2006 Lecture Archive 

Mood Disorders and Development—From Childhood to Adulthood

Tuesday  December 5, 2006   
Gianni Faedda, MD

Over the course of a lifetime, people change—and so do the symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder. “A mood disorder expresses itself much differently in childhood and adolescence than it does in adulthood,” says Gianni Faeda, our December lecturer. “On many different levels, what happens at an early age affects the entire course of the disease.” Whether you’re a parent looking for practical advice about your child or someone looking for insight into your own illness, this lecture will provide a wealth of valuable information on the lifespan of mood disorders. Dr. Faedda is a top researcher in this field, a practicing psychopharmacologist and author of Parenting a Bipolar Child.  .

Dual Diagnosis: Drugs, Alcohol and Mood Disorders

November 7, 2006
Jeffrey Borenstein, MD

Mood disorders and substance abuse seem to go hand in hand, and studies have confirmed a correlation — especially with bipolar disorder. Come hear Jeffrey Borenstein, one of the leading experts in this field, discuss self-medication and the complex interplay between moods and drugs and alcohol. He’ll cover the latest research and the most cutting edge treatment for this difficult diagnosis.

Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein is the host of “Healthy Minds” (shown locally on WLIW Sundays at 11:30 AM) and medical director of Holliswood Hospital. 

Making the Best of Depression: You Can Do Better Than Coping?

October 10, 2006
Richard O’Connor, PhD

Learn how setting the bar higher can help you recapture true enjoyment and pleasure out of life. Dr. O’Connor is one of our most popular speakers—don’t miss him!

Richard O’Connor, PhD. Celebrated author of Undoing Depression and Undoing Perpetual Stress, and practicing psychotherapist. 

Healing Your Brain: Can Your Mood Disorder Go Into Long Remission?

September 12, 2006
David Hellerstein, M.D. 

Exciting new evidence in neuroscience and psychiatry suggests that successful treatment can reverse —not just improve— depressive illness.

Dr. David Hellerstein is a psychiatrist, researcher and psychopharmacologist. He is the Medical Director of the Columbia University Psychiatry Clinical Trials Program, a research psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Hellerstein is also Director of the Mood Disorders Research Unit at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York, which conducts studies on the medication treatment of chronic depression. He specializes in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, with a particular focus on the medication treatment of dysthymia, or low-grade chronic depression.

Therapists Discuss Therapy

June 6, 2006
Panel of Psychologists 

Almost everyone struggling with a mood disorder eventually ends up on the couch. Not only the one in front of the television, but the one that Freud made notorious. Numerous studies have shown that in addition to the right medication, psychotherapy gives mood disorder patients a far better chance of getting better. 

Yet in spite of therapy’s proven efficacy and popularity, lots of folks still have questions. For starters, what the heck does word “therapy” refer to exactly? How do you know it will benefit you? How do you find the right therapist? Must it take so long to work? What type should you chose? 

Whatever your question, this discussion will provide answers. Four prominent New York therapists will be on the panel and they will take all questions from the audience.

The Very Latest in Treatments for Mood Disorders

May 2, 2006
Dennis Charney, M.D. 

Depression and manic depression can be difficult to treat, but the good news is, there’s always hope. New treatments are constantly being discovered and doctors are learning how to dose and combine existing medications more effectively. The more you know about what’s available, the better able you’ll be to discuss the options with your own doctor. Arm yourself with the very latest information. Dr. Charney is one of the world’s foremost authorities on psychopharmacology and his lecture will cover some of the most important scientific information available. He’ll present the latest and answer many questions from the audience.

Dr. Charney is the Dean of research, psychiatry, neuroscience, pharmacology and biochemistry at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. He is the author of The Peace of Mind Prescription.

Roundtable: Coping with Depression and Bipolar Disorder

April 4, 2006
Advice from the Experts - Panel of MDSG facilitators

As everyone suffering from a mood disorder eventually learns, it’s not only a matter of staying with the right meds. Managing all the symptoms of your illness requires clever skills that most people would never discover on their own. How can you get yourself going on days when you feel you can’t even leave the house? Is it smart to talk to your friends and co-workers about your moods? How do you ride out particularly low periods? Can you gain better control over insomnia, anger, procrastination, hopelessness and isolation? 

The trained volunteer facilitators who lead our support groups have been discussing these issues with bipolar and depressed people for years, in some cases decades. They’ve heard it all and are ready to share their wealth of knowledge. This roundtable is all about practical advice for getting by. Feel free to bring your questions.

Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness

March 7, 2006    
Joshua Wolf Shenk

The Republican National Convention, 1860: Abraham Lincoln has just been introduced as a presidential candidate and the crowd is going wild. Spectators are cheering and applauding wildly and throwing their hats in the air in celebration, but Lincoln himself doesn’t seem nearly so happy. In fact, one observer described him as “the worst plagued man I ever saw.” The next day a colleague saw him sitting in a corner with his head bowed. “I am not well,” he said. Lincoln’s depressed mood that week was not an anomaly. In fact, the 16th president battled serious depression his entire life. 

Come hear Joshua Wolf Shenk, author of the new book, Lincoln’s Melancholy, discuss this fascinating topic. Shenk spent seven years carefully researching Lincoln’s life and he argues that depression actually contributed toward making Lincoln the great man he was. He’ll talk in depth about how depressive episodes affected Lincoln’s life’s work. 

Shenk is a truly original thinker with many new insights about the meaning and effects (not all bad) about depressive illness. His ideas may even change the way you think about depression itself. Don’t miss this provocative discussion. 

Social Security Disability and Mental Illness
Sorting Out the Rules

February 7, 2006
Marc Strauss, Esq.

SSI, SSD, DLI — what do all these confusing initials mean? When it comes to getting social security disability benefits for depression and other mental illness, cutting through the red tape can be overwhelming. Come hear attorney Marc Strauss, who specializes in fighting the bureaucracy in this complicated area of law, give a broad overview of the system and the application process. He’ll also explain what to do if you’re denied benefits. “The process can be discouraging, but if people learn what to do and keep at it, they’ll get what they’re entitled to,” says Strauss.

Marc Strauss, Esq. is an attorney specializing in Social Security Disability at the law firm of Pyrros and Serres, LLP.
Note: Due to technical problems, recordings of this lecture are not available.

Depression and Humor — Is There Such a Thing?

January 10, 2006
Elizabeth Swados 

While down in the depths of depression, it can be nearly impossible to see anything funny about the situation, but the multi-talented Elizabeth Swados somehow finds a way. In her touching, illustrated memoir, My Depression: A Picture Book, Swados offers up sharp, witty observations about her own illness, likening her dark moods to everything from an evil twin to a Creature from the Black Lagoon-style entity. “Something slimy and scaly feels like it’s growing inside me. I’m a grade B 1950s horror movie,” she writes in one caption.

In January, the five-time Tony nominated playwright, popular performer and composer, and prolific writer will bring her irresistible wit to MDSG in a lecture that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining.

Elizabeth Swados is an Obie-Award Winning Playwright, Guggenheim Fellow, and Author of the acclaimed My Depression: A Picture Book. Her web site is www.lizswados.com and she has an entry in the Internet Broadway Database.

Note: This lecture had to be cancelled due to an unexpected scheduling conflict.