New to depression or bipolar disorder? You've come to the right place. Here you will learn to understand your diagnosis and its symptoms. The first thing you should know is that you are not alone. No matter how difficult things may seem for you right now, or for your loved one, there are people who can help you. This website is part of the helping process.

For easy navigation, I have separated out the depression articles from the bipolar ones, but the distinction is artificial. Many of us with depression are bipolar cases waiting to happen. Conversely, most of us with bipolar are depressed way more than we are manic.

The category, "The Mood Spectrum," tells the real story about our respective illnesses, namely that there is considerable overlap between depression and bipolar, and that many depressions more closely resemble bipolar than actual classical depression. If you want insights into your illness beyond what your diagnostic label indicates, then this section is a must-read.

Postpartum Depression could easily fit into the "Depression" grouping of articles, but I have included it in the Special Populations . In "Special Populations, you can also check out how mood disorders manifest in different ways according to age, sex, and ethnicity.

Alcohol and drug use and anxiety are frequent co-travelers with mood disorders. You can check these out in the "Co-Occurring" category. Literally everyone with a mood disorder has a serious sleep problem. You can read all about sleep in the Lifestyle section.

For some of the behaviors associated with depression and bipolar disorder, such as apathy or anger and personality disorders, check out the articles in the Behavior section.

For a more detailed treatment of the biological and genetic and environmental causes and effects of depression and bipolar disorder, please check out the Science-Science Issues section of this website.

For the interplay between depression and bipolar disorder and other illnesses of the body such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, please go to the articles in the Rest of the Body section.

Please click on the links on the left to get you started.

For three free online issues of McMan's Depression and Bipolar Weekly, email me and put "Sample" in the heading and your email address in the body.

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The True Meaning of Manic-Depression

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Coping with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar is no picnic, but we are not entirely helpless, either. A report on the horrors, and how successful patients cope.

What is Your Opinion?

What prevented you from initially seeking help for your depression or bipolar? What finally moved you to get help? What should be changed to make it easier for others to get help?

Brenda (March 3, 2001): I did not get help for a long, long time for several reasons. The biggest reasons were my family. My ex-husband threatened to take my children and never let me see them. He has succeeded there. My siblings and and parents say that we don't have crazy people in our family. Well they are wrong. And I have been misdiagnosed several times. In my teens I was in a terrible car accident, so I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, even though I had symptoms prior to the accident. After each of my pregnancies I had "postpartum psychosis", and then I have had severe depressions. No one has ever figured out in 40 years I needed medication. Until last summer. I do feel somewhat better now. I understand it make take some time to figure out the correct combination of medication to work for me. I will be patient and I am a Christian so I have faith that God will work with my doctors to find the right treatment for me. Eventually I will be allowed to see my children again when I can be a better mom. This is a great web-site. I hope it is helping you to heal. I will say a prayer for you.

McMan (March 3, 2001): Many thanks, Brenda.

Anonymous (March 5, 2001): When I was a teenager, I was always told I was an out of control teenager who was to immature to handle certain situations (ie anger, peer pressure). I was taken to counselors who diagnosed me as being an out of control teenager, as well. Years later (am now 23), I feel the same; maybe even worse. I just handle my situations differently. It has become all to common for me to feel emotionally unstable.....feeling similar to when I was a teenager.

I never got help because I was always told by my parents that I was making these thoughts up. I don't have too much of am emotional tie with my parents at all. Anyway, I started to believe the notion "parents know best," which led me to believe that I didn't have any problems that needed to be addressed by a professional.

Another reason why I waited so long to seek help was because there were several periods of time when I felt on top of the world or even just "normal"....whatever that is. These periods supported my parents notion that there was nothing wrong with me.

Well, needless to say, after several thoughts of suicide for the past two years, I finally went to seek help for the second time in two years ( first time didn't help me too well.). I have just been diagnosed with cyclothymia. Guess parents aren't always right. All I can say about seeking help is that you know what you are feeling best. If you are feeling unstable and the thought crosses your mind that something may need attention, chances are you would be better off going to get things checked out. I don't know what to think about having cyclothymia, but I do know that I am somewhat relieved. I always hoped that life felt better than what it did ( on certain days--that oh to common depressive state). I hoped this made sense. I'm not doing to well right now.

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John McManamy

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