Bipolar You

Here is a link to more information about the genetics of Bipolar Disorder that was prepared by our genetic counselor and which has links to some useful resource for those dealing with this condition: http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Bipolar_Disorder/62. There is also a number listed for anyone who wants to speak to a genetic counselor by phone. I hope it helps. Thanks, AccessDNA

I am a UVA alum and found this link through the UVA Today Daily Report. I am an 2006 CLAS grad, and had a question regarding your findings w/r/t bipolar disorder and university students. I had a dear friend who was diagnosed as bipolar while in college (not at UVA, but at one of the Ivies) who ultimately took his own life a few years ago. He was a very talented intellectual and artistic individual who had a strong family support system and was also gregarious and had multiple groups of friends at school. In the end, he took a semester off from school because of the disease. I know this is an individual case, but the thing I kept thinking about was that this was an individual with the BEST possible environment for seeking help and dealing with his disease, and even he was not able to overcome it. I do not know if he participated in any kind of a bipolar support group. I am curious as to your thoughts on how participating in such a group may have helped him, and whether his withdrawal from school may have actually worsened rather than improved his outlook, generally speaking of course. Thanks for any insight you have!

Thank you for your blog.
Perhaps one reason for the low prevalence is because the typical onset of bipolar symptoms is late teens to mid 20's. Students may not be able to understand what is happening to them and pass off their instability as a natural consequence of the transition into adulthood.
I have found this to be true in my own experience as I wasn't able to fully recognize my problems as bipolar disorder until the age of 27. By this time, I could clearly recognize the pattern of up and down which began for me at around age 17 with a period of depression.

I am bipolar, I graduated in Psychology and sociology honnors
from bishop university ten years ago.
I found it hard, but I did it!

I was recently diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder, but knew I was bipolar for a few years. I have been in university since 2001 and have found the struggle to complete my degree very difficult. My school has expelled me twice for failure to meet academic standards, but I keep going back. I feel so alone in this struggle and often want to just give up. I would love to know how to stay motivated, focused and positive about my future. How do you complete your degree with this disorder, what helps?

Thanks