Bipolar disorder

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The job of our nation's leader is stressful, but for some of the presidents studied, their conditions existed long before their political careers and were not caused by the rigors of office.

Indeed, Dr.

Jonathan Davidson and his co-authors found that the prevalence of mental illness in 49 percent of the presidents studied actually reflected national disease rates in the general population at the time.

Sufferers feel isolated Today, it is estimated that approximately one in five Americans has a diagnosable mental health problem.However, despite the fact that mental illnesses are common and highly treatable, all too often individuals who experience these diseases feel ashamed, isolated and hopeless.

Lincoln's own testimonies that he was "the loneliest man in the world" and "the most miserable man living" - although written more than a century ago - could be those of someone you know among the millions of men, women and children battling mental illness in this country today.

They are mothers, fathers, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, daughters and sons.

They are factory workers and heads of state.

Mental illness does not discriminate based on race, education level or socioeconomic status - and it is a leading cause of disability in countries around the world.

Depression, one of the most common mental illnesses, affects 19 million Americans and their families and is often expressed as a "down" or depressed mood, and a loss of interest or pleasure in usual ac...

...ba href=/bipolar disorder/a/b, he said.- Star report The annual number of children prescribed anti-psychotic drugs jumped fivefold from 1995 to 2002, to an estimated 2.5 million, the study said.

That is an increase from 8.6 out of every 1,000 children in the mid-1990s to nearly 40 out of 1,000.But more than half of the prescriptions were for attention deficit and other non-psychotic conditions, the researchers said.The findings are worrisome "because it looks like these medications are being used for large numbers of children in a setting where we don't know if they work," said lead author Dr.

William Cooper, a pediatrician at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.The increasing use of anti-psychotics since the mid-1990s corresponds with the introduction of costly and heavily marketed medications such as Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly and Co.

and used to treat schizophrenia, and Risperdal.

The packaging information for both says their safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.Anti-psychotics are intended for use against schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.However, attention deficit disorder is sometimes accompanied by temper outbursts and other disruptive behavior.

As a result, some doctors prescribe anti-psychotics to these children to calm them down - a strategy some doctors and parents say works.The drugs, which typically cost several dollars per pill, are considered safer than older anti-psychotics - at least in adults - but they still can have serious side effec...

...ba href=/bipolar disorder/a/b and was in the habit of walking alone when she was upset.

Her family reported her missing July 3.Neighbor Pete Solotruck said he last saw her at around the time of her disappearance walking with some young men or boys to an area where he knows young people go to party.'She was a real sweetheart,' he said.

'I saw her around all the time.'Another neighbor, Lisa Charland, remembered seeing White doing yard work for her grandmother.'She seemed like a very quiet person,' she said.

Police have talked with all of the neighbors.

Woodcock said they've also spoken with White's family and friends, including former boyfriends.Charland said she's frightened for her children.'It's unsettling to have something like this happen.

The person (murderer) could be here in the park, but they might not be, either,' she said.Other neighbors, who didn't wish to give their names, wondered why White didn't get this much attention as a missing person.Woodcock said she did, mentioning that the office put out missing posters as just one example.

'There has been an investigator assigned to this case since June, monitoring cell phone and bank records,' Woodcock said.

'Our investigator worked this case hard.' That investigator, Sheriff's Office veteran Michael Zurlo, also interviewed family members and White's friends at the time of her disappearance, Woodcock said.

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