Talk:Treatment of bipolar disorder

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[edit] Bipolar disorder has not been cured

This statement is true. Do you have proof that bipolar will never be cured? --WikiCats 09:10, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

I removed that statement because it is too vague. What exactly defines when a disorder/disease/condition is "cured"? Is any medical condition ever really "cured"? It's all about how effective the available treatments are. I think the article should focus on this angle: the effectiveness of treatments, not vague statements about a "cure". -- Barrylb 09:45, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

I have copied your recent wording from the main article, it is better phrased - concentrating on whether a person can be rid of the condition rather than a general statement about whether the disorder "has been cured". -- Barrylb 09:55, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Hi Barry. We have already had this debate. It lasted several weeks. It begins here “cures are not expected in psychiatry” and ends here Comment(cont.) Several doctors were putting the same argument.

The result of that battle is recorded here. Psychiatry#Practice_of_psychiatry It sates "Most psychiatric illnesses cannot currently be cured." --WikiCats 10:16, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Let me say that your article is a good one. Some of your links to article references (like link [12]) don't work - and the section on medical marijuana needs a rewrite. Do you mind if I try? The section on the study is particularly important to me (as a reader) because the critique isn't crystal clear, at least to me. It needs to be said exactly what the author reported, namely, fewer somatic symptoms and daily users reported less depressed mood and more positive affect than non-users. So we can say with relative confidence that there is early evidence that using marijuana elevates mood and affect, a finding that is consistent with 50 years of cultural experience as back up. While it is true that it is a cross sectional study precluding strong causal statements, it seems quite 'unlikely' that only elevated people chose to smoke marijuana. Instead, it's reasonable to suggest marijuana use elevates mood and affect.

I mean, just think about it: That's exactly what scientists and doctors have been saying marijuana DOES for the last 50 years! The study confirms scientific prediction and failed to disconfirm the antithesis: That marijuana use necessarily leads to depression. In this sense it wasn't an earth-shaking study, but I believe it to be competent and properly executed.

Your write up states: "Since the study is a statistical survey no cause and effect relationship can be shown between marijuana use and decreased depression."

Actually, the study is statistical but so what? That has no bearing on cause and effect. Indeed, the statistical models they employ make good use of causal inference making. The real problemmatic issue is that it is a 'correlational' study which won't allow causal inferences unless they are backed up by other means.

Instead, what you want to say is "Preliminary studies in this area...shown less depression and more positive affect than non users" You might want to then caution the reader that more research is needed in the area.

Rick M, Canada, June 13, 2006

Hi Rick, we would welcome any contributions to the article. Make sure you use the Preview button while editing. -- Barrylb 07:50, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Yoga and Bipolar

Whereas yoga may certainly be helpful for regulating mania in some cases, in some people it can engender religious mania. Persons with a propensity toward religious flights of fancy can become fixated on yoga when it is taught with a religious (or pseudo-religious) aspect. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.81.35.113 (talk) 03:18, 28 March 2007 (UTC).