Helping Bipolar and Depressed Individuals' Mood Disorders: Beyond Psychiatry and Psychology



The noble and satisfying desire to simply help others in need must extend to those afflicted with clinical mood disorders. These generally include anxiety, bipolar disorder, and clinical depression. Because one out of six Americans suffers some form(s) of mental illness, there are numerous interpersonal, financial and quality-of-life reasons for family and friends to help them. Because mental patients often feel "the outside world" cannot understand their pain, they often turn to publications compiled by both unknown and famous mental patients.


Unfortunately, most memoirs of the famous often only go through the mood disorders and only graze the outer lining of underlying medical problems; they emphasize the wrong things, telling stories about their families, other luminaries and Hollywood, sports, or political intrigues. Books compiled by the typical sufferer of manic-depression contain more descriptive descriptions of these episodes and better weave them to their life stories.


The small talked-about and often misunderstood epidemic of mood disorders is sweeping across America. Today's statistics are chilling: Clinical depression is the top reason people go to see their doctors and the class of psychotropic drugs prescribed is second only to that of analgesics (pain killers). Bipolar disorder is the second-highest reason behind U.S. disability awards. Unemployment is 50% higher for individuals with mood disorders than that of the overall population. Women suffer clinical depression twice around men do. The mood disorder suicide rate is 33% each time a person is left untreated; it's 20% when properly treated. And 90% of most suicides result from clinical depression. Only 33% of the clinically depressed receive treatment. Bipolar disorder affects men and women equally and 83% of cases are severe-yet 37 % neither recognize nor admit to suffering the condition. Only 49% of bipolar individuals receive treatment.


As a bipolar mental patient and burn victim, I can attest to the fact that psychic pain often exceeds that of physical pain, both in intensity and duration. Utter hopelessness and suicidality transcend verbal description. There is no cure for mood disorders, no "dipstick" with which to check the brain's neurotransmitter levels that regulate the human feelings and emotions that drive our aberrant behaviors. Exotic and expensive medications and psychotherapy are the primary means for mitigating the pain and skewed behaviors experienced by those people saddled with mood disorders. The doctor-patient goal is to lessen the frequency, intensity and duration of bipolar and clinically depressive episodes, and to encourage the in-patient to reform old habits into positive, healthy and beneficial lifestyles.


Today the social stigma of mental illness remains very same of unwed mothers ahead of the 1960s: "hush, hush and put them away." And deep down inside the general public there is that private feeling of "there however for the grace of God I go." That must end-there are too most of us to ignore any longer. One partially effective pain alleviation method for aiding mood disorder patients is peer interaction and comfort present in either physical or cyber discussion and support groups. Another way of relief is to fairly share the stories of other mood disorder sufferers.


Unlike live groups, there may be no accidental or intentional personal attacks or judgmental assessments when reading about mood disorders. Stories published by mental patient peers will help ease the pain for those who suffer mood disorders, both manic and depressive episodes, by entertaining and educating the reader. There is wonderful relief for patients just to know there are others who suffer the exact same malady as they do. A search through a library or bookstore psychology/manic-depression category yields many books that bring understanding, hope, help and healing for sufferers of bipolar disorder and clinical depression, and their families and friends.


Classic memoirs of and for mood disorder patients include William Styron's "Darkness Visible," Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison's "An Unquiet Mind," Andy Behrman's "Electroboy," and Wendy K. Williams' "I'm Not Crazy Just Bipolar."


(MVIH) is a private practice located in Mesa Arizona, Owned by Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) who's Board Certified to take care of Psychiatric/Mental illnesses (Bipolar, Depression, Psychotic disorders, Anxiety, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, etc.).


At MVIH, patients are treated with respect and we make an effort to make a private, comfortable and therapeutic environment where your concerns are heard, symptoms are treated, and your current wellbeing is just a priority. We provide therapy and pharmacological intervention services to the clients.


We're focused on providing professional and therapeutic care with dignity and compassion to any or all patients and their loved ones.


Take the very first steps in dealing with the right person to treat you in a private, comfortable and supportive office setting. A place where you are more than just your diagnosis. A spot where you will undoubtedly be heard and treated being an individual.


REQUEST A CONSULTATION

ketamine

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *