Outline

Assessment, Recognition and Differential Diagnosis

Depression: Unipolar vs. Bipolar and Why It Matters

• Why it’s essential to identify depressive mixed states
• 7 crucial symptoms of mania/hypomania to evaluate
• Evaluation beyond symptoms is critical to diagnosis and treatment
• Bipolar spectrum and mood temperaments
• Case studies:
  • Misdiagnosed depression
  • A teen on Zoloft who committed suicide
  • Hyperthymic temperament: A little craziness and a lot of success

Differential Diagnosis to Distinguish Bipolar Disorder from Substance Abuse, Borderline Personality, and Adult ADHD

• Why every clinician needs to know a thing or two about substance abuse
• Is my patient alcoholic? Don’t ask these two questions to find out!
• Key questions to detect covert substance abuse
• 4-part clinical diagnostic method
• Avoid misdiagnosis: How to distinguish bipolar from borderline personality disorder
• A key symptom difference between adult ADHD and bipolar

Clinical Treatment Interventions

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Bipolar

• Help clients accept a bipolar diagnosis
• Address key issues in treatment
• Integrate core concepts into daily practice
• Psychodynamics of euphoric and irritable hypomania
• Treat bipolar disorder, not individual symptoms
• Case study: creativity, comedy and madness

Your Worst Fear: Identify and Manage Acute Suicide Risk

• 4 red flags that predict suicide completion
• Assess suicide risk factors
• Risk management: Practical strategies to protect your client and yourself
• The only medication to dramatically reduce suicide risk – not an antidepressant!

Medications: What a Non-Prescriber Needs to Know

• Fears and misconceptions
• Antidepressants don’t work for bipolar depression
• Benefits and risks of:
  • Mood stabilizers (Lithium, Depakote, Tegretol, and more)
  • Atypical antipsychotics (Lamictal, Risperidone, Abilify, and more)
• The future of medication for bipolar disorder – research and new classes of drugs

Additional Clinical Considerations

• Bipolar depression and suboptimal thyroid functioning
• Unrecognized medical illness
• Highly effective non-pharmacological treatments
  • Circadian rhythm interventions
  • Nutritional interventions