Patient Resources 

Click below for details on a wide variety of valuable organizations and programs that promote education, offer support, and provide guidance for living well with bipolar disorder.

 http://www.afsp.org

We were formerly known as the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, and our web address was www.bpkids.org We served families raising kids and teens with depression and bipolar disorder. Our new name is The Balanced Mind Foundation, and our new web address is www.thebalancedmind.org. We have expanded our mission as follows: "The Balanced Mind Foundation guides families raising children with mood disorders to the answers, support and stability they seek."

Beyondbipolar.com is the website of Jane Mountain, MD, author of Bipolar Disorder: Insights for Recovery, and in-demand speaker on bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. When she faced the challenges of bipolar disorder, Dr. Jane Mountain chose to give up her practice, cut down on her daily activities and pursue recovery. In doing so, she became interested not only in her own recovery but in helping others who have bipolar disorder. Author of Bipolar Disorder: Insights for Recovery and a popular speaker, Dr. Mountain brings fascinating insight and hope to the millions who have bipolar disorder, as well as their families and friends.http://www.beyondbipolar.com

is an information resource for close family, partners and friends of people with bipolar disorder. It includes information on bipolar disorder and its management, suggestions about ways caregivers can provide support, deal with the illness and take care of themselves, and links to helpful resources. This information is based on guidelines for caregivers developed by combining the research literature with the opinions and consensus of international panels of clinicians, caregivers and people with bipolar disorder, selected for their expertise and experience in dealing with the illness. The website was developed at the University of Melbourne in Australia.http://bipolarcaregivers.org

BIPOLAR Education Foundation (BEF)
VISION
To promote education, awareness, prevention and destigmatisation of Bipolar disorders and Depression.
MISSION
To take a community based approach towards Bipolar disorder and Depression education, through programs which engage our key stakeholders and partners including: high schools, sporting clubs, local communities, workplaces, healthcare professionals and governments.
Objectives:

• To promote tolerance and a better understanding of Bipolar Disorders and Depression, thus reducing the stigma
• To promote the early diagnosis of mental illness whilst delivering our “message of hope” through EDUCATION
• To deliver mental health education through a team of trained and experienced “Consumer Advocates”
• To reduce the incidence of SUICIDE in our community through EDUCATION

Desired Outcomes:

At the BIPOLAR Education Foundation we strive to create and instigate:

• More accepting schoolyards
• Positive and understanding workplaces
• Encouragement of self-responsibility
• Individuals making informed choices

Visit BIPOLAR Education Foundation's website at http://bipolar-edu.org/ The Bipolar Express Issue 7 - October 2010

Check out WWW.BIPOLARNEWS.ORG for the BNN Newsletter

Those interested in the latest clinical and research information on bipolar disorder might want to check out the newly redesigned website at www.bipolarnews.org. The bipolar network newsletter (BNN) has been published multiple times per year since 1995 and all back issues are available, as well as new volumes for 2009 and 2010. http://www.bipolarnews.org

Bipolar Poetry is for anyone who enjoys reading poetry or would like gain insight into the emotional world of the bipolar poet and anyone who lives with bipolar illnes that writes bipolar poetry as a creative expression about how it affects their lives. http://www.bipolarpoetry.com

BipolArt is a project that offers people with bipolar disorder the opportunity to publish their artwork on the internet for free. The initiators, Magdalena Maya Ben and Eric Bodenschatz, explain, "Our main purpose is to show the creative power of bipolar people. We hope that this project can help bipolar people to better cope with their disease or give them hope. With this project we want to fight against the stigmatization of mentally ill people. Our vision is to establish a worldwide network of bipolar artists. It doesn't matter whether creating art is their hobby or if they are professionals. We want to cumulate all of this creative power and bring it into the open public."

More than 1000 works of art, created by more than 300 artists from all over the world, are on display. Kay Redfield Jamison is the official patron of BipolArt.

The website (www.bipolart.de) is in German, but you can easily translate its content into English or another language with a click in the Google Translate Gadget.

"This is the first fictional story available for children about early-onset bipolar disorder. In 32 simply illustrated pages children will follow (and relate to) Brandon's experience with rapid mood swings, irritability, his sense of always being uncomfortable, and his sadness that he can't control himself and that no one can fix him. The comforting explanation of bipolar disorder that Dr. Samuel gives him makes Brandon feel not alone, not bad, but hopeful that the medicines will make him (and his Bipolar Bear) feel better. We were so moved by the power of this little book and we feel better that we now can highly recommend a book for children ages 4 through 11." Click for more information

 http://www.womensmentalhealth.org

CNS News offers clinical updates, convention coverage and educational reviews in neurology and psychiatry. This monthly publication provides practice-specific information for physicians, interviews with CNS thought leaders and unique editorial features, such as clinical reviews written by physicians. http://www.cnsnewsonline.com

The mission of the DBSA is to educate patients, families, professionals and the public concerning the nature of depressive and manic-depressive illness as treatable medical diseases; to foster self-help for patients and families; to eliminate discrimination and stigma; to improve access to care and to advocate for research toward the elimination of these illnesses. http://www.dbsalliance.org

Sponsors psycho-educational courses to provide information and teach coping skills to bipolar patients, their families, and friends. http://www.nsmd.nl

Eli, the Bipolar Bear is about a child struggling with drastic mood swings and seeking to resolve the issue that is disrupting his whole life. With the help of his parents and a Wise Old Bear, Eli is able to understand what is happening to him and find resources to manage this disorder. ISBN: 0974656828 http://www.ChildHeroesPublishing.com

FUBIPA, or the Bipolar Foundation of Argentina, has been working for fourteen years, providing support, information and education for bipolar patients and their families through its thirteen self-help groups located in different sites throughout the country. The website is in Spanish only. http://www.fubipa.org.ar

Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks is a non-political, nonsectarian organization dedicated to publishing and promoting information and awareness concerning the incidence and available treatment of mental illness. GAMIAN is particularly interested in enhancing the recognition and availability of treatment for mood and anxiety disorders. http://www.gamian.eu

The German Society for Bipolar Disorder was established in 1999 and is open to professionals, patients, and relatives. The society promotes public awareness of the illness and establishing of local self-help groups, advises patients and relatives, supplies educational materials for professionals and patients, and stages nationwide and local symposia for continuing education.
http://www.dgbs.de

Fondazione IDEA works to overcome the stigma and prejudice surrounding depression and bipolar disorders. The website is in Italian only. http://www.tin.virgilio.it

The scientific activity of the Biologic Psychiatry Unit has the aim of improving the knowledge regarding the best diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the management of patients with sub-clinical and acute mental disorders, keeping an eye on the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the differences in the response to treatments. Above all, the Unit assumes a bio-psycho-social approach to mental disorders in order to individualize and improve the care.

http://www.irccs-fatebenefratelli.it (In Italian Only)
http://www.irccs-fatebenefratelli.it/psichiatria.asp?nome=home

IBANGS, founded in 1996, works to promote the field of neurobehavioral genetics in its largest sense. The Society's journal, Genes, Brain and Behavior (G2B) G2B is published jointly by IBANGS and Blackwell Publishing and is a journal publishing top quality research in behavioral and neural genetics in its broadest sense. The emphasis is on the analysis of the behavioral and neural phenotypes under consideration, the unifying theme being the genetic approach as a tool to increase our understanding of these phenotypes. www.ibangs.org

International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization whose mission is to eliminate bipolar disorder through the advancement of research; to promote care & support services; and to erase associated stigma through public education. In addition to providing research grants, we offer a free monthly lecture series which is uploaded onto our website, a Buddy Program and Outreach & Referral Program, educational brochures & videos, and an award winning e-newsletter, My Support. We host prominent speakers, host a Mental Health Fair, Caregiver Support Groups, have a Stigma Busters' Program and produce, support and build awareness for fundraising events to raise money for bipolar research and services. www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org

The Josselyn Center for Mental Health, a not-for-profit corporation, is dedicated to providing high quality interdisciplinary mental health and related services to families and individuals of all socioeconomic backgrounds. It has served Chicago's north shore communities since 1951.
http://www.josselyn.org

The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation is the first charitable organization solely dedicated to the support of research for the study of early-onset bipolar disorder. Our board is a remarkable one, made up of dedicated parents, treating professionals and world class clinical investigators and basic science researchers. http://www.jbrf.org

The Madison Institute of Medicine, Inc. (MIM) is committed to conceptualizing, developing, and disseminating innovative approaches to the education of professionals and the general public about medical disorders and their treatment. An additional focus of MIM is clinical research as a vehicle to advance the frontiers of medicine and improve quality of life. http://www.miminc.org

McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web represents the web's most comprehensive one-person site devoted to depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression), with more than 240 articles, more than 150 links, and news - from diagnosis and treatment to personal stories and essays to issues that touch all our lives. This website also includes a reader's forum, an online depression and bipolar book store, and community message boards and chat.
http://www.mcmanweb.com

Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately 3% of people in the United States, and it has been described with consistent accuracy over the centuries, even before Hippocrates. The complexities and subtle variations make it difficult to diagnose at times and even more difficult to predict the course and outcome. The challenge for clinicians is to identify the most appropriate management strategy for a particular patient, a process often complicated by comorbid conditions, such as substance abuse or ADHD, and noncompliance with treatment. To help meet this challenge, Medscape has created the Bipolar Disorder Resource Center.
http://www.medscape.com

Founded in 1983 as a self-help organization to provide support, information and education to those affected by mood disorders. Fosters public awareness of the social, biochemical, and psychological factors in mania and depression through education in the media. Assists those with mania and depression to obtain professional help. http://www.depression.mb.ca

NAMI is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders. http://www.nami.org

The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to diminish the burden of mental illness through research. This public health mandate demands that we harness powerful scientific tools to achieve better understanding, treatment and eventually, prevention of mental illness. For bipolar disorder specific information, click here. For depression specific information, click here.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov

Founded in 1996 by the doctors and nurses of the Mental Health Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Member of GAMIAN Europe. Website is in Russian and English.
http://www.pubinitpsy.da.ru

 http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall.aspx

 http://www.stanleyfoundation.org/

The Stanley Medical Research Institute is the largest private provider of research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the United States. SMRI funds approximately half of all U.S. research on bipolar disorder and approximately one quarter of the research on schizophrenia. In addition, it is a major provider of research on these diseases in England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, and Australia. http://www.stanleyresearch.org

The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. http://www.who.int/