Things You Need to Know About Bipolar Disorder

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You can be successful with bipolar disorder

There are plenty of famous, successful people who live their lives with bipolar disorder. Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, dealt with the condition for most of her life. Her diagnosis came at age 24, and she spent increasing amounts of her time and fame calling for awareness and research. Her scathing, honest memoirs and stage shows dealt openly with the disease, and some of her struggles with it.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has been open about her struggles, and Disney star Demi Lovato learned she had the disorder in 2010. Since then, she has called for increased awareness, including an MTV documentary in 2012. Some peoples' struggles with the illness have dominated the conversation around them, including artists like Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain. Others, like Richard Dreyfuss, Ed Bazinet and Ted Turner, certainly had to seek treatment for their illness, but were also able to find success on their own terms and lived long lives.

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Did you know...

  • There are many factors that contribute to your body odor, but one of the strongest links is our diet. This may be some bad news for meat-lovers because many studies have shown that those who refrained from or ate less red meat were judged as being more pleasant smelling. The meat sweats are real, and they don’t smell great!
  • Have you ever told your husband something and he promptly forgets it? It's not his fault, actually. It really is because he's a man. The hippocampus (the part of the brain that deals with memory) begins to shrink with age faster in men than it does in women. That's why you can remember everything, and he can't!
  • Starting to feel claustrophobic? The smells of apples may help keep your claustrophobic feelings at bay according to a 1995 study by Dr. Alan Hirsch. Green apples, specifically, helped people change their perception of their space. Maybe they thought of expansive apple orchards? Cucumbers and barbecue made the feelings worse.
  • A hearty laugh is good for the heart. Laughing can increase blood flow by 20%. Additionally, looking on the bright side can help you live longer. Studies have shown that a more optimistic outlook is linked to a healthier heart, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk for coronary artery disease.
  • Does your job make you stressed? We all know that stress is psychologically bad for you, but it also has an effect on…your allergies? A Harvard Medical School study has shown that stress causes your allergies to become worse because your body's defense response loses efficacy when repeatedly triggered by stress. Then, when you really need to physically fight something off, you're less able to!