An estimated 26,000 Nova Scotians live with bipolar disorder. Often stigmatized in popular culture, the experience of bipolar disorder varies from one person to the next and almost always has a drastic impact on how individuals think, behave and function.
Bipolar Disorder dramatically affects the lives of those who have the illness as well as their families, friends, colleagues and employers. Unlike many other illnesses, delays from the onset of symptoms of bipolar disorder to the time of initial treatment can last up to 20 years.
Please join us for a live webcast media briefing that will address some of the facts and perceptions about bipolar disorder. Media are invited to participate via webcast, where a panel of experts will highlight:
Statistics on prevalence, information on diagnosis and treatments, data on burden of illness, the myths of mental illness and more. - Issues related to causative factors, treatment plans and recovery. - Integrating bipolar disorder into everyday lives - the components for successful integration, how one can maintain stability, a balanced lifestyle and build support networks. - Recovery - a personal success story.
When: Thursday November 19, 2009 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (AST) (9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. EST) - one hour panel presentation, followed by Q&A session. How: Webcast Media Briefing hosted by the Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) in partnership with the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. Once you confirm your attendance (see below for contact information), log-in instructions will be provided. Who: Phil Upshall, National Executive Director of the Mood Disorders Society of Canada and adjunct professor with the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University (moderator). Dr. Claire O'Donovan, Psychiatrist, Mood Disorders, Capital District Mental Health Programs and Associate Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. Nancy Beck, faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry, International Psychiatry Division at Dalhousie University and Director of Connections Halifax. Susan Kilbride Roper, who lives with Bipolar Disorder.
Researchers make strides in enhancing early diagnosis of bipolar disorder in adolescents