The Mind is a Story Teller

It is interesting that I Google search Bipolar Communication Issues, and the first web site that pops up has the following topics that they are trying to treat with Seroquel. Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia; Seroquel is a medication that is used in many applications, one such application is that it is used as an anti-psychotic. In this short article the claim is made that bipolar depression is much worse than a manic depressive state because it lasts much longer and the high’s are much more sever as well as the lows. According to the CDC approximately 9% of adults suffer from depression and 3.4% of adults suffer from extreme depression in the United States. The CDC also states that women are much more likely to report extreme depression over men. I know that we are making great strides in the area of depression when it comes to ways to treat including medications and therapy. In the reading this week I found it a little disturbing that Gottschell seems to almost glorify the sickness. Gottschell makes the connection between bipolar personalities with the brilliant mind of Stephen King. He also talk’s about the fictional character of Sherlock Holms and the brilliance that follows, I am not passing judgment, but it seemed to me bipolar disorder needs to be handled with a little more care. On the other hand there is “border line bipolar” here we have people who are diagnosed as bipolar and have manic episodes who in my opinion will believe anything that they are told. If they are told that the world is coming to an end, then the world is going to end. If they are told that everything is peachy they believe everything is peachy. Here is where the chemistry side of my major comes into play. For far to long people have become more and more dependent on pills. Yes chemists are coming up with better and better drugs, but in some case studies individuals that suffer from bipolar tendencies have been given placebo’s and the same results have been achieved in getting the patient better because they believe the medication is working. It is a hard PILL to swallow how dependent society has become on a magic pill that will take away all of our problems. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse over 2.5 million individuals will take prescription drugs for non medical reasons this year alone. America is facing an epidemic. As chemists I believe we have to find non addictive drugs that will be able to treat others who are sick. I also understand that bipolar personalities is many times due to a chemical imbalance that will also need to be addressed. I wish Gottschell would have painted a different picture in reference to bipolar disorders. http://www.seroquelxr.com/bipolar-disorder/what-is-bipolar-depression.aspx?source=SERC18536&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=manic%20depression&utm_content=General%20&utm_campaign=Unbranded%20Bipolar%20Depression&gclid=CJCOrMSk8bkCFe1AMgodvBYAMQ&gclsrc=aw.ds http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20100930/how-many-in-united-states-are-depressed http://bipolardisorderdepressionanxiety.com/tag/chemistry/