Bipolar Disorder Resources

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 10 million people suffer from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a treatable disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes extremes in moods and behavior. A combination of medication, psychotherapy, support and education is essential in successfully treating bipolar disorder.

For Patients

• Learn more about bipolar disorder from the National Institute of Mental Health (see Resources). The National Alliance on Mental Illness can be found at www.nami.org.

For Parents

• Parents with children who have bipolar disorder can find more information at the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation's website at www.jbrf.org. Another good source for parents is the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation's website at www.bpkids.org.

Medications

• Information about mood stabilizers can be found at the PsychEducation website (see Resources). Information about other medications used to treat bipolar disorder can be found at the PsychCentral website (see Resources).

Support

• Support for bipolar sufferers can be found at the Bipolar Disorder Magazine at www.bphope.com. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance's website at www.dbsalliance.org is another source for support.

Finding a Doctor

• Finding a psychiatrist for your child can be done on the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (see Resources). Help for adults can be found by calling the National Alliance on Mental Illness' information helpline at 800-950-NAMI.

Teachers/Educators

• Breaking the Silence is a website that helps teachers and educators learn more about bipolar disorder and how to deal with students who may suffer from the disorder. Teachers can order information from www.btslessonplans.org to help learn and teach about the disorder.