January 2015
IN THIS ISSUE...
Support IBPF at your local 
Ralph's or Kroger's!
 

Click here for a quick and easy sign-up. You can earn up to $150.00 per quarter by simply connecting your Ralph's reward card to IBPF!


2015! Wow, how time flies. 

 

I'd like to take this opportunity to pause and look back over the past year's accomplishments. I hope you will join me in celebrating these highlights.

 

Thank you to our wonderful Board of Directors, Advisory Councils, Committees, Volunteers and YOU. These accomplishments wouldn't have happened without YOUR contributions!

  • Revised our mission & vision to reflect your preferences
  • Update d our website to be more user-friendly and refreshed our logo
  • Increased our social media reach by over 20 fold
  • Received these awards:
    *National Council on Behavioral Health Impact Award
    *Great NonProfits: Top-Rated NonProfit
    *Chosen to participate in Festival
    of Children Foundation
  • Distributed >5000 copies of our Healthy Living with Bipolar Disorder book, added new country chapters, book translations, and completed our 2nd round of printing with new medication and nutrition chapters
  • Held our first West Coast Mood Disorders Conference and spoke at several others
  • Hosted actor Joe Pantoliano on Bipolar Awareness Day
  • Co-founded the first WORLD BIPOLAR DAY (March 30)
  • Expanded our Girl Scout Mental Health Awareness patch to Europe & Canada
  • Increased our Say it Forward Campaign from 10,000 (2012), 1.2m (2013) to 4.4 million!!!
  • Increased reach to people from 135 to >180 countries
  • Welcomed 6 new board members: Jay de Groot, Lisa Weinreb, Keith O'Neil, Lonna Williams, Alisa Bernard & Jayson Blair
  • Welcomed Charles Bowden, MD, Robert Post, MD, Melissa DelBello, MD, Eric Youngstrom, Ph.D., and Lakshmi N Yatham MBBS to our Scientific Advisory Board
  • Honored Brandon Marshall with our Imagine Award and David O. Russell with our Hope Award
  • Launched a YouTube channel with educational videos

We are grateful for all your support and we welcome 2015! If you would like to make a new-year tax-deductible donation to help us continue to grow,  please donate here.


To your health,

Muffy Walker  

JANUARY WEBINARS


Colleen Mcclung Ph.D.: 

It's That Time Of The Day Again: Biological Clocks, Behavior And Psychiatric Disorders 

Wednesday, January 7th, at 9:00 am PST

Psychiatric disorders affect a large portion of the population and can be a huge burden for individuals and their families. Nearly all people suffering from psychiatric disorders have significant disruptions in circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle.  In fact, disrupted sleep patterns are one of the major diagnostic criteria for these disorders listed in the DSM V. There are several human genetic studies that have identified specific polymorphisms in circadian genes that associate with a range of psychiatric conditions. Furthermore, environmental disruptions to circadian rhythms including shift work, travel across time zones, and irregular social schedules can precipitate or exacerbate mood-related episodes, or put individuals at risk for substance abuse. Recent studies have found that molecular clocks are located throughout the brain and body where they participate in the regulation of most physiological processes, including those thought to be involved in mood and reward regulation. My lecture will summarize recent clinical and basic research findings from our group and others which implicate the circadian system as an important regulator of monoaminergic systems which are thought to play a role in the development of psychiatric disorders. I will also discuss the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the development of novel treatments that target the circadian system.    

 

Dr. Suzanne Goh: 

 

Understanding the neurological and biochemical factors underlying neuropsychiatric disorders: Opening new pathways to treatment

 

Wednesday, January 21st , at 9:00 am PST
 

A great deal is now known about the neurobiology and biochemistry underlying a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and autism. Understanding the biological basis of these disorders has aided in the development of more effective therapeutic strategies that draw from a range of holistic and integrative health approaches. This presentation will look at some of the new findings in the neurobiology of psychiatric illness and how novel interventions aimed at altering brain chemistry can have a positive impact.

 

Dr. Suzanne Goh is a pediatric neurologist with expertise in developmental brain disorders that affect behavior and cognition. Her research has focused on the brain networks and disturbances to brain biochemistry that underlie psychiatric and behavioral disorders of childhood.

 

She was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Oxford University. She went on to attend Harvard Medical School and to complete her residency training in pediatrics and neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of California San Francisco. She then joined Columbia University where she served as Co-Director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic. She oversaw a multi-disciplinary team of physicians and psychologists working to provide the best medical and behavioral treatment to children and adults with neuropsychiatric disorders.

 

She currently has a private practice in San Diego, California (see www.gohmd.org). 

 
Space is limited. Reserve your seat now at: 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7168592975905936386

 


Dr. Martin Beaulieu: 

Wednesday, January 28th , at 9:00 am PST

 

Canadian Research Chair in Molecular Psychiatry 

Universit� Laval, IUSMQ

Faculty of Medicine

Dept. Psychiatry and Neuroscience

 

Check our website for more details soon!

After registering you will receive a confirmation email
containing information about joining the Webinar.

SAN DIEGO LECTURE 

Dr. Jennifer Bahr: 
Resilience, the Hallmark of Health

Tuesday, February 17th at 5:30 pm

Janssen Research & Development

3210 Merryfield Row

La Jolla, Ca 92121

 

Dr. Jennifer Bahr, ND draws from her unique perspective gained from experience in both conventional and natural medicine as well as both doctor and patient to discuss what she has learned to be the most important hallmark of health resilience. In this talk, Dr. Bahr shares her perspectives on health and resilience based on both physical and emotional markers, as well as some guidelines on how she achieves this for herself and her patients.  

 

Dr. Jennifer Bahr is a licensed naturopathic doctor that specializes in the natural treatments for mental illness and endocrine disorders. Dr. Bahr is among the most highly trained doctors in this field. In fact, she is the only doctor to have completed a naturopathic residency focused on the homeopathic treatment of mental illness. Dr. Bahr brings a unique perspective to treating all of her patients. She combines excellent clinical skills, targeted lab testing, and compassion rooted in life experiences to her practice, making a visit with her truly a better healthcare experience. 



Story of Hope and Recovery
                     by  Lawna Gamble

 

I am a strong African-American woman: I aced two challenging, graduate school programs; spent years of duty as a single, professional mother who worked as an executive director by day and a Walgreens cashier by night to support my son's private school education; founded a celebratory support group when all others failed to promote healthy coping skills; crafted numerous portfolios of my own, and designed numerous branding elements for other business owners and artists; been the decorator of many high end home remodels; worked a diversified portfolio of jobs - a formally trained artist, educator, nonprofit manager, entrepreneur, and therapeutic advocate confronting the issues that mental health has on romantic relationships, social ills, and financial woes. I've earned a cape and a big "S" on my chest. Read more here...

 SAVE THE DATE!
2015 IBPF GALA
 
For more information contact Ashley Jacobs [email protected] or 858-764-2496




OUR NEW IBPF BLOGGERS

Mark Mercer

Moustafa Hausain

Pameladevi

Cavelle Martin

Luis Javier Hernandez Ramos

Liz Wilson

Sarah Finch



























UNITED KINGDOM:
USA/UNITED KINGDOM:

**International Bipolar Foundation Scientific Advisory Board Member(s)
* Honarary Board Member(s)

IF YOU LOVE OUR WORK THEN TELL THE WORLD! 

You have an opportunity to help us make even more of a difference in our community. GreatNonprofits - a review site like TripAdvisor - is honoring highly reviewed nonprofits with their 2015 Top-Rated List. Won't you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a review of your experience with us? All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It's easy and only takes 3 minutes! 

 

Create Your Review Here! 

GET EDUCATED WITH IBPF!

Check out our YouTube informational videos. Click on the icon to view the latest: How Do I Tell the Difference Between My Personality and Bipolar Disorder?
Visit our sharecare page and ask our panel of experts a question. Click on the icon to get started!
 
Watch our latest webinar video below to better understand the link between creativity and bipolar disorder.



Follow us on FacebookLike us on Facebook and twitter Follow us on Twitter for current and relevant discussions and information.
THE BOOK & MOVIE CORNER

 
CLINICIANS GUIDE TO BIPOLAR DISORDER

This much-needed volume gives clinicians essential strategies for managing the complexities of bipolar disorder and tailoring treatment to each patient's changing needs. Highly readable, accessible, and pragmatic, the book provides expert guidance on critically important treatment questions. It addresses which medications to try and at what dosages, what psychosocial interventions are most helpful at different phases of the illness, how to continually monitor and fine-tune treatment to keep patients functioning well, and how to involve family members productively.
 

Read More



THE HOPE OF A BIPOLAR CHRISTIAN
A bipolar brain and a Christian soul seem the least likely of allies, or do they? All of God's children have troubles; none walk through life without challenges. When we are on the precipice of despair, that is when our souls come to our rescue. The Hope of a Bipolar Christian tells of Cindy's journey through the extreme highs and devastating lows of bipolar disorder. Cindy also shares glimpses into her walk of faith, wherein she details many of God's blessings throughout her life - even after her diagnosis in 1994.

ONE GREEN BOTTLE
A nameless, fatiguing unease is eroding Jennifer Hartley's seemingly idyllic life on a KwaZulu-Natal farm, one that her deep love for the land and her family cannot stem. She falters - socially, romantically, functionally - into an undefined isolation that those around her cannot understand. Until, one lazy Saturday afternoon, a swarm of bees attacks her and her children, precipitating her first panic attack. 


BETTER DAYS
This book helps those aspiring toward recovery and wellness and also those in recovery, because it addresses and challenges the individual - in very real, basic and honest ways - to make significant cognitive adjustments in how they live their lives. 






SHADE

Meet David James Berati. He is the high school graduate with a bright future, the car, the girl. . .nothing can stop him! That is, until one night, when he tries to commit suicide. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, David avoids getting sent away by getting prescribed medicine and therapy until he heads off to college in the fall. However, he hates that both take away his creativity, and self-medicates with African Dream Root, a herb that helps give lucid dreams. The herb, however, does more than David bargained for, awakening his shades, the bad memories that led him to his suicide attempt in the first place. Can David face his inner demons, or will he be forced to put his life on an indefinite halt?


GROOVE

You're one of the millions of people who struggle with mental illness. You struggle in silence, hoping to avoid stares, whispers, and prejudice. But society's judgment has also become your inner voice. Guilt, shame, and low self-worth have entrenched themselves in your mind and heart like old grooves of sun-hardened soil. These false beliefs need loosening, turning, tilling, and ploughing until the old grooves give way to new grooves of God's Truth. 

Read More

 

 

CHANGE

My Happy Sad Mummy is an engaging and sensitive picture book. It fills a major gap: explaining to a young child the impact on a parent of a major mental illness such as bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder affects between 1- 2% of the population and can affect young parents in particular as it usuall
y begins in late adolescence.


PRESERVING PARENT

Does your child have social difficulty, get into trouble at school, or struggle with emotional instability? Does he or she have a diagnosed condition such as ADHD, autism spectrum, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Tourettes or other? Or does he or she just seem "difficult?" 

Read More

 
IBPF's BEAD RELIEF BRACELET

Our hand-made beaded bracelet represents IBPF and its cause. Each bracelet is hand beaded onto an elastic band with a copper BEAD RELIEF tag. Each bracelet is $6.00 and 25% of your purchase goes to the International Bipolar Foundation.

 

Bracelets come in three sizes, 6, 7, 8 inches (S,M,L). Select your size!

Order Here
   HOW YOUR DONATION WILL BENEFIT IBPF'S     
  MISSION
RESEARCH STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
USE OF TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONNAIRE
My name is Dr. Mark Matthews. I am a researcher at Cornell University where we are looking at the use of technology by people like yourself who have bipolar disorder. This questionnaire will help my colleagues and me better understand your use of technology which will in turn inform our design of computer tools for people with bipolar disorder.
Please read this form carefully before agreeing to take part in the study.

BIPOLAR DISORDER CLINICAL TRIAL



Sharp Mesa Vista is currently enrolling men and women aged 18-75 with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder for outpatient clinical trials. Eligible participants may receive all study-related care at no cost, and may be reimbursed for time and travel. Participation is confidential and trials are safely conducted under the supervision of experienced physicians and research specialists. For more information, or to see if you qualify for a study, contact

Tonya Bell, RN at 858-836-8373 or [email protected]

Learn More Here


AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
If you are:
  • Between the ages of 21 and 65
  • Have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder

You are invited to participate in this research study to see how effective the MoodSwings website is at improving the well-being of people with bipolar disorder.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH STUDY


 

How to Participate

To determine if you are eligible, you will first be asked a few questions on the phone.

You will also be interviewed in person and have a physical exam to make sure it is safe for you to participate.

If you are interested, please call our study coordinator at

(631) 638-2053 

PARTICIPANTS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER OR
SCHIZOPHRENIA NEEDED

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A BRAIN IMAGING RESEARCH STUDY

To be eligible you must:

-Be between the ages of 18 and 65

-Have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder

-not use drugs or drink a lot of alcohol

 

If you choose to participate, you will have a brain scan to measure certain receptors in the brain that may be related to bipolar disorder.  You will be paid a possible total of $400 or more. (HIC 1101007933)

 

If you are interested and think you may be eligible please call our study coordinator at

(203)737-6884. 

BIPOLAR DISORDER?
The UCSD Department of Psychiatry is seeking volunteers for a research study involving genetics and medication response in Bipolar Disorder.

You may be eligible to participate in the study if you:
*are at least 18 years of age
*have been diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder
*are willing to take Lithium for mood stabilization

To learn more about the study, please call: 858-642-3590
or, visit our website here 
BIPOLAR DISORDER 1

BEAM is a comprehensive, early-intervention treatment program for Bipolar I Disorder which uses strength-based services to create a two-year plan designed specifically to put individuals and families back on track.

To be eligible for the BEAM program, participants must:

*Have a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder *Have experienced one manic episode

  but no more than three; and
*Be 14-35 or younger;
*Be a San Francisco or San Mateo County Resident *Have Any health insurance (or      uninsured) 

Learn More Here
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - SAVE THE DATE!


10th InternationalCongress of the INA
Oct 14-16, 2015
Jerusalem, Israel
**********************
March 3-6, 2015
Japan
**********************
Bipolar; Mind and Body
March 7, 2015
London, England
**********************
March 22-25, 2015
Tampa, Florida
**********************
March 30, 2015
*********************
National CouncilConference
April 20-22, 2015
Orlando, Florida
*********************
Mental HealthAwarenessMonth
May 2015
*********************
ISBD Annual Conference
June 3-6, 2015
Torronto, Canada
*********************
July 2015
United States

        
 



About the International Bipolar Foundation

International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission is to improve understanding and treatment of Bipolar Disorder through research; to promote care and support services for individuals and caregivers; and to erase associated stigma through education.

International Bipolar Foundation is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or received from the International Bipolar Foundation.

Visit us online for more information: www.ibpf.org

Please join us on Facebook and "Like" us and help us spread the word.
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A Word About Funding

Please note that International Bipolar Foundation does not represent any pharmaceutical company or give any speeches for a pharmaceutical company nor does our site receive advertising dollars from any company.