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Bipolar Disorder/My wife has been diagnosed with bipolar

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Expert: - 7/21/2008


Question
My wife has been having manic depressive notions for the past 6 years of our marriage with thoughts of suicide and on several occasions she says she no longer loves me or wants to remain a couple. Earlier this year 9approx 4 months) she has been diagnosed with type 2 bipolar. The medication she is now on is lithium and also 225 mg of efexor xl. My wife is 30 years of age and we have 2 children aged 5 and 4.
please advise me on some of the finer points on dealing with the manic stages of the disorder.

Kind Regards
John


Answer
Dear John,

I am sorry to hear about your wife. When you have a mood disorder, one tends to blame the partner. It can cause anhedonia (Please search fro anhedonia at our web site). Besides medication a lot can be done nutritionally. Bipolar people benefit from going on a hypoglycemic diet, that tends to stabilize moods. When you have a mood disorder you are unhappy and may tend to think there is something wrong in the marriage, and "the grass is greener around the corner" (away from partner). Be patient and try to remain supportive.

Please read:

Nutritional Aspects of Schizophrenia at:
http://curezone.com/upload/Newsletter/Hypoglycemic_He/HYPONL2001_06.pdf
and go to page 7 of Newsletter.

much of this applies to Bipolar Disorder too. For more information  read:

Treatments for Bipolar Disorder at:
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/default.htm#B

Self-help Personal Growth Psychotherapy at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/self-help_personal_growth.html

You may find articles there that might interest you. Also look up LECITHIN at web site.

and discuss also with a Nutritional Doctor, a Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychologist if you want to.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman

Bipolar Disorder

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Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist

Expertise

Have worked as a psychotherapist for overv twenty years, dealing with many personality disorders

Experience

I have a degree in Psychology from the Sydney University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition. I am also the author of “GETTING OFF THE HOOK” which deals with the nutritional and psychological treatment of personality disorders. It is freely available on the internet at Google Book Search. I am interested in the relationship between nutrition and behaviour, and as a Probation ans Parole Officer facilitated groups for offenders, many of whom were alcoholics and drug addicts, sex offenders or compulsive gamblers, as well as the whole gamut of “personality disorders”. I am also the ex-editor of the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia Newsletter, a quarterly publication dealing with hypoglycemia and related health problems. Its web site, together with a shortened course of PSYCHOTHERAPY can be visited at: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au

Organizations
Editor of the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia. Its web site is at:

http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au

Publications
Author of the book "Getting off the Hook", It is freely available on the internet at Google Book Search. Various articles in the Hypoglycemic Health Association's Newsletters

Education/Credentials
BA (Psych) (University of Sydney), Post Gad Dip Clin Nutr (International Academy of Nutrition)

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