Bipolar Has 1000 Faces

Making Diagnosis Simple.

Between 2009 and 2011, as I was opening a new practice, I evaluated 1000 new patients, as counted by my secretary. I changed approximately 250 of these patients from antidepressants to drugs for mania (lower dose than usual mania.) Some of them had been on antidepressants for many years with no relief. Their diagnosis, mixed mania, presents as depression but a careful history reveals that their mind has been racing and that they cannot fall asleep for about four hours or longer each night.

Getting the right diagnosis comes before effective treatment. This book is devoted to getting the right diagnosis of several common psychiatric illnesses.

I am a firm believer in the value of benzodiazepines such as Valium, Klonopin, etc. in spite of the fact that a few addicted people will use these drugs inappropriately. A much larger percentage of patients need these drugs and will use them appropriately. Anyone treating primarily substance abuse will have a very negative viewpoint of benzodiazepines, and they have had a powerful influence on the thinking of the whole medical profession.

Marijuana is composed of at least 27 different chemicals. Cannabidiol extract may actually have a positive effect on the immune system while alleviating severe, arthritic pain and other sources of pain. I was hoping for the legalization of marijuana when I first published this book in 2015. But now I am concerned that the stimulant in marijuana, THC, is being increased by the growers from under 5% to 17% to 28%. I am concerned that this might have deleterious effects on the brain similar to cocaine. At less than 5%, it was used by many people to decrease the miseries of anxiety or mania.