about medication and have attempted to answered them to the best of my knowledge.   Q. Will Medication Take Away My Independence?   You don't...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Caretakers of Someone with Bipolar Disorder: When to Step in and When to Step Back July 5, 2010
    Many of the questions asked of our community members involve personal relationships. Whilst the title of this post might suggest I have answers for folk who, directly or otherwise, might be thought of as caregivers, I don't. It's not that I'm suddenly bereft of an opinion or two, it's simply that every situation is different and so a list of, what-you-should-do-in-this-situation, statements are of little value.   However, people...
    Jerry Kennard

RSS Ask the Expert Patient - bipolar disorder

  • Just Diagnosed - What Now? April 9, 2008
    Shannon writes:“I feel so frustrated today. No one seems to want to answer my question; is this bipolar, or is the family history of bipolar giving me this diagnosis. It is prevalent in my family, but it's been very hard for me to accept that I have it.“I've been bipolar (no, diagnosed with bipolar) for three weeks today. I've already had my medications changed around three times by three different doctors. The healthcare system, no...
    Ask the Expert Patient
  • When Your Kid Has Bipolar - Part II April 7, 2008
    In my previous post, I recounted Angela's travails concerning her seven-year-old son. The boy attempted suicide twice and engages in self-harm. The provisional diagnosis is bipolar disorder.Angela had two posts, spaced a month apart. Her first post drew 48 replies, many of them suggesting other possible alternatives to the bipolar diagnosis. This raised the issue of the complexity of finding a correct diagnosis in kids. Accordingly, Part I of my...
    Ask the Expert Patient
  • My Boy Just Got Diagosed with Bipolar - What Now? April 5, 2008
    Angela writes:“December '07 my son tried to commit suicide twice. Hard to believe, huh? Well, it happened.” The poor boy is seven.Angela posted this in early March. She reports that she had to hospitalize her son. There, the doctors diagnosed him with depression and anxiety, but one of the meds they put him on raised a red flag with her. The med was low-dose Risperdal (they also had him on the ADD med Adderall). After what must...
    Ask the Expert Patient
  • Rapid-Cycling: Research is ME-Search March 4, 2008
    One of the joys of doing posts under my own name and as the “Ask the Expert Patient” here at BipolarConnect is the connections I make with people. It usually starts out in the nature of a message in a bottle. Next thing the bottles are whizzing along in both directions.Recently, Country Girl responded to an Ask the Expert Patient post of mine. I responded in turn with an Ask the Expert Patient article, which in turn generated a...
    Ask the Expert Patient
  • When Events Spin Out of Control - Is Life Still Manageable? March 1, 2008
    Rose writes:“I'm a little worried, because I'm exhibiting symptoms of lack of sleep and extremely talkative. Things are starting to be more positive, but you know how that rollercoaster rides. It will dip at an extreme level. All I can do is watch and try to steer it in the right direction. These are all encompassing feelings, and it's hard to know if anything will work.”Thank you, Rose, for the timely reminder....
    Ask the Expert Patient

RSS Latest news and information on schizophrenia

RSS Paul Ballas - schizophrenia

  • Beat the Winter Blues November 6, 2008
    Don't underestimate how much the weather can affect your mood. The American Academy of Family Physicians has estimated roughly half a million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that typically begins as winter approaches. Daylight Savings Time just passed, and people are noticing that there is less and less light out. After the autumnal equinox (usually around September 21), each day gets...
    Paul Ballas
  • A New Mental Health Act October 27, 2008
    The treatments for schizophrenia have improved significantly over the past few decades, but many patients and their families are frustrated by having to pay a higher copay for seeing a psychiatrist than for seeing any other specialist. This is in part due to a long history of distinction between mental and physical health in many insurance plans. A new act was signed into law October 3 that will hopefully improve the situation...
    Paul Ballas
  • Signs of Schizophrenia in Children October 10, 2008
    People who have schizophrenia are often very concerned that they have passed the illness on to their children. Even when their children are very young, the thought of their child experiencing a psychotic episode fills many parents with fear and dread. As a child psychiatrist in training, I am often asked to evaluate children of people with schizophrenia to see if they are having any symptoms of the illness. Sometimes, I'm referred children...
    Paul Ballas
  • A Worldwide Campaign to Stop Smoking October 10, 2008
    About a year ago I wrote about some of the issues surrounding smoking and schizophrenia; how the rate of smoking in people with this illness is almost double the general population and how nicotine may actually impact how antipsychotic medications work. Well, recently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a partnership with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have made a combined commitment of $500 million dollars to fight tobacco use...
    Paul Ballas
  • Cannabis Use May Cause Early Onset Psychosis October 10, 2008
    It's been long known that marijuana use can cause certain symptoms of psychosis. Among the most commonly reported are paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations. I regularly talk to patients with schizophrenia about the dangers of using marijuana for just this reason; patients have told me that marijuana has elicited the very symptoms we were working to treat. There are several recognized diagnoses involving cannabis use, including...
    Paul Ballas

RSS Robin Cunningham - schizophrenia

  • CHOICES II-17 - We can do this the easy way or . . . January 25, 2009
      In books, movies and TV shows we've all heard the phrase - "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, the choice is yours."  In any context this line offers a clear choice.  The consequences of that choice are implicit, but nonetheless quite clear.   In this series, CHOICES II (Choices in Recovery), we are talking about the kinds of choices that those of us with schizophrenia must make in our lives.  Some of...
    Robin Cunningham
  • CHOICES II-17 - We can do this the easy way or . . . January 25, 2009
      In books, movies and TV shows we've all heard the phrase - "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, the choice is yours."  In any context this line offers a clear choice.  The consequences of that choice are implicit, but nonetheless quite clear.   In this series, CHOICES II (Choices in Recovery), we are talking about the kinds of choices that those of us with schizophrenia must make in our lives.  Some of...
    Robin Cunningham
  • CHOICES ii-16 - Acceptance, Sweet Acceptance January 19, 2009
      It took me about three years to accept what many others recognized from the outset, that I had a serious mental illness.  It was my first psychiatrist, Dr. Sol Levy, who concluded very early on that I was suffering from schizophrenia.  Unbeknownst to me, he began immediately to treat me for this illness using what is today commonly referred to as "best practice treatment."  However, he never said anything to me about...
    Robin Cunningham
  • Morag Coate on the Essence of Schizophrenia January 11, 2009
      At the conclusion of my last SharePost, submitted on 4 January, 2009, I cited a quotation by Morag Coate and asked that visitors read the quote and give us their reaction to it in the form of a comment to the SharePost.   The quotation reads as follows -   " To one who is mad, the world is still real, but it has a new meaning; people are real too, close and powerful and perhaps dangerous, but among them all, the individual...
    Robin Cunningham
  • CHOICES II-14 - A Subtle Form of Stelf-Stigmatization January 4, 2009
      For my last SharePost, submitted on 28 December, 2008, (www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/53657/ii-13-consumer ), I submitted a poem entitled "WARD 7N," which I believe touches on self-stigmatization and forgiveness in consumers and asked that visitors read and tell us what this poem says to them in the form of a comment to the SharePost.   Don Fraser wrote two comments and Carolyn [DCROY9633] wrote another.  The...
    Robin Cunningham

RSS Christina Bruni - schizophrenia

  • Marijuana Use and Schizophrenia: The Missing Link August 29, 2010
    This SharePost is titled the Missing Link because in reality there could be no link between marijuana use and developing schizophrenia. Critics contend that if there was a link the number of people diagnosed with schizophrenia would have risen along with the increase in the use of marijuana over the decades. It went from an illicit drug craved by beatniks in the 1940s and 1950s to a substance most teenagers have tried and that is popular among...
    Christina Bruni
  • Creativity and Schizophrenia: The Definite Link August 15, 2010
    Researchers at the Karolinska Institute's department of women's and children's health in Stockholm have proven a link between creativity and schizophrenia. They studied the brain and the dopamine D2 receptors and discovered that the dopamine system of healthy, highly creative people mirrors that found in people with schizophrenia. Specifically: highly creative people had a lower density of D2 receptors in the thalamus than less creative people...
    Christina Bruni
  • Question of the Month: All in the Family August 1, 2010
    My question to you in August is about the role of family in your recovery.  How important were they to you?  Also: I want to talk about a topic central to our recovery: deciding whether or not to start a family when you have a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  Have any of our women community members gone down this road?  What advice would you give those of us considering becoming parents?  This is also directed to the fathers...
    Christina Bruni
  • Choosing and Using a Therapist: Part Two July 27, 2010
    This SharePost wraps up the focus on therapy that began with choosing and using a therapist. First I'm going to tell you about my own experiences and then I'll give some objective suggestions. In the fall of 2005 I decided to return to therapy and stayed with a male therapist in my neighborhood for four years. I felt the issues I took with me to his couch had been resolved. Also: after awhile, it felt like we covered no new ground. He was...
    Christina Bruni
  • Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Month July 9, 2010
    July is Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This author and activist co-founded NAMI-Urban Los Angeles and wrote the book 72 Hour Hold about a family's experiences with their adult daughter in the mental health system. She won the NAMI Outstanding Media Award for her children's book Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry about a mother with bipolar. Though Bebe exited this life in 2006 her legacy lives on and there is much to...
    Christina Bruni

RSS Jerry Kennard - schizophrenia

  • 10 Quick Facts about Childhood Schizophrenia March 13, 2009
    The precise cause of childhood schizophrenia is not known. As with adult schizophrenia there is an assumed relationship between genetic factors the environment. Possible causes include family history, birth trauma, exposure to viruses in the womb or parents being older.   Schizophrenia in children is essentially no different to adult schizophrenia but diagnosis at an early age is difficult. Natural development can include fantasy and even...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Schizophrenia, Depression and a Glaring Gap in Knowledge March 6, 2009
    Depression is a frequently occurring symptom in schizophrenia. Some maintain that depression is a symptom of schizophrenia whilst others view it as a discrete mood disorder. Whatever the standpoint the importance of depression in schizophrenia is important for at least two reasons. First, anything that adds to the difficulties and discomfort of the individual needs to be addressed. Secondly, schizophrenia is recognized as having the highest...
    Jerry Kennard
  • 10 Tips for Supporting a Family Member with Schizophrenia February 17, 2009
    Learn More: One of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of schizophrenia derives from a lack of knowledge and understanding. Quite simply, the more you learn, the easier it becomes to understand and explain what is happening and why. Although good progress has been made, schizophrenia still isn't fully understood, so don't try searching for the answer or the treatment, because they don't exist. It's far better, and actually fairly easy,...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Mental Illness Alone Does Not Predict Violence February 3, 2009
    Mental illness has always provided a convenient if frequently erroneous explanation for acts of aggression and violence. Although evidence is somewhat mixed, the vast body of data points to the mentally ill as being more likely to be the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators.   Recent research by professor Eric Elbogen, PhD, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, confirms that mental illness alone does not increase...
    Jerry Kennard
  • Targeted Treatment for Schizophrenia Announced December 5, 2008
    One of the first targeted treatments for schizophrenia has been announced in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry. The new drug, currently referred to as experimental compound MK-0777, targets working memory problems.   Working memory refers to a temporary storage and processing system. It is an active system in the sense that information stays in memory only so long as the person is consciously manipulating or processing it. Any...
    Jerry Kennard