Posted by Dr. Bob on March 11, 2003, at 15:03:44
In reply to Re: Bowden: Lamictal for Unipolar Depression/Anxiety, posted by Ricky on March 8, 2003, at 11:13:42
Dear Ricky,
I appreciate your honesty regarding both your successes and your concerns. There are clearly people who have mild forms of bipolar disorder. Two of the most prominent ways that this shows up are in impulsive, poorly thought out actions, often with undue risk associated with them, and more irritable, quarrelsome behavior than a situation warrants. I believe that most persons with bipolar disorder can learn to cope with some of this by methods that they employ. Some persons learn it as you may have done, just by recognizing the undesirable consequences of some risky behavior and setting up ways of guarding against this. Others learn it through counseling with psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. From my perspective, I believe that this self help approach is generally more beneficial regarding the manic symptom side than the depressive side of bipolar disorder. In general, persons who have a variant of the bipolar group of disorders will continue to have roughly the same symptoms over time. A person who has severe illness will, untreated, continue to have a severe illness. A person who has some mild, but not inconsequential symptoms, will continue to have the same type of mild symptoms.
You should consider whether you are selling your future short by not setting up an evaluation for yourself with a qualifed professional person.
Charles L. Bowden, M.D.
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:205791
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030310/msgs/208133.html