News and Media

BY LYNN VENHAUS - For the News-Democrat

Sparks ignite and catch fire as Oscar nominees Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren portray Russian author Leo Tolstoy and Sofya, his bipolar wife of 48 years, during a rocky patch before his death at age 82.

The verbal dexterity so nimbly displayed by the two British greats elevates "The Last Station" from a literary-based soap opera as sudsy as a contemporary "Dynasty."

by Michael Woodhead

Patients with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder have a poorer prognosis if they are smokers, a prospective two year Melbourne study has shown.

Regular smokers had significantly worse outcomes in terms of bipolar and depression scores compared to non smokers and were also more likely to have longer hospital stays, the study of 240 patients from the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre found.

Muench J et al. - There is more variability among specific antipsychotic medications than there is between the first- and second-generation antipsychotic classes. The newer second-generation antipsychotics, especially clozapine and olanzapine, generally tend to cause more problems relating to metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Q: What fund raiser had guests singing, dancing and laughing on stage?

A: Click! International Bipolar Foundation’s fun, interactive game show was their fund raiser this year.

NEWS RELEASE

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA - COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

In an effort to break the cycle of incarceration for San Diego’s mentally ill, the San Diego
Superior Court is now providing Behavioral Health Court services. The court program is a
collaborative effort with other government agencies including the District Attorney’s Office,
Public Defender’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, Probation Department, City of San Diego and County Mental Health Services.

Thanks to a supporter's recommendation, IBF is looking into offering a support group for children who have bipolar disorder.

If you and your child are interested, please contact Care & Support Committee Chair ,Lisa Weinreb, at lisaweinreb@gmail.com and tell her your child's name, age and gender.

Thank you,
Muffy Walker, President
International Bipolar Foundation

We recently included in My Support an article about a young lady in Canada who uses a "therapy dog" to help her with her anxiety & other symptoms related to her bipolar disorder. (read the article here)

I then met with Southern California's Tender Loving Canines. They are an organization who trains and places canine companions. Unfortunately they do not have as many trainers as they'd like and therefore have a limited number of dogs to place.

February 10, 2010 NPR reports on children's health and medical news including health insurance, new treatments for diseases, and child product safety recalls.

Read the article

In honor of Black History Month, we present three black singers who live with bipolar disorder. Rapper DMX has had significant successes along with problems. Country-western singer Charley Pride is another who has had a successful career. Bobby Brown, on the other hand, has had more difficulty than success.

Read More:

A new Caregiver Support Group will start in February in Rancho Santa Fe. Join Wendy W. the 2nd Monday of the month from 10:00 - 12:00. The first group will be Tuesday, February 8th.
As always, please RSVP to Tom Kelly (tkelly@internationalbipolarfoundation.org) and he will send you the address and directions.