Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Bipolar Disorder and Diabetes


As a psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Turner provides holistic care to patients at her private practice in New York’s Flatiron District. In her practice, Dr. Susan Turner subspecializes in helping patients challenged by both diabetes and bipolar disorder.

When a psychiatrist diagnoses a person with bipolar disorder, it means the patient exhibits sudden shifts in mood from very ecstatic to very depressed. These shifts may coincide with activity level. During the ecstatic periods, patients can feel energized to the extent that they have difficulty calming down. During the depressed periods, patients can feel so low that they disengage from their lives.

According to research, people with diabetes demonstrate much higher risk of developing bipolar disorder. The link between the two conditions is so marked that more than half of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder also exhibit diabetes or precursors to diabetes. 

Diabetes increases the risk of life-threatening events like heart attack and stroke. On account of its prevalence among patients with bipolar disorder, heart disease ranks as a top killer in the bipolar population.

Brain Activity During a Panic Attack

Panic Attacks on Stage Photo by  Victor Rodvang  on  Unsplash An alumnus of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Susan Turne...