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More Info about Bipolar Disorder.

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Best of 2013: GoodTherapy.org’s Top 10 Websites for Bipolar Disorder

From: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/best-of-2013-goodtherapyorgs-top-10-websites-for-bipolar-1129137

November 29, 2013  • A GoodTherapy.org Announcement

Bipolar, also known as manic depression, manifests in a variety of ways, but ultimately involves cyclic swings in mood and behavior of an extreme nature. A person with bipolar must learn to live with periods of severe depression in which he or she experiences debilitating lethargy and overwhelming sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness, followed by periods of intensely exhilarating or—in some cases—highly destructive energy known as mania.

Full-blown manic episodes typically involve rapid thought and/or speech patterns; insomnia; delusions of grandiosity; compulsive behaviors such as overspending, sexual promiscuity, and substance abuse; and, in severe cases, violent outbursts and psychosis (being out of touch with reality). Manic episodes may also trigger productivity, particularly with regard to creative and artistic pursuits.

Bipolar is currently divided into bipolar I and II diagnoses, with bipolar I characterized by severe bouts of mania, while bipolar II is characterized by intermittent episodes of hypomania, a milder—though still chaotic and disorienting—form of mania. Waves of depression and mania associated with both types of bipolar may occur in long, drawn-out spells or in shorter time frames, or swings from one to the other emotional state may occur several times within a day. When this occurs, it is referred to as rapid cycling. Still others may house manic and depressive symptoms at the same time in any given moment, known as a mixed state.

According to the United Kingdom-based Equilibrium foundation for bipolar, approximately 254 million people are affected by bipolar worldwide. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that bipolar typically begins to develop in late adolescence or early adulthood, with at least half of all cases showing signs and symptoms before age 25. Many individuals diagnosed with bipolar are able to reclaim their well-being though therapy, education, coping strategies, and support.

To assist people in understanding bipolar, we selected the 10 best online resources of 2013—GoodTherapy.org excluded—for this complex mental health condition. Among the criteria we considered in making our selections are quality and depth of content, presentation, and functionality.

  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): Based in Chicago, DBSA provides educational resources and support for those diagnosed with depression, bipolar, and anxiety, as well as people who wish to learn more about mood issues. The site offers informational brochures, podcasts, and training materials; the latest in treatment options and research; guidance on offering peer support to loved ones; and a search tool for online and in-person support groups nationwide. It will soon offer a resources section for clinicians.
  • International Bipolar Foundation (IBF): This nonprofit organization, based in San Diego, is determined to eradicate stigma surrounding bipolar through public education, to promote and improve support services, and, ultimately, to eliminate the existence of bipolar by way of advancements in research. In addition to educational resources, current research, and international news pertaining to bipolar, the IBF hosts webinars on a variety of bipolar-related topics.
  • Bipolar Support: When you first land on this site, you may be overwhelmed by their deep blue-purple background and basic design and layout, but the resources here are plentiful. Several links to information on bipolar in all its various forms, downloadable tools and presentations, forums and chat groups, bipolar-related articles and surveys, additional bipolar websites and resources, a bipolar encyclopedia, and even a bipolar bookstore can be accessed via this comprehensive online collection.
  • The Balanced Mind Foundation: This not-for-profit organization strives to provide families raising children and teenagers who have been diagnosed with mood issues with the information, guidance, and support they need to thrive. Based in Chicago, this network of concerned citizens offers educational resources, online support groups, chats, forums, blog articles, and videos to help those seeking a sense of community as well as a deeper understanding of bipolar in children and adolescents.
  • Equilibrium—The Bipolar Foundation: Based in Oxford, England, this international organization is a collective effort to further the understanding and treatment of bipolar, as well as to remove stigma and prejudice that often accompany a bipolar diagnosis. The Equilibrium network includes people living with bipolar, their families and loved ones, clinicians and health professionals, research partners, and advocacy groups across the globe, and the site provides educational and research-based news and resources pertaining to bipolar, as well as a wide range of support.
  • Bipolar Child Support: As the name suggests, this special education advocacy website is devoted to support and guidance for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of bipolar in children and teenagers. The site also provides parents, caregivers, educators, and teachers with access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) resources on bipolar and how it manifests in children, as well as how to handle the unique educational needs of a child or teen diagnosed with bipolar. Among the many resources are interactive tools and activities for working with children and a running feed of bipolar “hot topics.”
  • Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC): This not-for-profit, consumer-driven, and voluntary health charity is committed to advocacy and giving a strong, national voice to people with mood issues and their caregivers and loved ones. The site’s numerous resources include basic information on depression and bipolar, discussion forums, up-to-date research, and news feeds. Downloadable posters for MDSC’s “Elephant in the Room” anti-stigma campaign, which seeks to erase stigma surrounding mental illness in the classroom and workplace, also are available.
  • bp Magazine’s bphope blog: This digital and print magazine’s website provides information on bipolar, a discussion forum, excerpts from “in this issue” articles, and a blog, all geared toward offering “hope and harmony for people with bipolar.” The bphope blog publishes posts covering a vast array of topics related to bipolar and other mood issues, the bulk of which are insider perspectives on coping with the day-to-day challenges of living with a mental health condition.
  • Parents Med Guide http://www.parentsmedguide.org/: Developed by the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the medication guides on this site were created for parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity, depression, and bipolar. The downloadable Parents’ Medication Guide for Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents includes basic information on bipolar, available medication options, types of psychosocial therapy, current research, and national resources, along with other educational insights.
  • Bipolar Caregivers http://www.bipolarcaregivers.org/: This informative site is designed specifically for the caregivers of those who are living with bipolar and over the age of 18. It offers basic information as well as a number of resources and suggestions on how to successfully care for and assist people with bipolar. An added perk is the section devoted to the well-being of the caregiver, which includes advice on how to keep healthy, maintain boundaries, and cope with the personal impact of being in the caregiver role.

Reference:

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

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Depression Dogs!!

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Psychiatric service dogs can help with a wide variety of disabilities from Bipolar Disorder to Schizophrenia to PTSD to Depression. The physical effects of a dog are out of this world! It can physically relax you and in most cases lower your heart rate and blood pressure! The unconditional love dogs offer is also good for a person struggling with depression or anxiety. It is also good for a depressed person to have the responsibility of owning a dog and going outside to take the dog for a walk a few times a day can only do positive things for someone struggling with an acute episode of a mental illness.

A few of the trainable tasks accepted by the ADA for depression are give tactile stimulation (or touch in a specific trained way), wake up a handler who sleeps too much, cuddle and kiss to help bring the handler out of feelings of isolation and hopelessness, remind the handler to take medication, and to find keys or other items lost (depression or certain medications can cause problems with a person’s memory.

Many people have fold me that with their unconditional love, these dogs have literally saved their lives!!! And the joy that a beloved dog brings into one’s life is unquantifiable! I’ve never had a dog but I absolutely love them and I will definitely be getting one from the SPCA in a few years. Having a depression dog, it’s all good!!

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“Should We All Take a Bit of Lithium” from article in the New York Times!!!

“Researchers began to ask whether low levels of lithium might correlate with poor behavioral outcomes in humans. In 1990, a study was published looking at 27 Texas counties with a variety of lithium levels in their water. The authors discovered that people whose water had the least amount of lithium had significantly greater levels of suicide, homicide and rape than the people whose water had the higher levels of lithium. The group whose water had the highest lithium level had nearly 40 percent fewer suicides than that with the lowest lithium level.” From the article in NYTimes:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/opinion/sunday/should-we-all-take-a-bit-of-lithium.html?referrer=&_r=1

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Something I just learned!

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First of all I’d like to say that I have been feeling fine, no major mood upheaval to report since late June/early July. That is a blessing and I am enjoying my normal mood and being able to handle what life throws my way in an able and normal way. I have been in a play for which I have had to memorize lines and perform in front of an audience, and that has gone extremely well. We have been getting standing ovations from the audience and our director is very pleased. So that is the good news. 

I had an appointment with my doctor today. Something he told me pretty much blew me away. He said I had to stop taking Zoloft, a medication I have been on since its approval by the FDA in 1991. He had said this to me in the past, saying it makes people with bipolar disorder cycle. This time he was pretty adamant that I should come off it. I asked him to explain further and he said that taking Zoloft is fine when things are going well, but when there is upheaval in your life, then it makes you cycle. It can either throw you in a manic phase or into a depression. He said that the mini manicky cycle I had gone through in June and July and the slight depression in the middle of August were directly caused by taking Zoloft. I am flabbergasted! I have always been told that you take Lithium for mania and anti-depressants for depression. Now my doctor is telling me that SSRI’s (selective SEROTONIN reuptake inhibitors) make people who have BPD cycle more and that we cannot take SSRI’s and should only be on lithium! I asked him what I do when a depression comes sauntering into my life, and he said I can take other anti-depressants or mood stabilizers. He mentioned Abilify, which I can’t take because it gives me severe Parkinson’s like symptoms and makes me feel about a 100 years old. He mentioned Welbutryn, but I can’t take that because it makes me feel like I am literally going to explode from anxiety… so, hmmmmm, depression… I don’t know what I’m going to do. Cry a lot and feel bad a lot? Apparently what happens with SSRI’s is the number of Serotonin receptors is down regulated. Also, the number of synapses is reduced. This is what causes people with BPD to cycle. These changes in neurons are reversible but it takes about a year for neurons to go back to pre SSRI configuration. So for a year… he did tell me about a medicine called Brintellix, which is an SSRI but doesn’t do either of the things I mentioned above therefore does not make people cycle. However he said that would not be his first choice. But I think it would be mine out of the three he offered as alternatives to Zoloft. Well let’s see how this goes. Every time I get a new psychiatrists, things change, and not necessarily for the better. My mental health is of course affected by changes in these psychoactive drugs.

I do agree with him that I have mini cycles, exactly like I had in June/July (manicky) and mid August (just a tad bit depressed.) And both of those happened because of situations in my life. So I think what he is saying is correct. The only issue is how will I control the symptoms of a depressive episode if I can’t go to my trusted Zoloft. Scary. Well here we go into the wild blue yonder. Life without Zoloft. Thank you Zoloft, you have served me well (maybe not quite so well), but now we must part. Lets hope it will all go smoothly and my neurons will up-regulate Serotonin receptors and synapses at record speed :)) Actually I am sitting here smiling at my silliness, but truly hoping this all goes well.

All silliness aside, this should make my mood much more stable, no more “mini” phases, that have quite maxi effects on my life. Without the Zoloft, the cycling through manic, normal, depressed will decrease and the time in normal phase will increase. What a joy that seems, to not have emotional fits from anxiety, mania, and depression. I’m all for it and starting today to make sure that my mood stays normal :))

 

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Strange disease, this one is.

This is a very strange disease, bipolar disorder (BPD) is. In some ways you can be very functional even in the midst of a severe episode. Like, for example, a lot of my poems were written while in quite a severe phase of BPD. I even managed to get a job, and drive to New Orleans while I was pretty sick. On the other hand, emotionally, you are a wreck. Of course, even in the best of times, we BPD people are highly sensitive people, reaching depths of emotions, good and bad, that people without mood disorders cannot and do not. However, when we are sick, the levels and depths of emotions are off the charts. Sadness is pure tragedy and calamity, anxiety can be experienced as severe panic attacks. If you are lucky enough to feel happiness, it is extreme jubilation. Emotions to the nth degree. Anger can be explosive. And of course the antithesis of this is anhedonia, where one has no positive emotions or enjoyment. This is terrifying. It feels like an emotional vacuum, where all good feelings have been sucked out from you, and have left an aching emptiness behind.

Speaking of aching emptiness, that is familiar feeling to anyone who has been depressed. In its severe form, depression can sometimes feel like the worst heartbreak you have ever experienced. No wonder people who have mental illnesses turn to drugs and alcohol. It is unbearable to feel like that, so self medication, which unfortunately may lead to addiction, is often the way for people to try to cope with mental illness.

Another thing that is very strange about this illness (and other mental illnesses) is that the person who is afflicted, often looks normal. If I am in a depression, no one who looks at me can say I am ill. Same with being manic. I don’t look any different, so people don’t realize I am sick and I am expected to carry on and function as if this illness didn’t exist at all. If a person breaks their leg, and has a cast on, we realize there is something wrong with their leg and we don’t ask them to run a marathon. When a person is depressed, often they are expected to work, live, and act normally. If we cry we are told that things aren’t that bad, that we should look at all the good in our lives, how much we have to be thankful for. That’s fine, it helps, but when my brain is in withdrawal because the levels of neurotransmitters are in low supply, and the symptoms of which are crying, hopelessness, rumination, negative thinking, then it is very difficult to just snap out of it. Same with mania, there are a group of symptoms that exemplify mania and you simply cannot will yourself out of those. The best you can do is realize “Oh no, it’s happening again!” And call your doctor to have your medication adjusted, in most cases doses have to be increased.
Perhaps some people think you are just plain crazy and simply cut off relations with you. But it is an illness, granted it affects thoughts and behaviors, it can have deleterious effects on other people. But it is an illness and as far as I am concerned, it is not a reason to cut of relations with someone. You just realize that a person has this illness, and it can act up sometimes. But I don’t consider myself crazy. I am a very sane person most of the times, and with the increase in my meds, I hope to be very sane all the time. :-))
Yes, it is a very strange disease, this I do agree with.

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Positive outlook.

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Yes I have an illness. The question is: how do I minimize the effects of this illness and live a normal a life? Obviously the first thing is to stay on my medication, on the proper dose. Second is to see my doctor regularly. Those two are obvious. How about other things? Are there other things I can do to stabilize my mood? Meditation fosters peace of mind and stops us from being overly emotional. There is a lot of science that supports this. Yoga also stops “fluctuations of the mind.” So both of these things are a definite yes. Aerobic exercise is also very good, not only for the body, but for the mind. The endorphins that are produced when you do aerobic exercise are calming, uplifting and even pain relieving. So that is a definite yes. Psychotherapy also helps, talking about problems in your life and coming up with solutions, obviously would be a good thing.
Also, meaningful work and a routine really help. So it is important to have both of those in my life. Strong relationships, family and friends are also a plus to have in my life. Hobbies are good and I have plenty of those.
One of the most important things is a positive attitude. Even when something goes wrong, not ruminating about it, shaking it off, whenever possible, is good. Following the tenets of Buddhism, which teaches us freedom from craving and aversion would be good as well. And that is all I can think of right now. If I think of other things, I will post those too. Kind of a boring post, but I am tired…

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Impulsivity is a symptom of mania or hypomania!

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One very important reason to take the correct dose of the correct medication is shown below from the article: “Impulsivity and Risk Taking in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia” published in Neuropsychpharmacology in September 2013. Here is the reference if anyone would like to read the whole article: http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v39/n2/full/npp2013218a.html

Basically what this article is saying is that impulsiveness, which is defined as risky decision making, high risk attitudes, acting without planning, poor inhibition of risky actions, high risk attitudes, and rapid decision making (which basically means making decisions without thinking them through). Please understand that these are symptoms of mania. Once you are in a manic phase, you are going to do this. In a hypomanic phase, you are also going to do this but to a much lesser degree, your actions will not be as risky to your life or health. Please also understand that the only way to stop this from happening is to NOT go into a manic or hypomanic phase. The way to do that is to take the right amounts of the right medication as you doctor had prescribed. And if you feel like your mood is slipping towards mania or depression, to call your doctor and let them know. This is a BIOCHEMICAL disease involving levels or metabolism of neurotransmitters. All these neurotransmitters have certain effects on the brain. When their activity or levels of these neurotransmitters are high, we become impulsive. So, just take the right dose of your medication and head these problems off at the pass, nip them in the bud, stop them before they happen. If you don’t, this disease WILL ruin your life, it will destroy your peace of mind, it will destroy your relationships, it will destroy your friendships, it may even take your life. That is as bluntly as I can put it. I am definitely on the therapeutic dose of lithium and I’m staying on it for the rest of my life, I am not allowing this mood disorder to control my life or take days away from me or most importantly take my family or beloved friends away from me.

Not me, not now, not ever again! I hope you too will make a commitment to your health and sanity and your life, and follow your doctor’s advice to the letter.

Below in quotes are passages from the above mentioned article.

“Impulsiveness is a clinical feature of bipolar disorder. Broadly, impulsivity refers to a predisposition toward unplanned reactions without consideration of consequences and can include risky decision making, self-reported high-risk attitudes, poor response inhibition, and rapid decision making. 

Bipolar disorder is often characterized by impulsive behavior and increased tendency to work toward a reward, often without sufficient planning. Although risky-impulsive behavior is a diagnostic criterion for mania and bipolar patients consistently show abnormalities on self-report measures of impulsivity, they do not consistently show deficits on behavioral tasks that require planning and forethought. These differences may reflect the multi-faceted nature of impulsivity, or the measurement tools used to assess the construct.

Finally, some of the mixed findings in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia regarding impulsivity and risk taking may be attributable to the types of medications patients are taking. The neurochemical basis of impulsivity and risk taking involves dopaminergic, serotonergic, and other neurotransmitter systems, and these systems are affected by antipsychotic (AP) medications. Some studies find a reduction in impulsiveness associated with AP medications, whereas others find no such effect in psychotic samples. Thus, it is important to consider the role of AP medications on measures of impulsivity and risk taking.

This is one of the first studies to examine both self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The study had two goals. The primary goal was to conduct a careful analysis of impulsivity using multiple approaches across three groups: bipolar disorder patients, schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls. The secondary goal was to compare subgroups of bipolar disorder patients who differed in terms of AP medications and history of psychosis on measures of impulsivity and risk taking.”

 

 

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People with bipolar d/o don’t want to take the correct dose of medicine :(

 

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Many people with bipolar disorder (BPD) refuse to take medication. Even if they do go on meds, they may reduce the dose or not take enough to control their symptoms. This can be for a few reasons, 1) The side effects may be so bad that the meds may be intolerable. For example I have had literally half my hair fall out with Depakote and Trileptal. I have also had debilitating migraines with Latuda, unbelievable anxiety with Wellbutryn SR, and other pretty bad side effects from a plethora of other drugs. 2) Some patients may be sort of addicted to the ups of mania and don’t want to take any medication that will bring them down to normal. Although I don’t really have ups, I have mixed episodes, for some reason I didn’t want to take the full 900 mg of Lithium, so I used to suffer through major mood upheaval every year. I don’t know why I didn’t take the recommended dose, I told myself that I didn’t need that high a dose, that my body couldn’t handle that high a dose, that I was fine taking 1/3 the recommended dose. And it is true, a 900 mg dose was a lot for me at first, but now after about 2 months of being on 900 mg of Lithium, the side effects have abated a bit and it is actually not too bad. So what I’ve realized now is that I’ve been sabotaging myself as far as taking the correct dosage is concerned. Yes I am dismayed that I caused so much suffering for my self and my loved ones, however, I am starting from now and changing what I can. I can not go back to the past and undo what happened, if I could I certainly would. Ugh… I don’t know why I didn’t just take 900 mg, it is really foolhardy that I didn’t. I suffered a lot and lost days and days of my life. Also, a recent experience in my life has taught me that I need to take full responsibility for my illness and my mood, so I am now doing that, starting with taking the correct dosage of the correct medicine.

I am going to have a Lithium level done on Monday, and the optimal dose is 0.6-0.75 mmol/L. Hopefully mine level is there, if not, I may try to increase the dose in conjunction with my doctor.

I am very hopeful that this dose will stop the cycling allowing me to be normal and productive and happy and healthy :)) Also, this will stop me from being a burden to my amazing and lovely family and friends who have always been there for me.

Wish me luck in this endeavor!

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Lithium, the miracle drug for people with mood disorders!!!

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Lithium is a naturally occurring element. It is the same element that is used in batteries. But it is a Godsend for people with bipolar d/o. It stabilizes our moods. It stops the swings altogether or at least stops them from being too extreme. In areas where the concentration of lithium in drinking water is high, the incidence of mood disorders is lower!!! It is a calming mineral that helps with mania and, to a lesser degree, with depression. The general dose is 900 mg per day. I was on 300 mg because of the few side effects I had (fine muscle tremors, frequent urination, hair loss, acne, weight gain, GI problems.) But that was not enough to control my mood swings, so I went up to 600 mg/day, and that was better, but my swings were still not controlled. Now I am on 900 mg per day. Even though my right hand shakes a LOT, more of my hair is falling out, and I may get acne now and then, however to be stable mood wise is very, VERY important to me. So I am taking hair skin and nails vitamins, using benzoyl peroxide and living with fine muscle tremors. I am confident that the 900 mg dose of lithium is going to keep me in the normal phase, without swings that are too extreme in either the depressive or manic direction.

Lithium possesses unique anti-suicidal properties that set it apart from other agents. With respect to cognition, studies suggest that lithium may reduce cognitive decline in patients. It is seen to have a protective effect on people’s brains. The neuronal cell death that is seen in people with bipolar disorder is decreased when they are on Li+. As neurons die, venticles in the brain increase, this is also seen to lessen in patients who take Li+!!! It even has been hypothesized that Li+ causes neuronal cell growth, thereby reversing the damage that bipolar d/o inflicts upon its victims. So I am very happy, thrilled in fact, to know that the Li+ I take is not only preventing this disease from having an effect on me, but it is also protecting and regenerating my neurons. :)))))

The molecular mechanism of lithium (Li+) seems to be related to its similarity to sodium (Na++). It is taken up by neurons through the same pump that pumps in Na+ (Yes there are pumps that pump ions, such as calcium (Ca++) potassium (K+), in and pumps that pump ions out of all cells, including neurons. Pretty amazing hunh?) 

Evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies has demonstrated that lithium exerts multiple effects on neurotransmitter/receptor-mediated signaling, ion transport, signal transduction cascades, hormonal and circadian regulation, and profoundly alters gene expression patterns.

Li+ reduces excitatory (dopamine and glutamate) but increases inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmission; however, these broad effects are underpinned by complex neurotransmitter systems that strive to achieve homeostasis by way of compensatory changes. For example, at an intracellular and molecular level, lithium targets second-messenger systems that further modulate neurotransmission. For instance, the effects of lithium on the adenyl cyclase and phospho-inositide pathways, as well as protein kinase C, may serve to dampen excessive excitatory neurotransmission. All this means is that Li+ affects molecules that are called second messengers (the neurotransmitter being the first messenger) and that normally transmit the signal, well Li+ stops the excitatory signals. Makes sense, as it a cracker jack mania buster!

Li+ also has inhibitory actions on inositol monophosphatase, inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase, glycogen synthase kinase-3, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, bisphosphate nucleotidase, and phosphoglucomutase enzymes. Some of these enzymes are involved in increasing activity of neurons in response to neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and GABA. So again, Li+ stops excitatory signals from being passed from one neuron to another, thereby decreasing neuronal activity. This is good, because in mania your brain is working like gangbusters! And it needs to be slowed down. So Li+ does that. 

If your doctor has prescribed Lithium for you, please take it. It is a wonderful medication, which will save your neurons, your brain, your relationships, and maybe even your life.

 

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A little boy on a plane.

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I saw a family on the plane from Nantucket to JFK, yesterday. It was a young mom and dad, in their thirties, with a baby girl and a 5 or so year old son. Our plane was late, and the couple was very upset they were going to miss their connection to Cincinnati. They tried to speak to the flight attendant to get them to hold the plane for them, but no dice. The mom was holding the baby girl, who was all smiles and coos. The little boy however was very upset because he “wanted his mama!” The dad kept deriding the boy for crying and being a ninny. He told the boy, who was sobbing, to stop making things hard for all of them. And the boy literally implored him, saying “Please don’t say that.” The mother was just ignoring this little boy and the father was being extremely negative and angry with him. And the little boy just kept saying “But I want my mama!” It was plain for me to see that he was in emotional distress, for whatever reason. His parents were doing nothing to help him, in fact their actions were hurting him more. They were annoyed at the possibility of missing their flight and had no time to address this little boy’s emotional needs. I just wanted to say “Mom, hand the baby to your husband, and comfort your son.” That’s all it would have taken. Instead, they did nothing, and the little boy cried heart rendingly. It was hard for me to listen to him. Is this the way mood disorders begin, by needs that are unmet and perhaps, repeatedly remain unmet? Was this little boy simply more sensitive, his genetic makeup, and simply felt things at a much greater depth than the rest of his family? I know that sensitivity is a key feature of mood disorders. Also, his parents inability to soothe his upset mood, does this then lead to the inability to self soothe for the little boy, leading to anxiety and possibly even depression in the future? Just something I saw that upset me a lot. It just wasn’t right for the parents to ignore this beautiful, little boy’s pleas. It also made me think of how much parents affect our life, how empathy and love would make any situation you find yourself in better. Especially empathy and love from your parents when you are little and need them to have a healthy, happy life. 

Also, it made me think of how these kinds of traumatic events affect the grown up men into which these little boys grow up. 

And what is the relationship of these types of things to people developing mood disorders.