Bipolar You

The young adult's guide to bipolar depression.

by Russ Federman, Ph.D.

Are You Bipolar or Just Moody?

It would be nice if there were a simple answer to the question, or even better, if there were a blood test, an MRI or a brain scan to determine bipolar disorder. We're not there yet. What we do have is a set of symptoms which exist on a broad continuum. What gets tricky is identifying where the threshold lies between normal functioning and psychopathology. Read More

Is There Such a Thing as Bipolar OCD Disorder?

Technically, no; you won't find any such diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's not at all uncommon that I hear obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms as part of bipolar patients' descriptions of what happens when they are out of midrange mood. Read More

Surviving Bipolar Depression

The symptoms of bipolar disorder that most grab our attention are the elevated mood states of hypomania and mania. The impulsivity, high energy, rapid speech and euphoria of someone experiencing elevated mood are far more unusual or aberrant than the pessimism, low energy and low self-esteem of depressed mood. Read More

Finding Love with Bipolar Disorder: Those Nasty Perceptions of Damaged Goods

One of the more challenging issues for young adults with bipolar disorder involves the prospect of finding a fulfilling and enduring love relationship. Self-esteem is difficult enough when you're having a hard time sustaining emotional stability. Read More

Spring Has Sprung and So Might Your Hypomania

As of 3/13/11, most of the United States, with the exception of the state of Arizona, sprung forward by one hour very early in the morning. Read More

Bipolar Disorder and Your Use of Academic Parachutes: Accepting Your Need for Help and Ensuring You Land Safely

"Parachute: A device for slowing the descent of a person or object through the air that consists of a fabric canopy beneath which the person or object is suspended." Read More

Alcohol, Drugs and Bipolar Disorder: A Bad Combination

One of the more common themes in university students' bipolar stories is the role that substance use has had in the course of their disorder. Sometimes it's simply part of the stormy adolescence that precedes their diagnosis. For others, it's more a part of the storm that follows. But either way it's almost never a helpful or curative part of their narrative. Read More

University Life, Bipolar Disorder and Inadequate Sleep: A Risky Combination

One of the big differences between living at home versus being away at college is that no one is going to say anything about your sleep habits, except maybe a roommate who you might be keeping up when he or she is trying to sleep. In most respects, your daily life patterns are now your own to determine. And this is no small thing when you think about how long that hasn't been the case. Read More

Drinking from the End of a Fire Hose … Or Not: Preventing Bipolar Instability at the Beginning of Fall Semester

For those of you headed off to college for the first time, this next month will be exciting. Making last-minute purchases, connecting with prospective roommates, saying goodbye to your high school identity and preparing for what's next: a lot of unknowns, a lot to look forward to and for those of you with bipolar disorder, perhaps some things to be appropriately cautious about. Read More

Off to School and Off Balance? The Importance of Having a Safety Net In Place

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. Read More

Why Is Bipolar So Hard To Treat?

For those with bipolar disorder, the symptoms leading to the diagnosis typically emerge sometime between the mid-teens and the mid-twenties (see blog dated 2/10/10). It seems like a cruel joke that the behavioral norms of late adolescence and early adulthood are antithetic to the requirements for successful management of the disorder. Read More

Bipolar Irritability: Often Overlooked and Underestimated

At age 23, Keith has been depressed on and off for the last four years. He also has no clue as to why. He had a happy childhood with very supportive parents. He did well in college and he's now in his first year of employment as a high school science teacher. Keith has also been in a love relationship for the last eight months and his friendships are similarly quite good. Read More

Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Perseverance: The Challenges of Completing a College Degree with Bipolar Disorder

As we approach mid-May many fourth-year college students are preparing for graduation. Their sustained efforts over the last four years have paid off and they'll soon have a degree in hand. They've endured a lot over the last four years ... Read More

The Seduction of Hypomania

For those with bipolar disorder life would be a lot easier if hypomania (mild manic symptoms) were more like a stomach ache. You'd begin to hurt or feel nauseous and the experience would signal that something is wrong. You might take an antacid, you might refrain from eating until your pain subsides, or if you do eat, you'll go for something bland and soothing. Read More

The Bipolar II Conundrum: Neurochemical Disorder vs. Personal Responsibility

For those with bipolar disorder, and particularly for those with Bipolar II (see my blog from 2/18/10), symptoms in the mild to moderate range can often give rise to feelings of guilt and self-doubt. Essentially Bipolar II individuals are left with the question: "What am I responsible for vs. Read More

Dispelling Stigma: Revealing Your Bipolar Truth

I lead a weekly support group for bipolar students through Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia. Each week, discussion varies considerably usually reflecting the different struggles that students may have encountered during the preceding week. Read More

Bipolar I and Its Smaller Sibling: Distinctions between I and II

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association is the manual guiding all psychiatric diagnosis in the United States and around the world. Read More

Bipolar Disorder - A Snapshot of the Diagnosis

Let's start with an analogy: When your car's engine is running and it's in park or neutral, the engine is idling at a fairly steady rate. You don't even have to press on the gas pedal because the delivery of fuel is at just the right amount to keep the engine turning steadily. Now imagine that without touching the gas pedal, the engine starts revving. Read More

The Low Prevalence Of Bipolar Disorder Among University Students: The Essential Role of a Support Group

Welcome to the first posting of Bipolar You - a blog about bipolar disorder. What distinguishes this from the many blogs you'll find across the web is the specific focus upon bipolar disorder during the university years.In my day-to-day professional life, I'm Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at the University of Virginia. Read More

Russ Federman, Ph.D., ABPP, is director of counseling and psychological services at the University of Virginia and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatric medicine.

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About Bipolar You

Bipolar disorder would be easier to treat if it emerged in middle-age when lifestyle patterns are more conducive towards maintaining stability. But the onset of bipolar disorder typically occurs somewhere berween the mid-teens and the mid-twenties, which also happens to be a time of considerable turbulence and developmental change. "Bipolar You" addresses the challenges faced by young adults trying deal with the realites of living with this disorder.