In the first half of 2007, many patients switched from Wellbutrin XL300 to the newly available generic “equivalent,” Teva’s Budeprion XL300.

Following the switch, 85 people reported immediate undesirable outcomes, including a loss of the antidepressant effect. More than half of the patients switched back to Wellbutrin and reported improvement. Today, the NIMH confirmed these claims and the FDA will now reexamine the bioequivalence of the two drugs.

As we all know, the lack of efficacy in the generic could be much higher than reported, since many bipolar patients and their doctors likely attributed the slip in wellness to the natural cycling of the disease or a developed resistance to the drugs effects.

Just goes to show, we have to log our moods and log our meds in order to have reliable information to share with docs. Sometimes coincidence is not!

If you experienced problems after switching to a generic, talk to your doc and insurance carrier about switching back, and cite this study.

Click HERE to view the FDA report.

Stress in all its forms challenges the stability of a person with bipolar disorder.

It seems obvious that difficult times, like the loss of a loved one, a major move, or the end of a relationship can induce cycling or unwellness.

Harder to realize is the fact that joyous occasions, happy events, weddings, birthdays, bat mitzvahs all disturb the tenuous emotional balance that a regular regimen of meds and therapy help to maintain.

Be mindful that any major life event can result in a period of decreased wellness. Anticipate this. Plan for it. Know and watch for the likely symptoms and behaviors that could develop and head them off at the pass!

A bipolar diagnosis requires a vigilance and tenacity unlike most illnesses. Accept that fact and plan accordingly.

One of the biggest mistakes I made–and I did it for a long time–was trying to control the timetable toward wellness for both Chloe and Michael, my two children with a bipolar diagnosis.

Each was diagnosed at age 17, although three years apart, and I didn’t want them to fall behind…miss the deadline…miss out… There were college applications to be filed and trips to make and resumes to write and volunteer work to do. Oh yeah, and rooms to be cleaned and dogs to be walked.You get the picture.

So I pushed them to do more before they were ready, to achieve before they were well. I continued to have the same expectations as before they were sick, and that was unfair and unrealistic.

When finally I realized we had to accept a new reality and function within new parameters, life was far more pleasant. And after talking to dozens of families whose experiences paralleled ours, I’ve come to a resounding conclusion:

Expecting an unstable, unwell bipolar patient to do normal things, is begging for frustration and disappointment.

Get first things first. Stability and balanced moods must precede housework and homework and paperwork. Granted, some things must be done at a given time, but in most cases, time to become well is an option, if we consider it to be an option.

Work toward wellness, then set goals for other achievements. Once healthy, my children, like nearly all people diagnosed with a serious mental illness, are able to achieve great things and live quite productively.

With priorities in order, you will find wellness, productivity, happiness, joy. Look for it. Find it. Live it.

All depressives are not alike.Learn your own or your loved ones particular signs of depression so that you can release judgement, recognize symptoms, offer loving support, and seek appropriate medical intervention.

The following are common signs of depression:

–Deep sadness

–Loneliness, regardless of social setting or situation

–Physical aches and pains

–Significant weight change

–Inability to experience pleasure

–Slow or impaired thought processes

–Inability to concentrate

–Memory and recall difficulties

–Preoccupation with death and dying

–Thoughts or visions of suicide (suicidal ideation)

–Decreased self esteem

–Feelings of worthlessness, failure, excessive guilt, self-hatred

–Reduction in physical activity

–Sleep disturbances

–Physical exhaustion

Remember that a person saddled by depression is sick, not lazy, not stupid, not unmotivated, not a failure. Never apply these labels. Accept them where they are and help them to envision wellness; and then work toward it together.Teach them to expect recovery, to seek help, and to rise up out of depression.

Your lives will be richer by the connections made.

I recently met Cassandra and her family. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years ago, this beautiful, articulate young woman is early in the process of understanding, accepting, and successfully treating the illness. Her parents have just moved beyond denial (SO NORMAL!) and are trying gain knowledge and understanding so that they can release their frustration and anger, and support Cassie’s wellness.

Impressed by this family’s eagerness to find balance and peace, I was also touched by their raw and tender emotions.

I said then, I say now, continue to work together toward wellness.

It will get better!

To the millions in this predicament, here are some suggestions that help their loved ones to better understand and support.

**LEARN THE SYMPTOMS OF THE ILLNESS**

If you know what behaviors are symptoms (substance abuse and promiscuity and risk-taking…the inability to get out of bed or eating disorders or poor hygeine) then you can release judgment of those symptoms and help treat the illness.

Help your loved one to help herself.

Set kind and realistic limits.

Support –Insist– on treatment.

Refuse to be impatient, angry or judgmental.

Remember that she is already directing vast amounts of negative energy toward herself. Do all that you can to counteract that negativity with loving support.

Blessings!

Living with, and/or loving someone with, a serious mental illness can be exhausting and, at times, frustrating.

I talk to a lot of parents with  questions about psych diagnoses in their kids and teens. Here are some facts from Bpkids.org, a site I highly recommend:

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder in children?

Bipolar disorder involves marked changes in mood and energy. Persistent states of extreme elation or agitation accompanied by high energy are called mania. Persistent states of extreme sadness or irritability accompanied by low energy are called depression.

However, the illness may look different in children than it does in adults. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes.

Behaviors reported by parents in children diagnosed with bipolar disorder may include:

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MoodTracker.com provides high-tech tools to solve age-old problems.

Many bipolar patients have difficulty recalling their mood swings and medication side-effects in great detail, and fail to document them thoroughly enough to enable Docs to quickly and appropriately adjust meds.

At MoodTracker, users not only record and graph their moods, but also keep an ongoing medication history, receive IM or email reminders to take meds and make appointments; and give caregivers access to the saved information.

Providing even more value to users, the site managers regularly post news items related to mental health and offer articles from mental health experts and advocates.

Go there.

Use it.

Below I’ve shared a few of the many Emails I received today from fellow bloggers. I am overwhelmed!

We who have a serious mental illness (SMI), or love another who does, are vast in number and power and grit. By banding together to disseminate facts, share our stories, and eradicate stigma, we will create a new world for the next generation.

Remember that over 4 million Americans OVER the age of 18 have bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Now consider all of the children and teens so diagnosed. That, my friends, is a VERY LARGE NUMBER!

We are a force to be reckoned with! Let’s join our voices, merge our power, to achieve mental health parity, establish community support centers, and live the lives we’ve always dreamed.

ENVISION IT, THEN CREATE IT!

From the weBLOG:

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has done wonders for many people with bipolar disorder. Often used as a skills development approach for people with borderline personality disorder, CBT addresses interpersonal skill deficits that often hinder those with mental illness, particularly in social or work situations. After working the program, the newly acquired skills carry over into family dynamics and other personal relationships, generally improving quality of life and reducing stress. Talk to your care provider about it, or check out this helpful book: Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderlilne Personality Disorder .