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Keep up with mental health news. Three new things in mental health to learn this week:
This is one of the most marvellous pieces of mental illness information I have heard in a long time – caffeine (coffee) consumption is inversely related to depression. (More on effects of caffeine on mental illness.) In other words, the more coffee you drink the less likely you are to be depressed! Crazy, no?
Well, I guess no. According to a 10-year study of 50,739 women, the women who drank more caffeine were less likely to be depressed. Compared to depressed women who drink one or less cups of coffee per week:
That means that women who drank more than 5 cups of coffee per day had even less risk of being depressed than those who drank 2-3 cups of coffee per day. It’s astounding, really.
Now, I’m not suggesting you buy a Starbucks or anything, but the data is quite incredible. I know one thing, I’m not skipping my morning coffee.
(According to their data, 2,607 cases of depression were identified. That number seems really low so they may have set their bar quite high for what qualifies as “depression” and thus this relationship may really exist between caffeine and severe depression, I’m not sure.)
One the more popular pieces on the Bipolar Burble written by a guest author was Everything You Know About Dissociative Identity Disorder is Wrong by Holly Gray. In this article, Holly exposes some of the myths about dissociative identity disorder – previously known as multiple personality disorder. And, of course, multiple personality disorder was made famous by the book (and movie) Sybil.
Provided by Wikipedia
As Holly points out, there aren’t really “multiple personalities” or multiple people, inside one person with dissociative identity disorder, so the name was a misnomer and based on some very bad information – much of it from Sybil’s very public case. And A Girl Not Named Sybil in the New York Times aims to explore some of the problems with the story of Sybil, now known to actually be a woman named Shirley Mason.
Among other things, Mason’s therapist prescribes drugs in an unhealthy (addiction promoting) way and repeatedly administers sodium pentothal (truth serum as it has been commonly known). The article seems to suggest that Mason may have been making some things up and her therapist may not have been acting ethically, possibly making Mason actually worse. Do read the article. It goes to show you how one very loud, possibly untrue, case can overshadow reality.
Now, really, I’m your question and answer girl. You have questions, I have answers. But perhaps you’d prefer someone with a Phd to talk to. Well then you might try Dr. Rob (yes, I know). He’s hosting a live bipolar question and answer session on October 24th. You can submit confidential questions now or do so during the live session. If I can find the time I might just take a gander myself.
Natasha Tracy is an award-winning writer, speaker, advocate, and consultant from the Pacific Northwest. She has been living with bipolar disorder for 26 years and has written more than 2000 articles on the subject.
Find more of Natasha’s work in her acclaimed book: "Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar" on Amazon.
Connect with Natasha at the social media links below.
Shopping for someone with a mental illness can feel tricky—you want a gift that actually helps, not just more clutter. This guide walks you through 15 thoughtful, low-pressure mental health gifts that offer real comfort, reduce stress, and say, “I see you and I’m here,” during the holidays and all year.
I’m never going to call bipolar pain a “gift.” Most days, I just want it to stop. But emotional and even physical pain aren’t always random torture—they’re often trying to tell us something. This piece digs into what your pain might be saying, how to listen, and how that can make living with it just a little easier.
After 24 of 30 TMS sessions with no meaningful improvement, I wrote the guide I needed: why failed treatment hurts, how to get through the next 72 hours, and what to ask your clinician now.
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Question for Dr. Rob. Any concerns for nuvigil as it relates to bp?
Hi Jon,
Sorry if I wasn’t clear but Dr. Rob is going to be answering questions through a HealthLine website so you’ll have to go there to ask questions: http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/live-expert-q-and-a
Also, he’s a Phd and not an MD so he may not be able to answer your question.
In case you’re interested in my opinion, I know of nothing particularly negative about Nuvigil and bipolar.
Nuvigil is the brand name for armodafinil, which is similar to modafinil (Provigil) in the US. These medications are used as add-on medications for bipolar depression and there is mixed evidence about efficacy. Here is one study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20673554
– Natasha Tracy
I should be immune (to depression)…Apparently consuming enormous amounts of coffee each day isn’t quite enough for some. Interesting information, however. I’m going to mark down that Oct 24th date…could be interesting.
Hi Mercurial (such a great name),
Well, it only reduces the risk, it doesn’t eliminate it. If it did, just imagine how much _more_ popular Starbucks would be! Lines for miles.
– Natasha