2009 Lecture Archive 

We CAN Reclaim Our Lives: A Personal Journey to Hope and Recovery

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Larry Fricks, VP of Peer Services, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Need a dose of hope and inspiration? Meet Larry Fricks. In a sense his life story is painfully familiar: a happily married journalist and entrepreneur who descended into Bipolar hell and lost it all. Hospitalizations, frenetic mood swings, lapses in judgment, substance abuse, a broken marriage and ruinedcareer – you name it, he’s known it.

But when Larry’s downward spiral finally reached bottom, he didn’t just lie there stunned and broken. He looked around. He determined to do whatever he could do to make his life better. And he asked questions. How much of where I am is due to Bipolar? How much is within my control? Who’s in charge here: me, or the disease? On the slow, painful journey back from the depths, Larry discovered some essential truths about what it takes to live successfully with Bipolar Disorder.

Today Larry Fricks is one of the nation’s most impassioned advocates for the mentally ill. He believes that a meaningful recovery is possible for each and every one of us. And Larry has lots of pointers on ways we can battle stigma, become healthier, and take charge of our lives.

Larry Fricks is the kind of speaker whose belief in you brings you to a deeper belief in yourself. His inspiring December 1 talk will fire you with renewed determination -- and ideas -- for living life fully. Be there.

P.S. Larry’s story is featured in the NY Times best-seller Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of an Illness, A Chorus Of Hope by Richard M. Cohen. Mr. Cohen has graciously agreed to join us at the December 1 lecture.

Larry Fricks is the founder of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, Georgia Peer Specialist Training and Certification Program and Georgia Peer Support Institute.

And You Were Afraid to Ask!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Panel of Psychiatrists

A panel of leading psychiatrists answers your toughest questions.

The History of Melancholia and Mania: How is it Relevant Today?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Laura Bernay, M.D.

Fascinating stories of how mood disorders were treated through the ages. Even the Greeks and Romans got depressed!

Dr. Bernay is Head of Psychiatric Outpatient Services at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Cutting-Edge Treatments for Those Problem Depressions That Won’t Go Away

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D.

Dr. Mathew brings us up to date on the latest breakthrough research.

He is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and an attending physician at the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program (MAP). His primary areas of research include MRI and proton MRS in anxiety and mood disorders, and experimental therapeutic approaches across these conditions using novel pharmacotherapies and brain intervention techniques.

Personality, Bipolar Disorder, and Personality Disorders:
Where Does One Start and the Next Begin?

June 2, 2009
John Clarkin, PhD

Your mother claims, "You were always like that!" Your significant other counters that your family is partly to blame. You secretly wonder how many of your difficulties come from being you, and how many are due to being Bipolar.

Does it make a difference? Actually, yes. Your personality affects your relationships, your treatment, and your outcome, too. Which is why we've invited Dr. John Clarkin to speak to us for our June lecture.

The day you made your entrance into the world, you arrived with personality (or at least the beginnings of it). Current research suggests that roughly 50% of an individual's evolving personality is based in biology. The remaining half is formed by life experiences. The interplay between nurture and nature continued throughout your childhood, as you learned (or didn't learn) how to trust, communicate, deal with conflict, and resolve problems. By the time you reached late adolescence, most of the "you" in you was fully developed.

When your Bipolar Disorder is under control, your personality shines through. That gives you (and others) a baseline against which to gauge symptoms which may indicate the onset of depression or mania. An introvert behaves differently than an extrovert, for example, and if you're normally the retiring type and start acting differently, that's a clue to what's happening with your mood.

Unfortunately, some kinds of personalities are dysfunctional even without Bipolar Disorder to complicate life. People who are excessively avoidant or dependant may have a personality that's 'disordered' in and of itself. Then there are the complex difficulties like Borderline, Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality Disorders.

How do you know what's normal, what's normal but quirky, and what's in the oy vey! Category? Come hear Dr. Clarkin, an expert in the fields of both Bipolar Disorder and Personality Disorders, unravel the mess, and give us insights into how who you are affects being Bipolar, and what you can do about it.

Dr. Clarkin is a Professor at Weill Medical College of Cornell University; Co-Director for Institute for Personality Disorders

Practical Tips for Living with a Mood Disorder

May 5, 2009
Panel of MDSG Facilitators

There’s no one like the seasoned facilitators who lead our MDSG groups for sensible, workable suggestions on how to make life with a mood disorder a little bit easier. How much should you disclose, and to whom? How can you get yourself going, when you can barely get up? On the other hand, how can you trick yourself into going to sleep? Straight from the heart of our groups, this panel has years of experience to share. Be prepared to come away from this talk with new courage and plenty of great ideas.

Ask the Doctor ... Anything!

April 7, 2009
Ivan Goldberg, M.D.

His column in MOODS is one of our most popular features, his web site is always current. He stays abreast of the latest research and he is one of the most prominent psychopharmacologists in the country. His knowledge is vast (and growing daily). Our renowned medical advisor, Ivan Goldberg, M.D., loves answering questions. Bring yours, ask for a friend, or just listen in.

Dr. Ivan Goldberg is a psychopharmacologist and Medical Advisor to MDSG.

Do a Few Drinks Really Matter?
The Impact of Drugs and Alcohol in Bipolar Disorder

March 3, 2009
Michael Ostacher M.D., M.P.H.

Does being on medication mean you can’t be part of the party? Are some meds (or drinks) more dangerous than others? How slippery is the slope of substance use? What should you do if you feel yourself sliding down it?

Bipolar disorder has the dubious honor of being complicated by substance and alcohol abuse more often than any other psychiatric illness. Dr. Michael Ostacher of Harvard Medical School is one of a small group of researchers in the world devoted to the study of why this is so.

Dr. Ostacher’s research builds off of his clinical work with addiction treatment in bipolar patients. A recipient of a five-year NIH Career Development Award, he’s particularly interested in finding out which interventions work in helping bipolar patients with alcohol dependence. He’s also collaborated with specialists in the fields of anxiety disorders, cognition, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging. Dr. Ostacher’s depth, expertise, compassion, and insight are sure to make this lecture both informative, practical, and a must-see!

Michael Ostacher, Bipolar Clinic and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Talking About Therapy: What’s Good for Whom,and Why?

February 3, 2009
An expert panel of five top therapists

Some experts believe therapy was invented 45 minutes after prehistoric humans learned to talk. A million generations later, and the talking cure still thrives. It's one of the most effective ways to calm the demons that bedevil our minds and souls.

However, many distinct types of therapy developed over the years. And, because of all those different theories, styles, and the legions of trained practitioners, it can be quite confusing trying to decide on whose couch you should lie down.

So, back by popular demand, we present an expert panel of psychologists. These five top therapists, each representing unique experiences and outlooks, will help unravel the mystery about which type of treatment might be best for different individuals. What exactly is meant by interpersonal, psychodynamic, integrative, psychoanalytic, experiential? Also what about those fascinating initials, like CBT, DBT, RET, IFT just to name a few?

A major part of this presentation will be the psychologists replying to questions from the audience, and who knows, perhaps we'll all find out the answer to the most important riddle of all: Just how many shrinks does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Myths and Realities about Antidepressant Use in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

January 6, 2009
Joseph F. Goldberg, M.D.

The good news: antidepressants! The bad news: antidepressants! What goes on here?

Haven't these medications saved untold lives while helping lift the darkness from millions of people who were stuck in the miserable depths of depression? Then why do they continue to be more controversial than ever? Are they dangerous or safe? Are antidepressants overprescribed or underprescribed? Are their side effects worse than the cure? Do they cause mania, suicide, rapid cycling, impotence? Do they even work? Maybe these "happy pills" brought on the euphoria that led to the stock market collapse!

The difference between misinformation, lies, wishful thinking and real science is at the heart of our January lecture by noted researcher and psychopharmacologist Dr. Joseph Goldberg. "Carefully figuring out the risk factors is key in deciding if an antidepressant should be given at all," Dr. Goldberg says. "If the answer is yes, then profiling a patient's individual clinical characteristics is how to determine which medicine is the best choice."

Joseph F. Goldberg, M.D.
 -Director of the Affective Disorders Research Program at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut
 -Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City
His research focuses on the treatment and clinical features of bipolar disorder.