International Bipolar Foundation

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Bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

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Our Mission

Our mission is to improve understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder through research; to promote care and support resources for individuals and caregivers; and to erase stigma through education.

Activity

International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 22

What makes depression different from the blues?

Everyone has blue moods once in a while. They result from life-changing events. Losses must be grieved. Disappointments endured. No one escapes this kind of sorrow. If your underlying mood and self...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 16

How do other illnesses affect depression?

Serious illness such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer sends some into depression. First the medications required can cause hormonal changes that effect mood. If the disease prevents you from ea...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 11

Is bipolar depression serious?

Bipolar depression is not always debilitating. We see a wide range of acuity with bipolar depression. Some depressive states may be mild whereas others can be acute. And for those with bipolar diso...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 11

What is chronic depression?

Starting at the most mild end of the spectrum, chronic depression, or dysthymia, generally emerges as a low mood that depresses an individual’s frame of mind over a consistent and extended pe...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 10

What is situational depression?

A death, natural disaster or other traumatic event can send anyone—adult, teen, child—into such a spiral of despair, the brain cannot work its way out again. Studies show that 40 percen...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 10

Can bipolar depression be prevented?

Bipolar disorder can't be prevented, but deep brain stimulation can help treat the disorder. In deep brain stimulation, microelectrodes are inserted into a very specific nest of cells in the br...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 10

Can bipolar depression be prevented?

There is no cure or prevention that does not require ongoing treatment. However, many people do very well on mood stabilizing medications and may go for decades with few symptoms. Often it takes tr...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Oct 02

What types of psychotherapy can help treat depression?

Where medication targets mood, talk therapy targets behavior. Studies have proved that therapy can be quite effective. In fact, therapy has brought some out of depression without the help of medica...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Sep 24

How can depression be treated?

In transcranial magnetic stimulation (TCMS) or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a series of magnetic pulses are applied to precise brain areas. The treatment has been approved b...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 13

How do medications treat depression?

Most people treated for depression with medication and therapy respond well. In fact, a significant number need only take medication for a year or less. While in decades past, some resisted...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 07

What is the relationship between bipolar disorder and insomnia?

In hypomania (and in mania) the principle difference is that the person who is experiencing hypomania experiences a decreased need for sleep. The person remains energized and not fatigued despite n...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 02

What are the symptoms of depression in bipolar disorder?

The symptoms of depression or a depressive episode in bipolar disorder include: frequent sadness, tearfulness, crying or persistent irritability a decrease in interest in activities that used...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 02

How common is depression in people with post-traumatic stress disorder?

Depression is commonly found in people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression occurred in 40% of PTSD patients one to...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 02

Is St. John's Wort effective in treating depression?

With such an awful name, it can be a surprise to find St. John's wort is actually a flower (hypericum perforatum) filled with, some say, mood-altering chemicals. Some studies have shown it to b...
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International Bipolar Foundation has answered a question
On Aug 02

Can omega-3 fatty acids help with depression?

Omega-3 fatty acid, actually an oil, occurs throughout the body. Due to some promising research, Omega-3s are being studied across the world today. Research subjects battling depression impro...
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International Bipolar Foundation

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