Antidepressants are a key component in the treatment of those with bipolar disorder. We all know they are used to treat depression including depression associated with bipolar as well as anxiety. And I think most of us probably have a grasp on the idea that antidepressant can be the culprits in triggering mania for some people. But here something we didn't know.

A new published study has found that antidepressants may actually cause a change in your personality. The research team found evidence that these medications decrease neuroticism and increase extraversion. These changes are independent of the improvements in depression though they do seem to predict how well and how long remission of symptoms may occur.

Anne Harding, in an article titled Antidepressants Change Personality, Study Suggests, quotes the lead author, Dr. Tony Tang, "Medication can definitely change people's personalities, and change them quite substantially. Those changes are very important."

She also makes an important note, "Although the new study sheds some light on the relationship between SSRIs and personality, there is much that remains unknown about these drugs." ~Kimberly

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Life with bipolar disorder is a 400 meter, long hurdle race. Nowhere is this more telling than the workplace. For those with severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, there are obstacles just getting out of bed and to the office. Tackling the barriers of stigma, misinformation and insensitivity seems insurmountable sometimes. These effects carry over to the loved-ones of those with these disorders.

We know this, but our supervisors and employers don't always have the same firsthand experience we have. Stewart D. Friedman, a Professor of Management at the University of Pennsylvania, talks about this in The Hidden Business Cost of Mental Illness published in Harvard Business Publishing. Yes, you read that correctly ... a business professional writing to business professionals offering salient advice that benefits both the business and the employee.

"There are real costs associated with employees having to carry this heavy weight of worry and responsibility, especially if they feel they must do so without the understanding and support of their organization. There is stress, unwanted social isolation in the workplace, and the feeling that they must find clandestine ways of responding to urgent demands for their attention. All of this undermines productivity by causing burn-out, unplanned absences, distractions from focused effort on tasks, and poor confidence in being able to contribute to the team. As a leader in your organization, you can reduce these costs and inspire greater performance from valued employees."

I've bookmarked this article and plan to use it when I'm doing training with members of my staff. Dr. Friedman presents a few solid suggestions for reducing stigma and these aren't just for managers. They are for anyone. ~Kimberly

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One of our forum members, Bwaisley, posted about the difficulty of discontinuing Ativan, which is a benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication:

"I have been trying for months to get off Ativan. The best I can do is where I am right now on 0.5 mg a night. Whenever I try to reduce by a little bit, I spin into an anxiety attack. I've been on it for months. I even tried titrating off when my pdoc started titrating me onto Depakote ER. That didn't work. To top it off, every Sunday night I have to take 1 mg of Ativan because of the anxiety of starting a new work week. What the hell do I do now? I only want it for emergencies, but it won't let me. I feel trapped with no way out. Yuck!!!! Any suggestions?"

I feel for Bwaisley. I went through benzodiazepine withdrawal myself, when I had to go off all my medications in order to take part in a clinical trial. Discontinuing the other drugs wasn't bad - stopping Ativan was absolute misery.

Have you been through this, with Ativan or any of the other benzos? Please offer any suggestions you have to Bwaisley, or leave a comment below.
~Marcia

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Over the years Kimberly and I have written about ourselves - for example, Kimberly wrote about her son, and for a long time I shared my story in my I'm Bipolar Journal, which started on the day I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. If you've followed the journal, you probably know me well by now, but we know far less about you. So today I'm asking: Who are you? Why do you visit this site? What here has helped you the most? Leave your answers at the bottom of this message. We'll be listening!
~Marcia

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