My Support August 13, 2010
Greetings all!
I hope you are enjoying these lazy days of summer. You will see below the announcement of our Annual Pool Party - families are invited and encouraged to bring spouses, siblings, everyone!
IBPF just keeps growing! We have another new board member; Laura Beulke. Read below to learn more about her.
Sincerely,
Muffy Walker
SAVE THE DATE
Annual Family Pool Party
Sunday, August 29, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Please contact Lisa at lisaweinreb@gmail.com
to RSVP & for directions.
Please bring your towels & an appetizer to share.
Welcome to the Board!
Laura Beulke
Laura Beulke was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She currently resides in Encinitas with her husband Michael and their daughter. After graduating high school, Laura worked as a desktop publisher for Kinko's. She then worked as a graphic designer for a printer in the real estate industry and went on to become a production manager/art director at CPS Publishing. In 2002 she started and opened Vertical Printing & Graphics, Inc. a boutique printing & graphics company located in Encinitas, CA.
Laura has joined the Executive Board of IBPF after being a long time supporter. She has served on other non-profit boards including The Innocent Justice Foundation. Laura's interests and hobbies include time with her family and friends, art, travel, theatre, and poker.
EVENT UPDATE
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas R Insel,
Director National Institute of Mental Health,
will be attending and give the welcome at our event!
IBPF & BC2M will be hosting Glenn Close and her sister Jessie for a special evening, Friday, November 12, 2010 at the Grand Del Mar Resort in San Diego. Tickets will go on sale in August, watch for our announcement.
Congratulations to IBPF President Muffy Walker
Muffy Walker, founder and President of IBPF, has recently been invited to join the Advisory Board for bp Magazine. Of course she accepted the honor, and in that capacity will advise the staff on articles and scientific research she feels important to include in the award winning magazine.
Walker joins a board of successful individuals from prestigious universities including Stanford, Tufts, SUNY Buffalo, Case Western, and U. of Cleveland, as well as those from NAMI, Lindner Center of Hope, and The Mood Disorders Society.
If you would like to subscribe to the award winning magazine, go to www.bphope.com or call 877.575.4673
NEWS ALERTS
Bipolar Drug, Lamictal (Lamotrigine) Linked To Aseptic Meningitis, Warns FDA
http://mnt.to/a/3Hk9
Lamictal (Lamotrigine), a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of seizures and bipolar disorder, can cause aseptic meningitis, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has announced.
Online Module Examines Bipolar Disorder
http://mnt.to/a/3H95
Each month, PSA releases an online presentation, developed with experts in the specific clinical area covered to ensure the latest evidence is brought to PSA members using these education tools.
Ketamine May Relieve Depression Quickly For Those With Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Disorder
http://mnt.to/a/3H6z
A single intravenous dose of the anesthetic agent ketamine appears to reduce symptoms of depression within 40 minutes among those with bipolar disorder who have not responded to other treatments, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
AACAP Announces Release Of Parents' Medication Guide For Bipolar Disorder In Children & Adolescents
http://mnt.to/a/3H3C
Today, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is proud to announce the release of the new Parents' Medication Guide for Bipolar Disorder in Children & Adolescents. The guide was developed by AACAP to give reliable information about medication used to treat bipolar disorder in children and adolescents to parents whose children have been diagnosed with the illness.
Bipolar Disorder Hospitalization Represents 60% Of Total Therapy Costs For The Disorder, UK
http://mnt.to/a/3GZs
New research presented today shows that hospital stays for people with Bipolar Disorder cost taxpayers £207 million a year[i]. According to the research, sponsored by AstraZeneca, the NHS spends just 7% (£25 million) of the total costs for Bipolar Disorder on medicines versus 60% on hospital admissions.
Solving The Mystery Of Bone Loss From Drug For Epilepsy And Bipolar Disorder
http://mnt.to/a/3GZk
Scientists are reporting a possible explanation for the bone loss that may occur following long-term use of a medicine widely used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. The drug, valproate, appears to reduce the formation of two key proteins important for bone strength, they said.
MONOGRAPH EXPLORES PROGRAMS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DUAL DIAGNOSES
Paving the Way: Meeting Transition Needs of Young People with
Developmental Disabilities and Serious Mental Health Conditions
presents findings on best practices for transition to adulthood
services for young people ages 16-24 who are dually eligible for
mental health and developmental disability services. The report was
produced by the Research and Training Center on Family Support and
Children's Mental Health at Portland State University with support
from the Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, Center for Mental Health
Services, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, U.S.
Department of Health, and the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education. Contents
include background on definitions, prevalence o f dual eligibles,
challenges, and recommended approaches; eight case studies of programs
providing services; and six descriptions of specific best practices.
The programs featured in the report include a school-based transition
program; outpatient mental health services; an employment-preparation program; programs supporting youth transitions from restrictive
environments to community settings; system-level crisis-prevention and intervention planning; and system-level planning and consultation. The
report is available at
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/PDF/pbPavingTheWayMonograph.pdf
Effects of cannabis use on age at onset in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia Research, 08/09/2010
De Hert M et al. - Cannabis use may decrease age at onset in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, given the evidence for substantial phenotypic and genetic overlap between both disorders. Cannabis use may decrease age at onset in both schizophrenia and bipolar patients and reduce the effect of diagnosis. This is consistent with the view that cannabis use may unmask a pre-existing genetic liability that is partly shared between patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder: An Update
Postgraduate Medicine, 08/13/2010
El-Mallakh RS et al. - Most second-generation antipsychotics have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of mania, both in monotherapy and as adjuncts to mood stabilizers. For bipolar depression, nearly all randomized, placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated that antidepressants do not provide any additional benefit to ongoing mood stabilizers. Additionally, antidepressants carry a risk of destabilization of bipolar disorder with an increase in mania, cycling, and chronic irritable dysphoria. Newer non-antidepressant treatments for depression include quetiapine, lamotrigine, modafinil, and pramipexole. These agents are effective for acute treatment and appear to be effective in maintenance. The least-studied phase of bipolar disorder is the maintenance phase. The use of multiple agents appears to be superior to monotherapy in relapse prevention. Despite the many advances in the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder, the overall prognosis of this severe illness does not appear to have changed.
Disobedient, Disruptive, Defiant, and Disturbed Students:
Behavioral Interventions for Challenging Students
November 17 - 18, 2010, Buena Park, CA
http://www.spectrumtrainingsystemsinc.com/buena_park2.html
FUTURE OF PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES IN CALIFORNIA
UPDATE ON COUNTY ACTIVITIES
San Francisco
Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier's resolution to implement Laura's Law in the City and County of San Francisco successfully passed out of committee 2-1 on July 12, with Michela Alioto-Pier and Carmen Chu voting in favor and John Avalos voting against the measure.
The full San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently continued the resolution to implement Laura's Law until August 3, citing the absence of the county mental health director and unresolved budget issues as reasons to postpone the vote.
Marin
The Marin County Mental Health Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 16 to discuss implementation of Laura's Law.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
San Francisco
Contact the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and express your support
Contact the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by email, letter, or phone to urge them to support Laura's Law. And please encourage your friends who live in San Francisco to do the same.
Click here to find contact information for your Supervisor.
What to say: I support Laura's Law and want to see it implemented in San Francisco! Be sure to share your personal story.
Join NAMI San Francisco and other Laura's Law supporters at the hearing next Tuesday
We need people to attend the hearing next Tuesday, August 3, 2010. There is sure to be a large contingent of Laura's Law opponents and we need to make sure our supporters are present.
NAMI San Francisco advocates and friends who support Laura's Law will be meeting at the stairwell in San Francisco City Hall between 1 and 1:30 pm. They ask that people come in their NAMI Walk t-shirts or plain white shirts to show support.
Marin
Attend the Laura's Law Hearing in Marin County.
When: Monday, August 16, 2010 from 6-9 pm
Where: Connection Center, 3240 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael (nearest cross street is Bellam Blvd.)
Contact the Marin Mental Health Board and Express Your Support
Contact the Marin Mental Health Board to urge them to support Laura's Law. And please encourage your friends who live in Marin to do the same.
What to say: I support Laura's Law and want to see it implemented in Marin! Be sure to share your personal story.
For more information on Laura's Law or to join the effort to implement the law in your county email us at savelives@treatmentadvocacycenter.org.
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives patent for drug formulation
Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a clinical-stage drug-development company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted it patent no. 7,759,506 entitled "Bipolar Trans Carotenoid Salts and Their Uses." This patent includes drug formulation and use claims relating to Diffusion's entire family of first-in-class new chemical entities. Diffusion Pharmaceuticals is commercializing this family of first-in-class drug candidates to treat serious or life-threatening medical conditions characterized by hypoxia or oxygen deprivation at the cellular level.
"Bipolar Trans Carotenoid Salts and Their Uses."
"The issuance of this new patent extends protection beyond our lead drug candidate trans sodium crocetinate (TSC) and is an important addition to our current intellectual property portfolio," said David G. Kalergis, Diffusion's CEO.
Currently the Company has nine issued patents and more than 85 pending patent applications filed in all major international markets.
Off to School and Off Balance? The Importance of Having a Safety Net In Place
by Russ Federman, Ph.D.
Pragmatic Advise for Bipolar Students Heading Off to College
Published on August 3, 2010
It's almost mid-August and the new academic year is just around the corner. For those of you beginning your first year of university study, it's an exciting time. A whole new phase of life is about to begin. And it's one that most of you have been eagerly anticipating for several years. But if you've got bipolar disorder (or think you may), your upcoming transition to the college environment can also be filled with pitfalls. Some will be readily apparent, whereas others will be less so and therefore even more dangerous. But either way I can assure you that the bipolar student heading off to campus faces many more challenges than just making the Dean's list. This blog and several to follow during the fall months will be examining these challenges and offering pragmatic advice.
So let's begin with a common wish; one that we've all probably had from time to time: that is, the desire to leave it all behind.
The excitement of new beginnings often involves the opportunity for a fresh start. Think of those friends who knew you in high school and also knew the rollercoaster-like ups and downs that constantly had you feeling off-balance ... or the teachers you had to speak with in order to explain why your performance was erratic... or the sense of embarrassment you'd intermittently feel after a couple of weeks of impulsive hypomania. It's like your history was etched in stone and as long as you were at the same high school, your bipolar stuff was there with you.
Now as you head off to a new academic and social community, your history isn't known. You have the chance to start it all anew, though this time with a different set of outcomes. What a relief it would be!
The only problem is you can't pack all your stuff and leave your bipolar disorder at home. You may certainly want to leave your medication behind but you're bipolar neurochemistry is going to come with you. And not only will it come with you but you'll potentially be more vulnerable to periods of destabilization as a function of the many stresses and challenges of university life.
So the question becomes ... assuming your bipolar disorder does come along with you, what can you do to make sure you've got the right kind of help in place should you need it. First, if your experience with bipolar disorder has been relatively mild and if you're well stabilized on whatever medications you're currently taking, then you may not need to do anything in relation to receiving additional professional help. Perhaps continuing to do what you're doing, getting medication refills called into a local pharmacy and checking in with your psychiatrist by phone on a monthly basis will suffice. And if that's the case, you're fortunate. You're ahead of the game.
But what if your last six or nine months have been really rough? What if you were hospitalized in May and you've spent the summer trying to get both feet back on the ground? Or what if you and your psychiatrist have been working to find the right combination of medications but you just haven't been successful yet? This is when some planning and prevention will serve you well.
It should be easy enough to contact the counseling or mental health services at the university you'll be attending and speak with someone about connecting with a mental health professional shortly after you arrive on campus. Assuming such services are available to you, then it would facilitate the process if you sign a release of information and have your current mental health provider send a copy of your treatment records to the university counseling or mental health services. Another option is to simply obtain a copy of your records and bring them with you to campus. After all, technically they are yours and it's always good to have a copy of your treatment history. Once you've arrived, a follow-up appointment with a university-based mental health professional will help you to know what's available should you need help. If necessary you can even begin regular appointments with a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or both, soon after fall semester begins.
Also, don't be surprised if you're told that most students with bipolar disorder are referred to off-campus resources. Many universities don't have adequate mental health and psychiatric resources to assist all students seeking their services and those with more chronic conditions (such as bipolar) are typically referred out to clinics or providers better suited to work with ongoing psychiatric issues. The good news is that professional staff at University Counseling Centers are usually well acquainted with the mental health professionals in their geographic area. Consequently, their staff can save you a lot of time and hassle by referring you directly to the professionals they've had good success with.
Last, I want to close by saying that I don't mean to be the voice of doom and gloom. Hopefully, your university experience will be fulfilling and highly successful. Hopefully, you won't feel off-balance. But when I refer to the potential pitfalls, I do so because it's important to recognize that for the bipolar individual, times of change and excitement can also be times of vulnerability. If you were not a masterful high wire acrobat, you probably wouldn't venture out onto the wire without a safety net. In fact, even if you were, healthy caution would tell you that a safety net is always a good idea. Now in relation to your bipolar disorder, you're probably not close to mastery. So why not make sure you have a safety net in place? It doesn't mean you're going to fall. But it does mean you're being mature about managing your disorder. And maturity is a good thing as you head off to college in a few weeks time.
DBSA & NAMI share their news:
I wanted to let you know that DBSA San Diego will be taking a field trip to a Padres game on Sept 4th. We are doing group tickets for $14 and we get a message on the scoreboard too. It is open to friends and family and you are all in my network of mental health friends so you are welcome to join us.
Email me if you'd like to go. I need to turn in the money by August 12th. If you don't want to go or can't, please consider sponsoring someone who does want to go but can't afford it. Feel free to bring friends and family. michelle@dbsasandiego.org
NAMI: NAMI San Diego & CA Events
Information on FMAP from NAMI California
WHAT THE EXTENDED MEDCAID (FMAP) FUNDS MEAN TO CALIFORNIA
In 2008, California received a temporary two year increase of 6.2% in their federal Medicaid matching funds as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that allocated $87 billion for the two year increase. California's share of that funding over two years was about $11 billion. That temporary increase, unless it is extended by Congress, is set to expire December 31, 2010. Whatever the US Congress does or does not do regarding the temporary Medicaid matching funding extension, it will have enormous impact on California's current budget crisis. Most unfortunately, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger optimistically assumed in his proposed State Budget for 2010-2011 last January that the extension would be approved at the level of the current temporary increase of 6.2% . This means that legislators will face increased pressure for more sweeping spending cuts to health and human services programs.
Amendments Dramatically Cut Back the Proposed Medicaid Extension Funds to the States
· Amendments to the bill regarding FMAP offered by US Senate Democratic leaders would have significantly scaled back the extension of the temporary Medicaid funding increase.
· Under the proposed amendment, the states would receive from January 1 to March 31, 2011 a 3.2% increase instead of an extension of the full 6.2% increase. It would drop further, beginning April 1st through June 30, 2011, to a 1.2% temporary increase in the Medicaid funding
· It is not known yet what California's share would be under the new scaled back formula.
Next Steps: US Senate Democrats May Push For Scaled Back Bill Wednesday
· US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat - Nevada) indicated that US Senate Democrats may push for a scaled back education funding bill possibly on Wednesday August 4th
· Even if the US Senate is able to pass some extension of the Medicaid temporary funding increase - the US House of Representatives - would need to approve it too.
· The US House of Representatives began its recess last week after adjournment on Friday (July 30th) and is not scheduled to return to Washington DC until September 13th, with a October 8th targeted adjournment date until the November elections.
· In previous legislation, the House omitted extending that temporary Medicaid increase
Further background information:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
* Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery
* Failing to Extend Fiscal Relief to States Will Create New Budget Gaps, Forcing Cuts and Job Loss in at Least 34 States
National Low Income Housing Coalition
* Update on Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund
About the International Bipolar Foundation
International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission is to eliminate Bipolar Disorder through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support services for all affected; and to erase associated stigma through public education.
Visit us online for more information: www.internationalbipolarfoundation.org
A Word About Funding
Please note that International Bipolar Foundation does not represent any pharmaceutical company or give any speeches for a pharmaceutical company nor does our site receive advertising dollars from any company.
