High School Drama

I have never experienced any type of drama between friends. This is because my Jr. High and Elementary School friends pretty much hate boys. This is my first experience with it and it is soo hilariously funny that there are people out there that can be so stupid. Seriously. Lucky for me, I am indirectly involved. Yes, indirectly. I am not in the midst of the fray, and I probably haven't been named as "Indirectly Involved" by those involved, but I happen to know things about the subject matter that those involved don't know. Ha ha on them. And trust me, I am indirectly involved. (Joanna, if ur reading this, this is a conversation that we need a lot of time for on the phone. I know that you will enjoy this story...)

Ugh

I have had the most trying weekend of my existance. You can probably tell by the snarky entry I posted just preveiously. Here it is in a nutshell, and lemmie tell ya, I just KNOW it is only going to get worse unless someone or something intervenes.

So, I almost got my nose broken playing goalie for soccer. I threw my body over the ball in front of a charging LaCrosse player. I looked up just in time to find out that I had tripped the kid and the next thing I know I am hearing my nose popping in 15 different places. It isn't broken but my nose is slightly crooked now. You probably won't be able to tell because you people haven't looked at it for your entire existance. Then, I get karate chopped in the face on Sunday on accident because I am obviously too short to be noticed. My body hates me and my hormones are going to be the death of me, my attention span is really short and my sister was doing everything in her power this weekend to annoy me. Then to top it all off, my dad got layed off.

I Hate This

I hate this. Fine, here is the joke. Infact, here is more than one.

What do you call a sleep walking nun?
A roamin' Catholic.

What is the definition of a farmer?
Someone who is outstanding in his field.

What has a bottom on it's top?
Your legs.

What is the most accurate name for this entry?
Stupid.

What is the best thing to call annoying people?
Annoying. Duh.

The Long Awaited Joke

OK, so about that joke that everyone is clamouring about. There isn't one. One of my friends hijacked my blog and wrote the last paragraph or so when I left it unattended. If I ever manage to think of a good one that doesn't consist of cheesy puns and stuff, I'll post it.

I Can't Think of a Good Title

So much is going on. Today was probably the most frustrating and stressful 24 hours I have ever endured. Sheeshe-a-mo. I am so burned out from school. This term is killing me. I just hope that I don't drop dead in the middle of the hall squashed by my heavy backpack laden to the brim with homework and pointless textbooks. I hate this.

For the past two days, I have had to do homework just before school and just before the class that the HW was due in. Lemmie tell ya this is the first time and I don't like it. Also, for some odd reason, I have been soo stinking tired that I have been falling asleep in practically every class especially math. (I don't know what it is, but all the math teachers I have had switch into monotone mode when they do notes. I just can't stay awake!) So I had so much to do this morning before school.

But luckily for me, everything finally managed to brighten up when I managed to get the help I needed in Math without using advisory (which I had planned to use for the Chemistry that I was sure I wasn't going to be able to turn in during class)! Not to mention, I now understand the stupid radian concept. Then Seminary of course gave me spiritual steroids and that helped a lot with my day. Chemistry rolled around faster than what I wanted, but by some miracle, I managed to get both of the review sheets (one from a day I was absent and the one from the night before) done and got molarity and molality set straight!

Halleluyah (dang spelt that wrong)

Good Days!!

I am having such a good day today it is not even funny! I am getting good grades on every test I took today and receiving tests back that I have done really good on and just enjoying everything to the fullest!!
In French class today, we had our practice interviews and when I was finished, not only did I get to watch Sleeping Beauty dans la français, but Madame said that I would have passed at the 1020 college level!!!
Then, in English class, we had the dreaded vocabulary tests and guess what? I got a 96/108!! That is so freakin' good considering the oh-holy-toughness of the stupid words in context section!! And on top of that, NO HOMEWORK!
World Civ. class was really awsome too!! We got our WWI tests back AND I GOT 99%!! I only missed one point on my essay outline!! Then I found out that I ranked NUMBER 6 OUT OF MY ENTIRE CLASS!!!!! Crime-a-nitley!!
I heard the greatest joke today as well!!! Tune in tommorrow for the actual joke!!!!!

First Date

I HAD MY VERY FIRST DATE LAST NIGHT!! OH MY HECK IT WAS SOO MUCH FUN!!!!

Rain

I love rain. Rain is my favorite kind of weather. The reason is simple. Because everyone else hates it.

I have this yellow rain coat that literally screams

LOOK AT ME I AM YELLOW!!

I got asked by someone if they could call me Ducky. It was really interesting. I decided that the main reason that I wear this jacket is because it makes people smile on days that are depressing for them.

Thoughts of the Day

I've only got two things to say......





I LOVE PEOPLE!!!





And then there is also......





LIFE IS GOOD...





SO FREAKIN' BE HAPPY!!!

Cool Stuph I Learned From Dad

My dad is pretty awsome, especially on his good days when you can find his ticklish rib, like today, for example. That was hilarious! But as we were getting excited over bugs, and ice cream pouches, he tought me something that is so completely random, but way fun. But you have to say these out loud, you can't just read them. There is always the chance that ten bucks says all you out there have already seen stuph like this. If this is the case, waste your time elsewhere...

- A, B! M R DUCKS.
~M R NOT.
-O S M R! C D WANGS?

-A, B! M R SNAKES.
~M R NOT.
-O S M R! C D FANGS?

-C D B?
~S, I C D B.
-I M A B 2.
~U R NOT.
-S I M!
~E D B. U R NOT D B.
-I H8 U.
~OW.

There are loads out there and I am sure that you can make some up of your own. When you come up with them, leave me a comment on this blog, I really enjoy them!!

Blogging, en Generale

I just noticed exactly how pointless this blog is. No one really knows about it and I don't have anything to say in here that is worth anyones while.

I guess it is safe to say that it is almost like a not-so-private journal for the thoughts that are pretty much a waste of trees.

Oh, well. Hopefully it will help some poor unfortunate bored soul...

World War I

World War I is probably the most pointless war ever in the history of the world. It was basically started by some really touchy conservatives who liked to grip power like a monkey with a bananna.

I do admit that there were some people that weren't as grippy as I described, but they made some pretty stupid choices that lead up to creating this skirmish between the Serbs and the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a ginormous explosive world war.

In short, the really spark-noted version of WWI can be summerized by a few simple words:

Stupid idots that got offended easily and decided to make war with anyone that made it known that their opinions differed.

There ya go. The whole entire World Civ lesson for today in aproximately 21 words.

Boredom

Sometimes boredom is bad. End of story.

Spring Break

You know what sucks like a black hole in the middle of an asteroid field? A spring break in which you get only two school days off and a weekend. What kind of crap does the Board of Education think they can pull on us?! This term was really, extremely, excrutiatinly hard for me because of the fact that we only had one day off from school. Yeah, we get a longer summer, but still, gimme a "break". A real break.

Annoyances

Sometimes siblings are pests. You can't get rid of them and you can't stand their "play with me" pestering. That is part of the reason why I prefer babysitting other people's kids. Sometimes it really sucks when you're the oldest of 3 kids and the youngest is approximately 7 or 8 years younger than you and they don't understand that some things like dating, is annoying to be discussed. Especially when you're going on your first date and the sibling just can't shut up about it or the person you're going with. Crime-a-Nitley. So in short, I am pretty much hating it right now at home. But hey, why does it matter? No one freakin' cares.

The Story of Complete Insanity

Just recently, my compadrés and I made it onto Solo and Ensemble playing the Clarinet and the Violin. I myself was the much saught after pianist extrodinare. The bus ride up to Box Elder was a whole grueling hour of torture. Ok, so it wasn't as bad as I am pulling across. Just because we were on a bus full rowdy weird people like ourselves doesn't mean we didn't manage to stay busy. A while before the bus started to move, me, Bri, and C.K. or as newly christened, Bo Bo, decided to amuse ourselves with passing around a dingy notebook to write a story. Because of our horrible situation, stuck in a stationary bus anticipating an hour long ride, this story is probably good for those who really truely don't have anything better to do. It is a bit funny, but mostly stupid. So, last warning. Check to make sure that you really don't have other engagements before proceeding. I'm warning you, that bus ride was a killer. The ride back was worse though; stuck in a four person mini car with a clarinet, violin three backpacks, three fatties and a driver. Anyway, enjoy our boredom as a remedy to yours!

The Story Of Complete Insanity

By: Azzie

Bri

C.K.

AZ- In the beginning, there was nothing. Complete oblivion was the substance of all eternity.

Bri- Then, suddenly, there was something. But what? Was it an apple, a blue pen, a Prince Charming? No, it was...

CK- A sock??? Yes, a sock! It was a big, evil, smelly… it was a danger to all. But why?

AZ- Because it had been discarded from deity. It had become too holey (haha good eh?) for them. It was dropped from on high to the laundry chute of Despair and No Return. Not only that, it was angry.

Bri- The sock felt justified in its anger. After all, had it not been flung aside like a misshaped marshmallow from a bowl of Lucky Charms? Like a shy kid no one wanted on their kick ball team? Like a piece of tape whose ends had stuck together in a crumpled mess? Like a fat man on a sinking life boat? Like a passel of stupid similes spat out upon a paper by a girl who didn’t know what to write? Yes, it had, and it wanted REVENGE!

CK- It took all night to plan this plan of evil revenge. Only one thing got in the way…It was bigger and smellier and pretty much everything better than the poor angry sock it was… the hamper itself that had swallowed him up.

AZ- For many a moon it fell into the bottomless hamper. That is, until it found out that the bottomless hamper actually had a bottom. Jeez what a discovery. For many more moons he sat and festered and attracted flies until his plan was created and put his plan into action the next night.

Bri- The plan was more simple than Sean Dransfield, less confusing than an email from Robby Ballew, and more vicious than a prank call on Connor Hinkley. In other words, it was perfect.

CK- Night after night passed until the plan actually finally worked out. That is because not only did he have to conquer the hamper but also all the clothes and such on top of him. But, at last he was out.

AZ- Finally after long nights of tribulation and suffering from suffocation, he reached the pinnacle! The rim of the eternal hamper was in sight; all he needed to do was flex his knit-purl custom fitted sock muscles and jump. This was exactly what he proceeded to do. He wound himself in a tight knit knot (haha another good one, eh?) and then suddenly…

Bri- an annoying handkerchief popped up next to him.

“Hiya, Fuzzy,” it piped up. “whatcha doin’?”

“Don’t call me Fuzzy,” growled the sock.

“Oh, sorry, Fuzzy. Are you leaving the hamper? Can I come too?”

CK- “NO! who do you think I am?”

“A smelly old sock.”

“You don’t have to answer that!!”

After a long argument, the handkerchief got out of his way and set of once more.

AZ- Once again, he twisted his sockey little body into a tight knit knot (just as good the second time, eh? Eh?) and springing free of the confines of the hamper, or so he thought. Tragically, the lid was closed.

“Farmer Fitzgibbons!!!” swore the sock. “I am just gonna have to wait for someone to open it!”

Then of all things, the handkerchief had heard this.

Bri- “Silly!” said the handkerchief. “This is a woven hamper. There are holes all over the sides.”

The handkerchief led the sock to a hole.

The sock felt sheepish.

“Now what?” asked the handkerchief.

“We-ell,” said the sock, thinking of his simple, unconfusing, vicious revenge plan.

“Now we…

CK- … let me think for a sec.” The handkerchief waited impatiently for his friend to [scribble scribble scribble]. He got on his head. He woke up with not much time left to put his plan to action.

AZ- “OK,” the handkerchief said once the sock had explained the plan a fortnight prior to executing it. “Your plan just sucks.”

The sock was taken aback. Preposterous! Thought the sock. Preposterous again! My plan is flawless!

AHA! said a voice in his mind, thought you could get away with talking bad about your friend.

Aw crap, thought the sock, I’ve grown a conscience.

The sock rolled his sockey little eyes.

“So you have a better plan?” said the sock.

Bri- “Duh,” the handkerchief said, rolling it’s much better-looking hanky eyes.

The handkerchief explained his plan. “It’s not hard,” he added when he was finished.

“All we need is a gold ring, a bag of Fritos, a nickel, three shoelaces, a bobbly pins two, a small bottle of lotion, some carrots, six Band-Aids, a par of tweezers, a 4”x6” piece of carpet, four marbles, some fingernail clippers, a pancake, a pack of Pokémon cards, a raspberry, glitter two plastic bags, a dozen Tic-Tacs, a piece of fleece, a good-luck penny, mushrooms, twine, a twig, nine black beads, a whistle, a container of resin, chocolate chips, bottled water, leather, a pink rayon, cardboard, yellow string, petrified wood, a Hot Wheels car, a few gum wrappers, a dead mosquito, a lot of paper, a strip of green fabric, gravel, a small china plate, a picture of a butterfly, a rabbits foot, a curler, lots of fireworks, and a rubber band.”

“Oh, and that’s not complicated at all,” the sock said sarcastically.

CK- “Oh, yeah and one more thing— a book mark. Well, lets get to work.” Said the handkerchief.

“Wait, you’re kidding, right?” asked the sock, hoping. “so you really think I am that dumb? That will take forever. We really need a better plan!” said the sock.

“What will it be? Mon or your no thought up plan yet?” said the handkerchief.

AZ- “Nope,” said the sock. “Your plan is the stinky one. I’m going to go with my new and revised plan. It goes like this:

!. Tie the stupid hanky in a knot

2. Jump out the stupid hole in the stupid side of the stupid basket

3. MOVE ON WITH THE FREAKIN’ STORY LINE!!”

So to prevent further stalling, the sock followed the steps of his plan and fell down to earth, where he met Brianne Sandorf. She told him exactly what the best plan for revenge was in the next paragraph because she was really good at getting revenge on Jerkfaces who stand in the shadows and chuck nasty crab apples at liars.

Bri- “Your best hope of revenge is to capture Aisley Oliphant and sic her on your enemies,” said Brianne. “ they will be very sorry.”

“Mmmmm!” agreed the wadded up handkerchief.

Brianne untied him and told the sock not to abuse characters she put in the story.

“Then I’ll just abuse you,” retorted the sock. “You have to come help me execute my evil plot.”

“Oh, yeah? Or what?”

CK- NO. This is a strange mixed up story and lets please get on with it. I guesses Aisley or Brianne are our only hope, that is if they GET ALONG! No executions. Just defeat the stupid hamper.

AZ- Fine.

The sock walked thought the trees with Brianne. (they were on EARTH)

“So where do we find Aisley?” the sock inquired. Brianne thought a moment.

“At the Dribble Bib factory.”

The sock was confused. “Dribble Bib?”

“Yeah, sounds crazy but you know, that is the name of them.”

The sock twisted his threaddy features into a grimace of confusion, or at least what he thought was a grimace of confusion.

Brianne, now a bit annoyed at the socks ignorance, clarified.

“Crazy Aisley’s Dribble Bibs: the Essential Equipment for Every Wanna-Be Clarinetist.”

The sock decided it wasn’t worth it.

“Let’s just break into the factory.” He growled.

“She’s not there. I’m getting vibes she’s obsessing over a personalized Dribble Bib for Big Chiddy.”

Bri- “You mean Big Chitty,” the sock corrected.

“Yeah, him,” Brianne said. “The Oboist.”

“Well, let’s go get her.” The sock sighed.

He turned to the hanky. “Okay, on the count of three, dash to Crazy Aisley’s and kidnap her, okay?”

CK- “Great! ONE…TWO…THREE…”

“WAIT!! What are we going to do with her when we get her and how do we do it without getting caught?” asked the handkerchief.

“Good question. Ok, here’s what we’ll do…

AZ- “You go and get the mini chairs out of the primary room.” Said a tree to the right.

“Why?” asked the handkerchief

“Because it can serve as camouflage equipment, a shield from the ugly people who are named Remington who steals people’s stuph and it can also be used as a weapon.” Said the tree to the left.

(Trees are talking, so what?)

The Hanky understood and off he went.

“I’ll be back in 5 minutes!” yelled the hanky over his shoulder.”

“With Aisley, I hope!” yelled the sock.

Bri- The hanky was back in 5 minutes with a black eye and one kicking, screaming Aisley.

“Oh, look, it’s my adopted sister,” Brianne commented. “And she’s not happy…”

“You wouldn’t even allow me to finish drawing the freakin’ ‘y’!!” Aisley yelled.

“Lock her up,” ordered the sock.

CK- “GO AWAY,” yelled Aisley, “LEAVE me alone or else…you…you’ll be sorry.”

AZ-- Then Aisley stopped screaming for a minute.

“On second thought, I’m taking over this story!!” she yelled with a wild look in her eyes.

She grabbed the handkerchief and blew her nose in it and chucked it aside, screaming. The sock suddenly became really scared.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” the sock whispered to Brianne.

Aisley then made a sudden grab for the sock and sized him around the throat. She tied him in a knot as he screamed:

“Brianne! Do something!”

“Sorry,” she shrugged, “I can’t do anything.”

Then Aisley swung him around her head, launching him in the direction of the dump. He was a flaming stenchy meteor that scorched over the gate of the dump and into a garbage compacter. So much for revenge.

Magnesium

I learned how to make fireworks and flares in Chemistry. All you need is some magnesium and strontium together in an explosive case. Way fun stuff if you ask me.

My Life In Advisory

Advisory at my school was pretty fun. I say fun for only one reason. But in order to know why, you must know the part of advisory that made my life most worth while. Adivisory at the start of the year started out pretty great because my neighbor and my other neighbor that really isnt my neigbor but is walking distance from my house were in my class. Then as the year went on, lo and behold a certian bespectical character by the name of Kevin Doxey with teeth up his nose showed up and started talking to me. All of the sudden, I have no right to speak or anything. Kind of dumb. But ya know, there is nothing you can do about it I suppose...

Bipolar Resarch-- Health

Bipolarreportinfo022908

www.nimh.nih.gov

What is Bipolar?

-Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical illness that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe

-But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated

-About 5.7 million American adults or about 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year,¹ have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated

-“Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live. It is an illness that is biological in its origins, yet one that feels psychological in the experience of it; an illness that is unique in conferring advantage and pleasure, yet one that brings in its wake almost unendurable suffering and, not infrequently, suicide.”--Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., An Unquiet Mind, 1995, p. 6. (Reprinted with permission from Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.)

What are the symptoms?

-Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings

-The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:

• either an elated, happy mood or an irritable, angry, unpleasant mood
• increased physical and mental activity and energy
• racing thoughts and flight of ideas
• increased talking, more rapid speech than normal
• ambitious, often grandiose plans
• risk taking
• impulsive activity such as spending sprees, sexual indiscretion, and alcohol abuse
• decreased sleep without experiencing fatigue
• A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.

-A mild to moderate level of mania is called hypomania. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated with good functioning and enhanced productivity. Thus even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar disorder, the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people or can switch into depression.

-Sometimes, severe episodes of mania or depression include symptoms of psychosis (or psychotic symptoms). Common psychotic symptoms are hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or otherwise sensing the presence of things not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical reasoning or explained by a person’s usual cultural concepts). Psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder tend to reflect the extreme mood state at the time. For example, delusions of grandiosity, such as believing one is the President or has special powers or wealth, may occur during mania; delusions of guilt or worthlessness, such as believing that one is ruined and penniless or has committed some terrible crime, may appear during depression. People with bipolar disorder who have these symptoms are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as having schizophrenia, another severe mental illness

-In some people, however, symptoms of mania and depression may occur together in what is called a mixed bipolar state. Symptoms of a mixed state often include agitation, trouble sleeping, significant change in appetite, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. A person may have a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.

Bipolar disorder may appear to be a problem other than mental illness—for instance, alcohol or drug abuse, poor school or work performance, or strained interpersonal relationships. Such problems in fact may be signs of an underlying mood disorder.

What is a "mixed" state?

A mixed state is when symptoms of mania and depression occur at the same time. During a mixed state depressed mood accompanies manic activation.

What are the symptoms of depression?

Depression is the other phase of bipolar disorder. The symptoms of depression may include:

• loss of energy
• prolonged sadness
• decreased activity and energy
• restlessness and irritability
• inability to concentrate or make decisions
• increased feelings of worry and anxiety
• less interest or participation in, and less enjoyment of activities normally enjoyed
• feelings of guilt and hopelessness
• thoughts of suicide
• change in appetite (either eating more or eating less)
• change in sleep patterns (either sleeping more or sleeping less)

What is the Treatment?

-In most cases, bipolar disorder is much better controlled if treatment is continuous than if it is on and off. But even when there are no breaks in treatment, mood changes can occur

Mood stablizers

• Lithium, the first mood-stabilizing medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of mania, is often very effective in controlling mania and preventing the recurrence of both manic and depressive episodes.
• Anticonvulsant medications, such as valproate (Depakote^®) or carbamazepine (Tegretol^®), also can have mood-stabilizing effects and may be especially useful for difficult-to-treat bipolar episodes. Valproate was FDA-approved in 1995 for treatment of mania.
• Newer anticonvulsant medications, including lamotrigine (Lamictal^®), gabapentin (Neurontin^®), and topiramate (Topamax^®), are being studied to determine how well they work in stabilizing mood cycles.
• Anticonvulsant medications may be combined with lithium, or with each other, for maximum effect.
• Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder generally are treated with lithium, but valproate and carbamazepine also are used. Researchers are evaluating the safety and efficacy of these and other psychotropic medications in children and adolescents. There is some evidence that valproate may lead to adverse hormone changes in teenage girls and polycystic ovary syndrome in women who began taking the medication before age 20.¹³ Therefore, young female patients taking valproate should be monitored carefully by a physician.
• Women with bipolar disorder who wish to conceive, or who become pregnant, face special challenges due to the possible harmful effects of existing mood stabilizing medications on the developing fetus and the nursing infant.¹⁴ Therefore, the benefits and risks of all available treatment options should be discussed with a clinician skilled in this area. New treatments with reduced risks during pregnancy and lactation are under study.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with bipolar disorder learn to change inappropriate or negative thought patterns and behaviors associated with the illness.
  • Psychoeducation involves teaching people with bipolar disorder about the illness and its treatment, and how to recognize signs of relapse so that early intervention can be sought before a full-blown illness episode occurs. Psychoeducation also may be helpful for family members.
  • Family therapy uses strategies to reduce the level of distress within the family that may either contribute to or result from the ill person’s symptoms.
  • Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy helps people with bipolar disorder both to improve interpersonal relationships and to regularize their daily routines. Regular daily routines and sleep schedules may help protect against manic episodes.
  • As with medication, it is important to follow the treatment plan for any psychosocial intervention to achieve the greatest benefit.
    • In situations where medication, psychosocial treatment, and the combination of these interventions prove ineffective, or work too slowly to relieve severe symptoms such as psychosis or suicidality, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be considered. ECT may also be considered to treat acute episodes when medical conditions, including pregnancy, make the use of medications too risky. ECT is a highly effective treatment for severe depressive, manic, and/or mixed episodes. The possibility of long-lasting memory problems, although a concern in the past, has been significantly reduced with modern ECT techniques. However, the potential benefits and risks of ECT, and of available alternative interventions, should be carefully reviewed and discussed with individuals considering this treatment and, where appropriate, with family or friends.¹⁹
    • Herbal or natural supplements, such as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), have not been well studied, and little is known about their effects on bipolar disorder. Because the FDA does not regulate their production, different brands of these supplements can contain different amounts of active ingredient. Before trying herbal or natural supplements, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. There is evidence that St. John’s wort can reduce the effectiveness of certain medications.²⁰ In addition, like prescription antidepressants, St. John’s wort may cause a switch into mania in some individuals with bipolar disorder, especially if no mood stabilizer is being taken.²¹
    • Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are being studied to determine their usefulness, alone and when added to conventional medications, for long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.²²

What are the causes of Bipolar?

-While the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known, most scientists believe that bipolar disorder is likely caused by multiple factors that interact with each other to produce a chemical imbalance affecting certain parts of the brain. Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and studies suggest a genetic component to the illness. A stressful environment or negative life events may interact with an underlying genetic or biological vulnerability to produce the disorder. There are other possible "triggers" of bipolar episodes: the treatment of depression with an antidepressant medication may trigger a switch into mania, sleep deprivation may trigger mania, or hypothyroidism may produce depression or mood instability. It is important to note that bipolar episodes can and often do occur without any obvious trigger.

www.nami.org

www.nmha.org

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/