For almost 10 years, from 1929 to the late into the 1930′s the word went into a massive economic decline. The entire world was hit with the decline, however the most industrialized nations were hit the hardest. These nations included the United States, Europe and Japan. Due to the nature of the depression economies that were built around industry were hit the hardest.

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For almost 10 years, from 1929 to the late into the 1930′s the word went into a massive economic decline. The entire world was hit with the decline, however the most industrialized nations were hit the hardest. These nations included the United States, Europe and Japan. Due to the nature of the depression economies that were built around industry were hit the hardest.

Although every industry was during these years, industries such as agriculture were hit less hard due to the fact that they remain basic necessities no matter what the economic situation of an economy is. This doesn’t speak true however for industries such as construction which come to a complete halt when there is no economic activity.

The two main causes for the great depression was the vast unequal distribution of wealth during the 1920′s as well as extensive stock market speculation that started to take prominence the the later 1920′s. Imbalance in wealth creates a largely unstable economy, and this resulted in several parts of the world. During the 1920′s because it was the biggest boom the United States economy had ever seen, the stock market, despite speculation, remained artificially high. Once the legs fell out from underneith the stock market, the unstable economy (created from the maldistribution of wealth) made the entire economy of America to collapse.

America right now looks to be headed in the same direction once again: the gap is growing between the rich and poor, and we are again in a major bust where we the majority of us are living beyond our means. Will history repeat itself? Are we smart enough to avoid another great depression? These are both questions that we will probably see answered in our lifetime.

A brief introduction to bipolar disorder, treatment and manic relapses.

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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders where the person experiences states or episodes of depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. Left untreated, it is a severely disabling psychiatric condition.

The difference between bipolar disorder and major depression is that bipolar disorder involves “energized” or “activated” mood states in addition to depressed mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states varies widely among people with the illness.

Fluctuating from one mood state to another is called “cycling” or having mood swings. Mood swings cause impairment not only in one’s mood, but also in one’s energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms and thinking abilities. Many people become fully disabled, for some period of time, after being diagnosed, and during this time may have great difficulty functioning.

The vast majority of people diagnosed with suffer from depression. In fact, there is at least a 3 to 1 ratio of time spent depressed versus time spent in a normal mood or hypomanic or manic during the course of the bipolar I subtype of the illness. People with the bipolar II subtype remain depressed for substantially longer. Up to 37 times longer than bipolar I.

A 2003 study by Robert Hirschfeld, M.D., of the University of Texas, Galveston found bipolar patients fared worse in their depressions than unipolar patients.

In terms of disability, lost years of productivity and potential for suicide, bipolar depression is now recognized as the most insidious aspect of the illness.

Severe depression may be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include hallucinations and delusions. They may also suffer from paranoid thoughts of being persecuted or monitored by some powerful entity such as the government or a hostile force.

Intense and unusual religious beliefs may also be present, such as patients’ strong insistence that they have a God-given role to play in the world, a great and historic mission to accomplish, or even that they possess supernatural powers. Delusions in a depression may be far more distressing, sometimes taking the form of intense guilt for supposed wrongs that the patient believes he or she has inflicted on others.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Currently bipolar disorder cannot be cured but it can be managed. The emphasis of treatment is on effective management of the long-term course of the illness, which can involve treatment of emergent symptoms. Treatment methods include pharmacological and psychological techniques.

A variety of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. Most people with bipolar disorder require combinations of medications.

Relapse of Bipolar Disorder

Even when on medication, some people may still experience weaker episodes or have a complete manic or depressive episode. The following behaviors can lead to depressive or manic relapse:

* Discontinuing or lowering one’s dose of medication without consulting one’s physician.

* Being under or over medicated. Generally, taking a lower dosage of a mood stabilizer can lead to relapse into mania. Taking a lower dosage of an antidepressant, may cause the patient to relapse into depression, while higher doses can cause destabilization into mixed-states or mania.

* Taking other psychotropic or recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin. These can cause the condition to worsen.

* An inconsistent sleep schedule can destabilize the illness. Too much sleep can lead to depression, while too little sleep can lead to mixed states or mania.

* Excessive amounts of caffeine can cause destabilization of mood toward irritability, dysphoria and mania.

* Inadequate stress management and poor lifestyle choices. If unmedicated, excessive stress can cause the individual to relapse. Medication raises the stress threshold somewhat, but too much stress still causes relapse.

Disclaimer
The information presented here should not be interpreted as medical advice. If you or someone you know is suffers from a bipolar disorder, please seek professional medical advice for the latest treatment options.

Are you hostage to your own thoughts. Out of sight out of mind. I dont think so

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Obsessions are the psychological element of OCD. Repeated thoughts and images linger in our minds where our over compulsive disorder takes control of our actions where we are silenced and forced to obey orders hence hostage to our own thoughts. Thus affecting and interfering with the way we would like to live our lives.

OCD over compulsive disorder can be beaten but what makes it difficult for the sufferer is being up against a regimented invisible force in which we find ourselves in a situation where we find it hard to resist their demands. That is why consulting a doctor is important. There are cases where a referral to a psychologist maybe imminent. Psychologists help ease your think pattern by providing professional understanding as to what is going on inside your head. So if you can not make head nor tail of why you do what you do then at least let someone who wants to help, do so.

People suffering with OCD do not enjoy the experiences brought on by these intrusive thoughts but are compelled to listen instead of eliminating There are so many different obsessions and compulsions carried out by over compulsive disorder victims. We have the hand washing ritual, we have the numbers game, we have the checker, what we dont have is the common sense to seek advice before the OCD takes claim of body and soul.

By not consulting a doctor we add to our problem. Why? We dont know, just like the way we dont know why we do what we do. OCD takes you hostage and holds you ransom to your own thoughts and until you let go then forever a prisoner you will be.

A wish come true for an obsessive compulsive disorder patient is to suffer an attack of amnesia. To live in a world of forgetfulness for a day has to be better than winning the lottery. To forget ever suffering from depression along with the other person who you know longer recognize as yourself is a sense of contentment that no amount of money can buy.

If all OCD symptoms were locked away in the closet does it mean we no longer yearn to carry out our repetitive actions, does it mean our compulsions and obsessions are now in the past, does it mean that it is over and we find peace of mind. I dont think so. Just because the OCD symptoms are behind closed doors does not mean out of sight out of mind.

If your health is giving you reason for concern then please act now and talk with a doctor so that you never yearn to live in the world of forgetfulness.

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Psychiatric rehabilitation programs can be a hidden trap.

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‘Who put the boys in the club house? You did, baby, you did.?

The song ‘Keep a Lid on Things?by the Crash Test Dummies sums it up. Psychiatric rehabilitation organisations are often there to simply keep a lid on things (clients?behaviour) rather than to get them back in the mainstream of society. Their stated aims are often vastly different from the actual outcomes.

Does the ghetto keep you sick? So it seems. Last year an Australian research team interviewed people who had bipolar disorder, and one of the findings was stunning-people who did not use psychiatric rehabilitation services tended to stay well longer than those who did*.

If you’re coming out of a bipolar crisis, perhaps just out of hospital, it’s worth questioning the value of rehabilitation. If the only place you go is the mental health clinic, you surround yourself with others who are sick. It becomes comfortable, you make friends, there’s no challenge, and you will find over time that you become nervous about venturing into mainstream activities, like ringing up about a job, or going back to your sporting club. The longer you are inside the ghetto the harder it is to break out. Your confidence disappears. People share stories of being victimised and discriminated against and this shores up your growing sense that it’s too hard ‘out there? You conclude you should stay in rehab.

The religion editor of my city’s broadsheet wrote this last month:

‘Victimhood is a bad address. It’s a dangerous and delusory place and definitely the wrong side of the tracks. Unfortunately, far too many people live there.

Even if you really are a victim, you have to move out. Victimhood offers an odd but counterfeit comfort, where nothing is your own responsibility, where life is something that is done to you by others, and is beyond your control, yet you can enjoy the moral high ground… It’s a short step from victimhood to paranoia.?*

Zwartz was writing about race riots in Sydney, but these words resonated with my experience of the mental health lobby. Victimhood leads to a sense of futility, a wariness that prevents fair assertion of our wishes. Countless so-called advocacy organizations work in the short term, never daring to jeopardize their funding by pursuing the big picture, the dream.

‘Consumer?organizations fare no better. Consumer organizations are beset with ineptitude not because of illness, nor because of lack of skills and intelligence. The one thing that undoes the political work of consumer organizations is the prevalence of victimhood. These organizations include many people who have been actually victimized, but too many are stuck in the ghetto and exhibit ongoing ‘victim behavior? If you cast yourself as a victim, your requests will never be taken seriously-you’re too easy to say ‘no?to.

I believe this is a reason that mental health funding around the developed world is far lower than funding for the equivalent level of burden of disease in general health. For example, In Australia it is only 8% of the total health budget compared with the OCED average of 12%.

SANE Australia reported last year that stigma was the villain of the piece, and produced startling evidence to support the view.

In Australia there have been eight State or national inquiries in the last twelve years. Each time puny progress is made but the underlying flaw (lack of funding) is perpetuated. As Einstein supposedly said: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.?We need to do something different. Here is my suggestion:

?Get out of the ghetto and into the mainstream.
?Do stuff that doesn’t involve mental health
?When you have gotten rid of your victim outlook, start demanding fair funding for mental health in your country. Follow up, don’t take no for an answer, and incite all your friends and relations to do the same.
?If your consumer organisation has a victim outlook, you could try to change it, but expect resistance. People can be codependent on their organizations.

*Russell, S J and Browne, J L ‘Staying well with bipolar disorder’ Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2005; 39:187?93.

**Barney Zwartz, The Age, Melbourne Australia 15 December 2005

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