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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

More than 2 million American adults,1 or about 1 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year,2 have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person’s life.

“Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live. It is an illness that is biological in its origins, yet one that feels psychological in the experience of it; an illness that is unique in conferring advantage and pleasure, yet one that brings in its wake almost unendurable suffering and, not infrequently, suicide.

“I am fortunate that I have not died from my illness, fortunate in having received the best medical care available, and fortunate in having the friends, colleagues, and family that I do.”

Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., An Unquiet Mind, 1995, p. 6. (Reprinted with permission from Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.)

What Are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings–from overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:

– Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
– Excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood
– Extreme irritability
– Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
– Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
– Little sleep needed
– Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
– Poor judgment
– Spending sprees
– A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
– Increased sexual drive
– Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
– Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
– Denial that anything is wrong

A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with 3 or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, 4 additional symptoms must be present.

Signs and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode) include:

– Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
– Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
– Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
– Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex
– Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being “slowed down”
– Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
– Restlessness or irritability
– Sleeping too much, or can’t sleep
– Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury
– Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
A depressive episode is diagnosed if 5 or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.

A mild to moderate level of mania is called hypomania. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated with good functioning and enhanced productivity. Thus even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar disorder, the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people or can switch into depression.

Sometimes, severe episodes of mania or depression include symptoms of psychosis (or psychotic symptoms). Common psychotic symptoms are hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or otherwise sensing the presence of things not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical reasoning or explained by a person’s usual cultural concepts).

Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder tend to reflect the extreme mood state at the time. For example, delusions of grandiosity, such as believing one is the President or has special powers or wealth, may occur during mania; delusions of guilt or worthlessness, such as believing that one is ruined and penniless or has committed some terrible crime, may appear during depression. People with bipolar disorder who have these symptoms are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as having schizophrenia, another severe mental illness.

It may be helpful to think of the various mood states in bipolar disorder as a spectrum or continuous range. At one end is severe depression, above which is moderate depression and then mild low mood, which many people call “the blues” when it is short-lived but is termed “dysthymia” when it is chronic. Then there is normal or balanced mood, above which comes hypomania (mild to moderate mania), and then severe mania.

In some people, however, symptoms of mania and depression may occur together in what is called a mixed bipolar state. Symptoms of a mixed state often include agitation, trouble sleeping, significant change in appetite, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. A person may have a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.

Bipolar disorder may appear to be a problem other than mental illness–for instance, alcohol or drug abuse, poor school or work performance, or strained interpersonal relationships. Such problems in fact may be signs of an underlying mood disorder.

Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder

Like other mental illnesses, bipolar disorder cannot yet be identified physiologically–for example, through a blood test or a brain scan. Therefore, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made on the basis of symptoms, course of illness, and, when available, family history. The diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV).

Descriptions offered by people with bipolar disorder give valuable insights into the various mood states associated with the illness:

Depression: I doubt completely my ability to do anything well. It seems as though my mind has slowed down and burned out to the point of being virtually useless…. [I am] haunt[ed]… with the total, the desperate hopelessness of it all…. Others say, “It’s only temporary, it will pass, you will get over it,” but of course they haven’t any idea of how I feel, although they are certain they do. If I can’t feel, move, think or care, then what on earth is the point?

Hypomania: At first when I’m high, it’s tremendous– ideas are fast… like shooting stars you follow until brighter ones appear–. All shyness disappears, the right words and gestures are suddenly there– uninteresting people, things become intensely interesting. Sensuality is pervasive, the desire to seduce and be seduced is irresistible. Your marrow is infused with unbelievable feelings of ease, power, well-being, omnipotence, euphoria… you can do anything… but, somewhere this changes.

Mania: The fast ideas become too fast and there are far too many… overwhelming confusion replaces clarity– you stop keeping up with it–memory goes. Infectious humor ceases to amuse. Your friends become frightened…. everything is now against the grain… you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and trapped.

Suicide

Some people with bipolar disorder become suicidal. Anyone who is thinking about committing suicide needs immediate attention, preferably from a mental health professional or a physician. Anyone who talks about suicide should be taken seriously. Risk for suicide appears to be higher earlier in the course of the illness. Therefore, recognizing bipolar disorder early and learning how best to manage it may decrease the risk of death by suicide.

Signs and symptoms that may accompany suicidal feelings include:

– talking about feeling suicidal or wanting to die
– feeling hopeless, that nothing will ever change or get better
– feeling helpless, that nothing one does makes any difference
– feeling like a burden to family and friends
– abusing alcohol or drugs
– putting affairs in order (e.g., organizing finances or giving away
– possessions to prepare for one’s death)
– writing a suicide note
– putting oneself in harm’s way, or in situations where there is a
– danger of being killed

If you are feeling suicidal or know someone who is:

call a doctor, emergency room, or 911 right away to get immediate help make sure you, or the suicidal person, are not left alone make sure that access is prevented to large amounts of medication, weapons, or other items that could be used for self-harm

While some suicide attempts are carefully planned over time, others are impulsive acts that have not been well thought out; thus, the final point in the box above may be a valuable long-term strategy for people with bipolar disorder. Either way, it is important to understand that suicidal feelings and actions are symptoms of an illness that can be treated. With proper treatment, suicidal feelings can be overcome.

What Is the Course of Bipolar Disorder?

Episodes of mania and depression typically recur across the life span. Between episodes, most people with bipolar disorder are free of symptoms, but as many as one-third of people have some residual symptoms. A small percentage of people experience chronic unremitting symptoms despite treatment.4
The classic form of the illness, which involves recurrent episodes of mania and depression, is called bipolar I disorder.

Some people, however, never develop severe mania but instead experience milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with depression; this form of the illness is called bipolar II disorder. When 4 or more episodes of illness occur within a 12-month period, a person is said to have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Some people experience multiple episodes within a single week, or even within a single day. Rapid cycling tends to develop later in the course of illness and is more common among women than among men.

People with bipolar disorder can lead healthy and productive lives when the illness is effectively treated (see below–”How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?”). Without treatment, however, the natural course of bipolar disorder tends to worsen.

Over time a person may suffer more frequent (more rapid-cycling) and more severe manic and depressive episodes than those experienced when the illness first appeared.5 But in most cases, proper treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and can help people with bipolar disorder maintain good quality of life.

Can Children and Adolescents Have Bipolar Disorder?

Both children and adolescents can develop bipolar disorder. It is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the illness.

Unlike many adults with bipolar disorder, whose episodes tend to be more clearly defined, children and young adolescents with the illness often experience very fast mood swings between depression and mania many times within a day.6 Children with mania are more likely to be irritable and prone to destructive tantrums than to be overly happy and elated. Mixed symptoms also are common in youths with bipolar disorder. Older adolescents who develop the illness may have more classic, adult-type episodes and symptoms.

Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents can be hard to tell apart from other problems that may occur in these age groups. For example, while irritability and aggressiveness can indicate bipolar disorder, they also can be symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or other types of mental disorders more common among adults such as major depression or schizophrenia. Drug abuse also may lead to such symptoms.

For any illness, however, effective treatment depends on appropriate diagnosis. Children or adolescents with emotional and behavioral symptoms should be carefully evaluated by a mental health professional. Any child or adolescent who has suicidal feelings, talks about suicide, or attempts suicide should be taken seriously and should receive immediate help from a mental health specialist.

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

Scientists are learning about the possib

le causes of bipolar disorder through several kinds of studies. Most scientists now agree that there is no single cause for bipolar disorder–rather, many factors act together to produce the illness.
Because bipolar disorder tends to run in families, researchers have been searching for specific genes–the microscopic “building blocks” of DNA inside all cells that influence how the body and mind work and grow–passed down through generations that may increase a person’s chance of developing the illness. But genes are not the whole story.

Studies of identical twins, who share all the same genes, indicate that both genes and other factors play a role in bipolar disorder. If bipolar disorder were caused entirely by genes, then the identical twin of someone with the illness would always develop the illness, and research has shown that this is not the case. But if one twin has bipolar disorder, the other twin is more likely to develop the illness than is another sibling.7
In addition, findings from gene research suggest that bipolar disorder, like other mental illnesses, does not occur because of a single gene.

It appears likely that many different genes act together, and in combination with other factors of the person or the person’s environment, to cause bipolar disorder. Finding these genes, each of which contributes only a small amount toward the vulnerability to bipolar disorder, has been extremely difficult. But scientists expect that the advanced research tools now being used will lead to these discoveries and to new and better treatments for bipolar disorder.

Brain-imaging studies are helping scientists learn what goes wrong in the brain to produce bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.9,10 New brain-imaging techniques allow researchers to take pictures of the living brain at work, to examine its structure and activity, without the need for surgery or other invasive procedures.

These techniques include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). There is evidence from imaging studies that the brains of people with bipolar disorder may differ from the brains of healthy individuals. As the differences are more clearly identified and defined through research, scientists will gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of the illness, and eventually may be able to predict which types of treatment will work most effectively.

How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?

Most people with bipolar disorder–even those with the most severe forms–can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper treatment.11,12,13 Because bipolar disorder is a recurrent illness, long-term preventive treatment is strongly recommended and almost always indicated. A strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment is optimal for managing the disorder over time.

In most cases, bipolar disorder is much better controlled if treatment is continuous than if it is on and off. But even when there are no breaks in treatment, mood changes can occur and should be reported immediately to your doctor. The doctor may be able to prevent a full-blown episode by making adjustments to the treatment plan. Working closely with the doctor and communicating openly about treatment concerns and options can make a difference in treatment effectiveness.

In addition, keeping a chart of daily mood symptoms, treatments, sleep patterns, and life events may help people with bipolar disorder and their families to better understand the illness. This chart also can help the doctor track and treat the illness most effectively.

Medications

Medications for bipolar disorder are prescribed by psychiatrists–medical doctors (M.D.) with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. While primary care physicians who do not specialize in psychiatry also may prescribe these medications, it is recommended that people with bipolar disorder see a psychiatrist for treatment.

Medications known as “mood stabilizers” usually are prescribed to help control bipolar disorder.11 Several different types of mood stabilizers are available. In general, people with bipolar disorder continue treatment with mood stabilizers for extended periods of time (years). Other medications are added when necessary, typically for shorter periods, to treat episodes of mania or depression that break through despite the mood stabilizer.

– Lithium, the first mood-stabilizing medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of mania, is often very effective in controlling mania and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.

– Anticonvulsant medications, such as valproate (Depakote–) or carbamazepine (Tegretol–), also can have mood-stabilizing effects and may be especially useful for difficult-to-treat bipolar episodes.

– Valproate was FDA-approved in 1995 for treatment of mania.
– Newer anticonvulsant medications, including lamotrigine (Lamictal–), gabapentin (Neurontin–), and topiramate (Topamax–), are being studied to determine how well they work in stabilizing mood cycles.

– Anticonvulsant medications may be combined with lithium, or with each other, for maximum effect.

– Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder generally are treated with lithium, but valproate and carbamazepine also are used. Researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of these and other psychotropic medications in children and adolescents. There is some evidence that valproate may lead to adverse hormone changes in teenage girls and polycystic ovary syndrome in women who began taking the medication before age 20.14 Therefore, young female patients taking valproate should be monitored carefully by a physician.

– Women with bipolar disorder who wish to conceive, or who become pregnant, face special challenges due to the possible harmful effects of existing mood stabilizing medications on the developing fetus and the nursing infant.15 Therefore, the benefits and risks of all available treatment options should be discussed with a clinician skilled in this area. New treatments with reduced risks during pregnancy and lactation are under study.

Treatment of Bipolar Depression

Research has shown that people with bipolar disorder are at risk of switching into mania or hypomania, or of developing rapid cycling, during treatment with antidepressant medication.16 Therefore, “mood-stabilizing” medications generally are required, alone or in combination with antidepressants, to protect people with bipolar disorder from this switch. Lithium and valproate are the most commonly used mood-stabilizing drugs today. However, research studies continue to evaluate the potential mood-stabilizing effects of newer medications.

– Atypical antipsychotic medications, including clozapine (Clozaril–), olanzapine (Zyprexa–), risperidone (Risperdal–), and ziprasidone (Zeldox–), are being studied as possible treatments for bipolar disorder.

Evidence suggests clozapine may be helpful as a mood stabilizer for people who do not respond to lithium or anticonvulsants.17 Other research has supported the efficacy of olanzapine for acute mania, an indication that has recently received FDA approval.18 Olanzapine may also help relieve psychotic depression.19

– If insomnia is a problem, a high-potency benzodiazepine medication such as clonazepam (Klonopin–) or lorazepam (Ativan–) may be helpful to promote better sleep. However, since these medications may be habit-forming, they are best prescribed on a short-term basis. Other types of sedative medications, such as zolpidem (Ambien–), are sometimes used instead.

– Changes to the treatment plan may be needed at various times during the course of bipolar disorder to manage the illness most effectively. A psychiatrist should guide any changes in type or dose of medication.

– Be sure to tell the psychiatrist about all other prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or natural supplements you may be taking. This is important because certain medications and supplements taken together may cause adverse reactions.

– To reduce the chance of relapse or of developing a new episode, it is important to stick to the treatment plan. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the medications

.
Thyroid Function

People with bipolar disorder often have abnormal thyroid gland function.5 Because too much or too little thyroid hormone alone can lead to mood and energy changes, it is important that thyroid levels are carefully monitored by a physician.

People with rapid cycling tend to have co-occurring thyroid problems and may need to take thyroid pills in addition to their medications for bipolar disorder. Also, lithium treatment may cause low thyroid levels in some people, resulting in the need for thyroid supplementation.

Best Wishes and ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Lot’s of Love,..:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

Arthur Buchanan

Out of Darkness & Into the Light

209 Ellis Ave. Suite 1313

Bellevue, Ohio44811

Listen To My RADIO SHOW! Wednesday @ 6:00 Eastern

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MICHIGAN) ‘Arthur Buchanan has given us a revolutionary blue print for recovery in these uncertain times, when Mental Illness at a all time high in the United States of America, yet if you follow this young mans methods, we assure you of positive results and I QUOTE ‘If these methods are followed precisely, their is no way you can’t see positive results with whatever illness you have’ -Dr. Herbert Palos Detroit, Michigan

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Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that’s triggered by your memories of a traumatic event an event that directly affected you or an event that you witnessed.

The disorder commonly affects survivors of traumatic events, such as sexual assault, physical assault, war, torture, a natural disaster, an automobile accident, an airplane crash, a hostage situation or a death camp. Post-traumatic stress disorder also can affect rescue workers at the site of an airplane crash or a mass shooting. It can affect someone who witnessed a tragic accident.

Not everyone involved in a traumatic event experiences post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the disorder affects more than 5 million adults each year in the United States. Post-traumatic stress disorder is twice as common in women as it is in men.

Treatment may involve a combined approach including medications and behavior therapy designed to help you gain control of your anxiety.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder typically appear within three months of the traumatic event. However, in some instances, they may not occur until years after the event and may include:

? Flashbacks and distressing dreams associated with the traumatic event.

? Distress at anniversaries of the trauma.

? Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings and activities associated with the trauma.

? Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others and an inability to have loving feelings.

? Markedly diminished interest or participation in activities that once were an important source of satisfaction.

? In young children, delayed or developmental retrogression in such areas as toilet training, motor skills and language.

? Hopelessness about the future ? no hope of a family life, career or living to old age.
? Physical and psychological hypersensitivity not present before the trauma ? with at least two of the following reactions: trouble sleeping, anger, difficulty concentrating, exaggerated startle response to noise, and physiological reaction to situations that remind you of the traumatic event.

These physiological reactions may include an increase in blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea and diarrhea.

Risk factors

The severity of the traumatic event and how long the event lasted appear to be factors in the development of this disorder. Other factors that may increase the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder include:

? A previous history of depression or other emotional disorder
? A previous history of physical or sexual abuse
? A family history of anxiety
? Early separation from parents
? Being part of a dysfunctional family
? Alcohol abuse
? Drug abuse

When to seek medical advice

It’s normal to undergo a wide range of feelings and emotions after a traumatic event. The feelings you experience may include fear and anxiety, a lack of focus, sadness, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, or bouts of crying that come easily. You may have recurrent thoughts or nightmares about the event. If you have these disturbing feelings for more than a month, if they’re severe or if you feel you’re having trouble getting your life back under control, consider seeing your doctor or a mental health professional.

Overview

Schizophrenia is a chronic and often debilitating mental illness. The condition can cause you to withdraw from the people and activities in the world around you and to retreat into a world of delusions or separate reality.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of schizophrenia may include:

? Delusions ? personal beliefs not based in reality, such as paranoia that you’re being persecuted or conspired against
? Bizarre delusions ? for example, a belief in Martians controlling your thoughts
? Hallucinations ? sensing things that don’t exist, such as imaginary voices
? Incoherence
? Lack of emotions or inappropriate display of emotions
? A persistent feeling of being watched
? Trouble functioning at work or in social situations

Generally, schizophrenia causes a slowly progressive deterioration in the ability to function in various roles, especially in your job and personal life. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia vary greatly. A person may behave differently at different times. He or she may become extremely agitated and distressed, or fall into a trance-like, immobile, unresponsive (catatonic) state, or even behave normally much of the time. Signs and symptoms that occur continuously and progressively may indicate schizophrenia.

In general, schizophrenia has symptoms that fall into three categories ? negative, positive and cognitive:

Negative signs and symptoms

Negative signs and symptoms may appear early in the disease, and a person may not think he or she needs treatment. They’re referred to as negative because they indicate a loss of behavior or of a personality trait. Negative signs generally accompany a slow deterioration of function, leading to your becoming less sociable.

Such signs may include:

? Dulled emotions (lack of expression)
? Inappropriate emotions (laughing while expressing terrifying images)
? A change in speech (speaking in a dull monotone)

Positive signs and symptoms

Positive signs include hallucinations and delusions. They’re called positive because they indicate a trait or behavior that’s been added to the personality.

? Hallucinations. Hallucinations occur when you sense things that don’t exist. The most common hallucination in schizophrenia is hearing voices. You may carry on a conversation with voices that no one else can hear. Or you may perceive that voices are providing you instructions on what to do. Hallucinations may result in injuries to other people.

? Delusions. Delusions are firmly held personal beliefs that have no basis in reality. The most common subtype of schizophrenia is paranoid schizophrenia, in which you hold irrational beliefs that others are persecuting you or conspiring against you. For example, some people with schizophrenia may believe that the television is directing their behavior or that outside forces are controlling their thoughts.

Cognitive signs and symptoms

These signs and symptoms tend to be more subtle than positive and negative ones. Cognitive signs and symptoms may include:

? Problems making sense of incoming information
? Difficulty paying attention
? Memory problems

Misconceptions about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia may exist alone or in combination with other psychiatric or medical conditions. Misconceptions about schizophrenia and its relation to other mental illnesses abound. The following truths will help clarify what it is and is not:

? Schizophrenia isn’t the same as a split or multiple personality. Multiple personality disorder is a separate, rare condition.
? Although some people with schizophrenia develop violent tendencies, most don’t. Many withdraw into themselves rather than interact with others.
? Not everyone who acts paranoid or distrustful has schizophrenia. Some people have a paranoid personality disorder, a tendency to be suspicious or distrustful of others, without the other features of schizophrenia.
? Not everyone who hears voices is schizophrenic. Some people with depression may hear voices. Hearing voices may also occur as a result of a serious medical illness or from the effects of medication.

Substance abuse and schizophrenia

While not necessarily a sign of schizophrenia, drug abuse is more common in people with schizophrenia. Nicotine is a commonly abused drug by people with schizophrenia; it’s estimated that 75 percent to 90 percent of people with schizophrenia smoke compared with about one-quarter of the general population. Unfortunately some drugs, such as amphetamines, cocaine and marijuana, can make schizophrenia symptoms worse. Others, such as nicotine, can interfere with schizophrenia medications.

Causes

Researchers haven’t identified the cause or causes of schizophrenia, although they believe genetic factors play a role. About 1 percent of the general population develops schizophrenia compared with 10 percent of those with a close family relative who has the disease. Chemical or subtle structural abnormalities in the brain may contribute to causing this illness.

When to seek medical advice

By its nature, schizophrenia often isn’t an illness for which someone is likely to voluntarily seek treatment. To a person with schizophrenia, the delusions and hallucinations are real, and often he or she may believe there’s no need for medical help. If you’re a family member or friend of someone who is exhibiting possible signs of schizophrenia or another mental disorder, you may need to be the one who takes him or her to a medical professional for evaluation. Additionally, people with schizophrenia are more likely to attempt suicide, so if your loved one talks about committing suicide, seek professional help immediately.

Screening and diagnosis

Before making a diagnosis of schizophrenia, your doctor likely will rule out other possible causes of the signs that may suggest schizophrenia. It’s possible that other mental or physical illnesses may cause signs similar to schizophrenia.

Your doctor will want to discuss your family and medical history and do a physical examination. Your doctor may ask for blood or urine samples to see if medications, substance abuse or another physical illness may be a factor in your signs.

Among the other mental illnesses that may at least partly resemble schizophrenia are depression, bipolar disorder, other psychoses, and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

It’s also possible that physical illnesses such as certain infections, cancers, nervous system disorders, thyroid disorders and immune system disorders may produce some psychotic signs. Psychosis is also a possible side effect of some medications.
If no other underlying cause is found, doctors diagnose schizophrenia based on the signs and symptoms.

Best Wishes and Lot’s of Love,

Arthur Buchanan

Out of Darkness & Into the Light
209 Ellis Ave. Suite 1313
Bellevue, Ohio44811

567-217-1133 (Home)

Listen To My RADIO SHOW! Wednesday @ 6:00 Eastern
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They are calling Arthur Buchanan’s methods of recovering from mental illness REVOLUTIONARY! (MEDICALCOLLEGE OF MICHIGAN) ‘Arthur Buchanan has given us a revolutionary blue print for recovery in these uncertain times, when Mental Illness at a all time high in the United States of America, yet if you follow this young mans methods, we assure you of positive results and I QUOTE ‘If these methods are followed precisely, their is no way you can’t see positive results with whatever illness you have’ -Dr. Herbert Palos Detroit, Michigan

Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show!

LISTEN TODAY!

www.freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3

www.out-of-darkness.com www.biologicalhappiness.com

www.adhdandme.com www.mentalillnessandme.com

Starting Jan. 1St Me and My Dr Leland Heller, Will Have a Free
CD Out, Totally Free All You Have to Do Is Pay The Shipping
And Handling Charges.

This Is This My Drs. Leland Heller’s Website

www.biologicalunhappiness.com

The People That Have Listened To This Free CD Have Told Us
That We Should Charge $197 for This Groundbreaking CD,
You Will Never Forgive Yourself If You Pass This Up, Run Don’t
Walk To Get This Groundbreaking CD, It Will Literally Change
The Way You Look At Mental Health!!!

Jan. 1st We Will Be Offering a Free Newsletter From My
Doc. And I, We Will Answer 5 of The Most Pressing Questions
A Month and We Will List Them On The Websites, So Get Your Free CD.

Save a Life Yours!!

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

Among those who may experience PTSD are military troops who served in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars; rescue workers involved in the aftermath of disasters like the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.; survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing; survivors of accidents, rape, physical and sexual abuse, and other crimes; immigrants fleeing violence in their countries; survivors of the 1994 California earthquake, the 1997 North and South Dakota floods, and hurricanes Hugo and Andrew; and people who witness traumatic events.

Family members of victims also can develop the disorder. PTSD can occur in people of any age, including children and adolescents.
Many people with PTSD repeatedly re-experience the ordeal in the form of flashback episodes, memories, nightmares, or frightening thoughts, especially when they are exposed to events or objects reminiscent of the trauma. Anniversaries of the event can also trigger symptoms. People with PTSD also experience emotional numbness and sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, and irritability or outbursts of anger. Feelings of intense guilt are also common. Most people with PTSD try to avoid any reminders or thoughts of the ordeal. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms last more than 1 month.

Physical symptoms such as headaches, gastrointestinal distress, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain, or discomfort in other parts of the body are common in people with PTSD. Often, doctors treat these symptoms without being aware that they stem from an anxiety disorder.

Facts About PTSD

• An estimated 5.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or approximately 3.6 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD.
• About 30 percent of Vietnam veterans developed PTSD at some point after the war.2 The disorder also has been detected among veterans of the Persian Gulf War, with some estimates running as high as 8 percent.
• More than twice as many women as men experience PTSD following exposure to trauma.4
• Depression, alcohol or other substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with PTSD.5 The likelihood of treatment success is increased when these other conditions are appropriately diagnosed and treated as well.

Treatments for PTSD

PTSD can be extremely debilitating. Fortunately, research?including studies supported by NIMH and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)?has led to the development of treatments to help people with PTSD.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy, in which the person gradually and repeatedly re-lives the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma.

Studies also have found that several types of medication, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other antidepressants, can help relieve the symptoms of PTSD.
Other research shows that giving people an opportunity to talk about their experiences very soon after a catastrophic event may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. A study of 12,000 schoolchildren who lived through a hurricane in Hawaii found that those who got counseling early on were doing much better 2 years later than those who did not.

Research Findings

Research is continuing to reveal factors that may lead to PTSD. People who have been abused as children or who have had other previous traumatic experiences are more likely to develop the disorder.10 In addition, it used to be believed that people who tend to be emotionally numb after a trauma were showing a healthy response; but now some researchers suspect that people who experience this emotional distancing may be more prone to PTSD.

Studies in animals and humans have focused on pinpointing the specific brain areas and circuits involved in anxiety and fear, which are important for understanding anxiety disorders such as PTSD.12 Fear, an emotion that evolved to deal with danger, causes an automatic, rapid protective response in many systems of the body. It has been found that the fear response is coordinated by a small structure deep inside the brain, called the amygdala. The amygdala, although relatively small, is a very complicated structure, and recent research suggests that different anxiety disorders may be associated with abnormal activation of the amygdala.

People with PTSD tend to have abnormal levels of key hormones involved in response to stress.13 When people are in danger, they produce high levels of natural opiates, which can temporarily mask pain. Scientists have found that people with PTSD continue to produce those higher levels even after the danger has passed; this may lead to the blunted emotions associated with the condition.
Some studies have shown that cortisol levels are lower than normal and epinephrine and norepinephrine are higher than normal.

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter released during stress, and one of its functions is to activate the hippocampus, the brain structure involved with organizing and storing information for long-term memory.
This action of norepinephrine is thought to be one reason why people generally can remember emotionally arousing events better than other situations. Under the extreme stress of trauma, norepinephrine may act longer or more intensely on the hippocampus, leading to the formation of abnormally strong memories that are then experienced as flashbacks or intrusions. Since cortisol normally limits norepinephrine activation, low cortisol levels may represent a significant risk factor for developing PTSD.

Research to understand these neurotransmitter systems involved in memories of emotionally charged events may lead to the discovery of drugs or psychosocial interventions that, if given early, could block the development of PTSD symptoms

Best Wishes and Lot’s of Love,
Arthur Buchanan

Out of Darkness & Into the Light
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