Dr. Peter Forster and Dr. Kelsey Schraufnagel gave a very well attended presentation for an international audience of participants hosted by the International Bipolar Foundation on June 24th. Listeners from India, Taiwan, France, Ireland and all over the United States received an update on the state of the art in the treatment of bipolar depression.
Doctor Forster updated the audience about medication treatment options including a new medication that seems to be particularly effective and well-tolerated by many patients, and talked about non-medication biological treatment options.
Doctor Schraufnagel talked about psychosocial treatments and self-help. In particular she talked about the importance of strengthening circadian rhythms in people with bipolar depression, and outlined how light and changes in daily routine can powerfully affect those daily body rhythms.
She also talked about the value of mindfulness meditation and mindful self-awareness is a technique that can improve mood with regular practice.
At the end of the presentation there was a lively question and answer period.
The International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF), formerly known as California Bipolar Foundation, was founded in June 2007 in San Diego, California by four parents with children affected by bipolar disorder. Well aware of the trauma that bipolar disorder causes for consumers and their families, these parents felt compelled to do something constructive to help. – See more.
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