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WebMD
6 days ago
- General
- WebMD
The Bipolar 1 Warning Signs I Ignored
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that is characterized by dramatic mood episodes that include mania or hypomania. These 'high' moods alternate with periods of depression. People who manage the condition can live fulfilling, happy lives. According to a study on the prevalence of bipolar disorder I and II in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, it takes, on average, six years for a person to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When the condition is undiagnosed, it can wreak havoc on a person's life. The mood episodes can become more severe the longer a person is untreated. Luckily, I received a diagnosis within one year of the symptoms starting, but that's probably because I developed more serious psychotic symptoms. Looking back, I realize that there were red flags that I ignored before my diagnosis. Hyperfixation on Goals About a year before I was diagnosed, I officially started my mental health marketing company. At this time, I started working upwards of 80 hours a week. I felt super motivated, adopted a 'hustle mindset,' and became hyper-focused on my goals. I considered this healthy ambition and didn't think much of it. However, looking back, I realize that this was an increase in goal-directed activity, which is a sign of bipolar disorder. Brain Fog In the year leading up to my diagnosis, I had pretty bad brain fog. I would forget what I was doing just five minutes prior. I knew that wasn't normal. I felt like something was wrong, and this feeling wouldn't go away. So, I made an appointment with my primary care doctor. I described my brain fog to him. He dismissed it as normal age-related memory changes. I wasn't quite satisfied with this answer. But I think it's what I wanted to hear. So, I ignored my concerns and didn't bring the issue up to him again. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) doesn't list "brain fog" as a specific symptom of bipolar disorder. However, it turns out that memory and cognitive issues are common in bipolar disorder (International Journal of Bipolar Disorders). Sleep Changes I started experiencing sleep changes about a year or so before my diagnosis. I would stay up very late, well into the early morning hours, working. Sometimes, I wouldn't go to bed until close to dawn. At the time, I was not tracking my sleep (now I do). But I probably wasn't getting enough sleep. Because of the changes in my sleep patterns, I saw a sleep specialist. He diagnosed me with a delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, which is a circadian rhythm disorder. I've since learned that circadian rhythm disorders are common in people with bipolar disorder. Anxiety A couple of weeks before my first manic episode, I had what I would call 'anxious distress.' This went way beyond regular stress. I felt as though I couldn't handle or manage things. I worried that I was losing control. This was different from normal for me. I'd never had anxiety like this before. I was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as well. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder are more likely to also experience anxiety. Paranoia I started to have paranoia right before I was diagnosed. Most people experience feelings of paranoia from time to time. So, I brushed it off. However, paranoia is a sign of psychosis, which can occur with bipolar disorder.
Medscape
29-05-2025
- General
- Medscape
Study Underscores Need for Eye Exam in Psych Disorders
Individuals older than 50 years with bipolar or major depressive disorder were more likely to have retinal disease, and those with a diagnosis of retinal disease and a psychiatric illness were at sharply higher risk for impaired vision than those with retinal disease alone. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of adults aged 50-89 years with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (n = 160,414; mean age, 65 years), bipolar disorder (n = 391,440; mean age, 63 years), or major depressive disorder (n = 1,962,380; mean age, 67 years), matched with people without psychiatric conditions. They also examined how comorbid psychiatric disorders affected vision impairment in patients with retinal disease, focusing on those with schizophrenia (n = 8880), bipolar disorder (n = 22,678), or major depressive disorder (n = 265,544); these patients were matched to individuals with retinal disease but no history of psychiatric disorders. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of retinal disease, including chronic or age-related conditions, and the secondary outcome was having impaired vision. TAKEAWAY: Individuals with bipolar disorder showed a 4%-15% higher risk for retinal disease across all age groups older than 60 years (relative risk [RR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08 for ages 60-69 years; RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10-1.20 for ages 70-79 years; and RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.07-1.23 for ages 80-89 years). Major depressive disorder also was associated with an increased likelihood of retinal disease in people aged 50-59 years (RR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.79-1.89), with sustained increase in risk among those aged 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80-89 years. Among individuals with retinal disease, those with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder were about 50% more likely to have impaired vision (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.48-1.54) as were those with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (RR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.25-1.42). While individuals with schizophrenia were less likely to be diagnosed with retinal disease (RR < 1 across all age groups), those who had both schizophrenia and retinal disease were 35% more likely to experience impaired vision as were those with retinal disease alone (RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.23-1.48). IN PRACTICE: 'Individuals with psychiatric disorders are often considered a vulnerable population due to systemic, social, and biologic factors that contribute to worse health outcomes compared to the general population,' the authors of the study wrote. 'Psychiatric disorders are also associated with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome that are known to increase risk of retinal disease such as diabetic retinopathy. Our findings suggest the need for closer monitoring of retinal disease and visual impairment in individuals with psychiatric disorders.' SOURCE: This study was led by Jeffrey Chu of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. It was published online on May 20, 2025, in Eye . LIMITATIONS: The retrospective nature of this study and potential variations in coding practices among clinicians and institutions limited the findings. Data for optical coherence tomography and visual acuity were unavailable in the network database. Additionally, unaccounted variables such as use of medication, duration of psychiatric disorders, lifestyle factors like smoking, socioeconomic status, and healthcare access may have introduced confounding effects that could not be controlled for. DISCLOSURES: This study received support from the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative through a National Institutes of Health grant, along with partial support from some other sources. Some authors disclosed receiving personal fees, research fees, consulting fees, and speaking fees from several pharmaceutical companies.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Family of missing 26-year old man continues search on Peninsula
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A mother and father are asking the Peninsula community for help to find their missing son, 26-year-old Jarred Cabanban, last seen May 20 when he was released from Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center. Hampton Police Division search for missing 27-year-old man According to Jarred Cabanban's family, all they know is he was receiving treatment at Riverside Regional. Now, the family has questions on his whereabouts and how he was able to leave the facility. 'Your mom and I, Jarred, are together, please come home,' said Jarred's father, John Cabanban said. That's the plea John Cabanban and Christina Waldo are making to their son. They said Jarred has always been a helpful and kind soul. But lately, he's needed help of his own. His parents said Jarred suffers from bipolar disorder, and recently had a manic episode that resulted in his admission to Riverside Regional. Both parents said they spoke to Jarred while he was at the facility before he was suddenly released. 'On May 20, he was discharged from Riverside, and we were not aware of him being discharged,' Waldo said. They say they received no communication about the move. They believe Jarred was discharged without his proper medication, phone and wallet. They fear he could be anywhere, but they aren't giving up hope. 'We just feel that we're one step behind him,' said Jarred's mother, Christina Waldo. But time is of the essence, so they are asking anyone in the area to be on the lookout, and if you think you've seen Jarred, call police. 10 On Your Side reached out to Riverside Regional to try and learn more about the details surrounding Jarred's release. In a statement, a team member told us that this an active investigation and they are unable to comment. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact the Hampton Police Division at (757) 727-6111 or call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
‘I always had an affinity with Wolfe Tone. Maybe because I was told I wasn't Irish'
As a child growing up in Roundwood , in Co Wicklow , Kwaku Fortune was too shy to put his hand up for a part in the school play. At secondary school he got a callback for the role of Banquo after auditioning for Macbeth but 'chickened out' and didn't go. Two decades or so later, when the 34-year-old actor and writer hops on to a Zoom call it is from New York , where his new play recently had its world premiere. The Black Wolfe Tone, as the New York Times puts it , is 'a play about mental illness, and profoundly about identity – the inheritance of it; the fracturing of it; the ugly, racist questioning of it'. Initial reviews for the one-man drama, which Fortune is both the author and the star of, have been positive. One critic called it 'an arresting and thought-provoking look into one man's life'; another said it 'confirms Fortune as an actor worth watching and watching for'. 'The responses have been nice,' the actor says with a grin. 'For the most part it's been really good, and it's kind of touching that people are getting it and laughing, because it can be quite dark. But there's a lot of comedy in it, too. I think when people are with you and they laugh, you're on to something. The dark points are better with the balance of the light.' The play tells the story of Kevin, a young man who has bipolar disorder. When we meet him he is confined in a psychiatric institution, where a panel is to assess whether he's ready to be released. As well as mental health and identity, Fortune explores themes of generational trauma and violence – issues that have been woven into the fabric of his own life. READ MORE He recalls growing up as one of the only people of colour in Roundwood, with a Ghanaian mother and an Irish father. His mother would laugh off the 'playful and curious' questions from locals, but he recalls 'getting in scraps' with other kids from time to time. Acting did not become a serious pursuit until he was studying marketing at Tallaght Institute of Technology. Bitten by the bug through the college's drama society, he dropped out of his course after being offered a TV opportunity. He eventually went on to study at the Lir Academy, Trinity College Dublin's drama school, through a bursary. He graduated in 2017 alongside Paul Mescal . 'I love him. I wish him the best,' he says of his now globally famous classmate. 'It couldn't happen to a better man. He's such a talent, but also such a hard worker and so confident.' That level of fame doesn't appeal to Fortune. 'I think back in the day, when I was at the Lir, it was, like, 'I want to be a star!' but once you let those doors open you can't close them,' he says. 'I mean, of course you want the success, the money, but fame doesn't interest me – and I think, unfortunately, they go hand in hand. Kwaku Fortune: I was always told what I was by other people – 'not white', 'not black', 'not black enough' 'I look at Cillian Murphy and Daniel Day-Lewis, and certain actors who don't really court that, who are more about the work. I would love to work with all the greats – and I'd love to do great film and TV, and even great stage work – but I prefer to keep myself more private.' Fortune has had his share of film and TV roles but has always been pulled back to the stage, often to more left-field roles. His previous work has included Marina Carr's On Raftery's Hill, Martin McDonagh's Beauty Queen of Leenane and Playboyz, a contemporary reimagining of JM Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. He's drawn to 'that kind of earthy, wild, dark, aggressive stuff, even though I'm a little puppy dog. The dark side is within us all, and that's something I'm interested in exploring.' His new play grew out of being asked to write something by Fishamble, Jim Culleton's Dublin-based theatre company. Fortune's schoolboy admiration for the 18th-century revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone – particularly his 'outsider' status as a Protestant who was fighting for a united Ireland and equal rights for Catholics – was one of his starting points. 'I was always told what I was by other people – 'not white', 'not black', 'not black enough',' he says. 'So I always had an affinity with Wolfe Tone in a weird kind of way. Maybe it was because I was told I 'wasn't Irish'; I really latched on to that, so the title just kind of fit with this play.' The Black Wolfe Tone also has its origins in an incident when Fortune was racially abused on a bus several years ago, and told to 'go back to your own country'. He responded by speaking to his aggressor in Irish, 'and he was, like, 'Is that supposed to be some f**king African language, some click-click language?'' [ Black children in Ireland at greatest risk of racist abuse, report finds Opens in new window ] He shakes his head, smiling. 'It was funny, because I was performing in a way, as a kind of defence mechanism, to make everything light and comedic. But there's also this feeling of 'Everyone else could share his views', because I was the only black person on the bus. So at four in the morning, in this kind of fever dream, I just wrote this little piece about it.' Fortune has also had to deal with mental health issues that he initially hid from people, worried that he wouldn't get work. 'I don't suffer from it any more, thankfully. I take medication every night and keep on top of it, keep my routine,' he says. 'But I did suffer with it as a young man, and I suppose the play explores the origins of that. 'A big question I always had was, 'Why do I have it? Why me?'' He sighs, throwing his hands up. 'I went a bit wild as a young man. I took a lot of drugs, psychedelics, all that kind of stuff – but a lot of my friends were also doing the same stuff, and they didn't have the same response. 'So the play explores where it comes from. You look into genetics, or 'Is it how I grew up? Is it identity? Is it about feeling misplaced? Was it drug-induced?' It asks all these things, but I don't think there is just one answer.' The Black Wolfe Tone also explores the way violent behaviour is passed down through generations, a topic that Fortune is particularly conscious of now that he's a father of a 17-month-old boy himself. He based the play's father figure on his own dad, 'but it's also every Irish father, in a way,' he says. 'Becoming a father during this process kind of flipped everything on its head, as well: the fear of trying to protect this little one. 'My dad is such a loving man, and he tried so hard – I was a boll**ks as well. I think we're very alike, so we sparked off each other when I was a teenager. But he did his best for all of us.' Fortune smiles. 'It's interesting, because he wanted to come see the readings, and I was, like, 'No, no, wait until it's finished.' His father's going to see The Black Wolfe Tone when it's in Bray, the actor says with a grimace. 'So that's going to be an interesting one.' Fortune would love to make enough money to live in New York, where his play – which he's hoping will open new avenues for him – is halfway through a month-long run at the off-Broadway Irish Repertory Theatre. 'I don't want to jinx it, but I would love to maybe turn The Black Wolfe Tone into a miniseries. I have another film that I'm trying to write, as well, which is in the early stages,' he says. 'I have loads of ideas for stuff, but I think the main goal is just to create more and to be able to produce my own work.' He laughs when he thinks back to the young Kwaku, too shy to put himself forward for the school production of Cinderella. He's come a long way. 'I wish I could just say to him, 'Grow up, you little boll**ks, and just do it,' because it was such a long journey to get here.' He grins, then pauses. 'But maybe if I had said yes I wouldn't be here now.' He shrugs. 'I'd say, 'Just go for it. Don't be afraid.'' The Black Wolfe Tone, staged by Fishamble , is at the Irish Repertory Theatre , in New York, until Sunday, June 1st; at Project Arts Centre , Dublin, June 4th-14th; at Mermaid Arts Centre , Bray, Co Wicklow, on June 17th and 18th; and at Cork Midsummer Festival on June 20th and 21st
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Postpartum Psychosis Risk Linked to Sister's Medical History
LOS ANGELES — Risk for postpartum psychosis is significantly higher in women who have a sister who has experienced the condition and/or has bipolar disorder (BD), a new study showed. In a population-based cohort study of nearly 1.7 million women, those with a full sister who had had the disorder were 10 times more likely to have postpartum psychosis than those whose sister did not have it. Odds of developing the condition were doubled when a sister had BD and about 14-fold higher if a sister had both BD and postpartum psychosis. Although rare, postpartum psychosis is considered 'one of the most severe psychiatric conditions,' co-investigator Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of Mount Sinai's Women's Mental Health Center, New York City, and colleagues noted. If not addressed and treated, the condition has been linked to increased risk for suicide and infanticide. But findings such as these can help clinicians identify those at potentially greater risk and make a plan, Bergink told Medscape Medical News. 'You don't have to start medication right away, but we do need to be aware' of the risk, she said. The findings were presented on May 19 at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2025 Annual Meeting and were simultaneously published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Relative Risks Postpartum psychosis typically occurs in the first 3 months after childbirth, with onset most likely in the first month. It can also occur in women who have no history of psychiatric illness and is the leading cause of maternal deaths, the researchers noted. If a woman shows symptoms of the condition — which include excessive energy, agitation, paranoia, confusion, and sleep problems — it should be addressed as a medical emergency, they added. Although previous research has shown that genetic factors can contribute to increased postpartum psychosis risk, the magnitude of that contribution has been unclear. In the current analysis, Bergink and colleagues examined data from Swedish national registers for 1,648,759 women who gave birth between January 1980 and September 2017. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of postpartum psychosis. Results showed that 2514 of the total participants — only 0.15% — had postpartum psychosis within the first 3 months of the birth of their first child. However, after adjusting for year and age at childbirth, the relative recurrence risk (RRR) was 10.69 for the condition in mothers with a full sister who had experienced the condition compared with mothers with a sister who had not experienced it (95% CI, 6.6-16.3; P < .001). Still, the absolute risk for those with an affected sister was estimated at just 1.6%. In the women diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, 49% had a history of BD, and 24% had a history of other mental health diagnoses. Prevalence of BD was 1.4% for the entire participant population. The odds ratio (OR) for postpartum psychosis when a sister had BD was 2.1 (95% CI, 1.0-4.0; P = .04). In addition, the combined OR was approximately 14.3 when a sister had experienced postpartum psychosis while also having BD. The RRR was also increased when a woman had a full woman cousin with postpartum psychosis, but it was not statistically significant when adjusted for birth year and age at childbirth or when adjusted for those factors plus history of BD. 'Our results provide guidance for clinicians working with pregnant women with personal or family histories of postpartum psychosis,' the investigators wrote. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) Inclusion? Bergink noted that the condition is not currently listed as a stand-alone disorder in any version of the DSM. However, numerous research groups are collaborating to develop criteria for its inclusion in future iterations of the manual. They propose that criteria should include experiencing at least one of the following within 3 months of childbirth, with a duration of at least 1 week or of any duration if hospitalization is necessary: Mania/mixed state, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or thoughts, and disorganized or confused behavior. Asked during a question-and-answer session if family history screenings are currently being done among women who are pregnant, Bergink answered, 'In general, no, but it should be.' 'Because of the potential negative impacts, sometimes severe, on mother and baby, this disorder needs to be identified and effectively treated,' Ned H. Kalin, MD, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, said in a press release. The current study is important because it highlighted the increased risk when the condition runs in families, he told Medscape Medical News . 'It also underscores the importance of understanding that risk and of working with your OB-GYN [obstetrician-gynecologist] doctor or psychiatrist to help reduce and mitigate the risk with treatment and close observation,' Kalin said. Bringing 'Stigma Out of the Darkness' Although postpartum psychosis is considered quite rare, tragic aftereffects in some undiagnosed and untreated women have been widely reported in the media. At the press briefing, Bergink shared that a medical colleague with the condition recently shot and killed herself and her baby girl. 'Unfortunately, not all cases are detected in time. At Sinai, we lost a colleague who had no psychiatric history and her baby,' she said. 'That happens. And it can occur in anyone.' Michael F. Myers, MD, chair of the APA meeting's Scientific Program Committee, shared that he was involved with two situations where patients had extreme forms of the condition, including one where a woman psychiatrist killed herself and her child. 'You hear about postpartum depression and postpartum blues. But then there's this subset that is not only dangerous to themselves but also to their baby,' Myers told Medscape Medical News. 'Talking about these situations is how we bring the stigma [about the condition] out of the darkness.' Psychiatric History Not Always a Factor 'There's a theme that having a psychiatric history is the main predictor for postpartum psychosis. But sometimes we miss it,' Misty C. Richards, MD, associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and medical director of perinatal psychiatry for the university's Maternal Outpatient Mental Health Services Clinic, said at the briefing. She added that, as a clinician, 'you do the best that you can to try to catch this early because things can become wildly out of control in the postpartum period. Infanticide should just never happen.' She later told Medscape Medical News that the symptoms of postpartum psychosis differ from those of schizophrenia because they wax and wane and almost present as delirium. 'So you can be lucid one minute and the next be wildly delusional. It's usually in the setting of poor sleep and severe anxiety and becomes an emergency very quickly,' Richards said. She added that this is much more extreme than a normal response to the chaos that often occurs during the first week after delivery. 'People may think, 'Oh, she'll shake it off and be okay.' But no. If you miss it, that's when it can be catastrophic,' she concluded.
