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Luckily things have developed massively, and there are not only many more medications with less troubling side effects, but also there is an increasing understanding in all mental health professionals that bipolar or manic depression is a multifactorial condition, and psychosocial education and intervention should be an intergal part of any form of management by bipolar specialists. There is lots of user friendly info available on the internet through mental health foundation (http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/) Bipolar expert info (www.edengalaxy.com) and national institute of mental health (http://www.nimh.nih.gov) for service users and mental health professionals.
Isn't it sad that the first properly controlled trial of a
significant size of self management, which is the single greatest advance
for manic depression since the introduction of lithium is met with a
statistical quibble rather than open arms! does this reflect the
difficulty in writing a prescription for autonomy, self control and a
better life?
Could a drug have produced such a dramatic response, its shares would
have made us all rich considering about 1% of the population has manic
depression.[1]
Yours sincerely
Elizabeth Armstrong,
17 Broadwalk House, Hyde Park Gate, SW7
Medical Advisor Manic Depression Fellowship
Secretary, Doctors Support Network
Re: Teaching patients with bipolar disorder to identify early symptoms of relapse
Luckily things have developed massively, and there are not only many more medications with less troubling side effects, but also there is an increasing understanding in all mental health professionals that bipolar or manic depression is a multifactorial condition, and psychosocial education and intervention should be an intergal part of any form of management by bipolar specialists. There is lots of user friendly info available on the internet through mental health foundation (http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/) Bipolar expert info (www.edengalaxy.com) and national institute of mental health (http://www.nimh.nih.gov) for service users and mental health professionals.
Competing interests: No competing interests