The Mood Disorders Support Group of New York City 
 

M O O D S

  Newsletter of the Mood Disorders Support Group   
Below: 20092008200720062005200420032002200120001999
 

MDSG publishes a hardcopy newsletter four times a year. The newsletter is free, even to non-members of MDSG. Copies are always available at discussion meetings and lectures. The newsletter is only mailed as hard-copy, we do not distribute it via E-mail. To get on the mailing list, drop us a note to our Post Office Box or leave a message on our phone number.

All information in the newsletter is intended for general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for a specific medical condition.

Note: Starting with the first issue in 2003, the newsletter is mailed folded and secured rather than stuffed in a large white envelope. If you do not want this "open mailing" contact us to cancel your subscription. 

If you would like to contribute an article to the newsletter, send an E-mail message to newsletter@mdsg.org. Articles, personal accounts, letters to the editor, cartoons, and drawings are all welcome. Do not use this E-mail address for requests to get on the mailing list.

Below are links to recent issues of the newsletter. To make it easier to print and read off-line, each issue appears on a single web page. 

 
  2010 TOP
February 2010  -- Number 1
  • Upcoming Lectures: March, April, May
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • MDSG says good-bye to two of its own
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    A Users's Guide to Therapy: What to Expect and How You Can Benefit
  • Where's Howard?
  • STRESSED? Quick Tension Busters
 

 

  2009 TOP
February 2009  -- Number 1
  • Upcoming Lectures: March, April, May
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
    -What is the role of pramipexol (Mirapex) in treating mood disorders?
    -Is inositol useful in treating depression?
    -Is there any role for melatonin in the treatment of acute manic episodes or depression?
    -I have rapid-cycling Bipolar Disorder that hasn’t responded to many combinations of mood stabilizers. My doctor wants me to take high doses of thyroid hormones to slow down my cycling. Is this effective?
    -What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and is it effective for treatment-resistant depression?
    -What are the major advantages of TMS over ECT?
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    HAPPY at Last: The Thinking Person's Guide to Finding Joy
  • Prominent People Quiz (guess the celebrities with bipolar disorder)
  • Disentangling the World Wide Web
May 2009  -- Number 2
  • June lecture: Personality, Bipolar Disorder, and Personality Disorders: Where Does One Start and the Next Begin?
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
    -What kinds of things predict whether people with bipolar disorder will have a relapse?
    -Is there any real evidence that psychotherapy has an effect on brain function?
    -I’ve never been psychotic during my bipolar-II episodes. Is there a reason I should take an antipsychotic medication?
    -Is it true I shouldn’t drink grapefruit juice?
    -Is ketoconazole worth trying for treatment-resistant depression?
    -What’s the difference between the various SSRIs?
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Hurry Down Sunshine A Memoir by Michael Greenberg
  • Six Simple Steps to Speed Your Recovery
     by Dr. Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • Mood Matters Crossword Puzzle
  • Upcoming Lectures
September 2009  -- Number 3
  • September lecture: Cutting-Edge Treatments for Those Depressions That Won’t Go Away
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
    -Sometimes depression fails to respond to a specific medication. Why?
    -What’s the most common reason someone with Major Depression doesn’t respond to antidepressants?
    -Is it useful to combine antidepressant therapy with thyroid supplementation?
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Bipolar 101: A Practical Guide to Identifying Triggers, Managing Medications, Coping with Symptoms, and More
  • The Battle of the Sexes: A Quiz
  • Ask the Lawyer: Marc A. Strauss, Esq.
  • Upcoming Lectures
December 2009  -- Number 4
  • Upcoming lectures
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
    -What is Vagus Nerve Stimulation?
    -About Tegretol, oral contraceptives and the barrier method
    -Can missing just two doses of Effexor cause extreme anxiety, tremors and dizziness?
    -Which mood stabilizers are most likely to cause weight gain?
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
  • Ask the Lawyer: Marc A. Strauss, Esq.
    -I’m employed, but worry that some day I might need Social Security Disability. Is there anything I should be doing now in preparation?
    -I collected unemployment after I lost my job. Will this cause trouble with my application for Social Security Disability?
    -I'm prescribed Zoloft for persistent depression. If I apply for SSD, is this enough proof that I’m under medical care?
    -I wasn’t under medical care, and lost my job due to Bipolar-related issues. For the past six months I have been seeing a psychiatrist regularly. Will my medical records be sufficient to make a disability claim?
  • Holiday Checklist
  • Midwinter Medication Matchup

 

  2008 TOP
February 2008  -- Number 1
  • Upcoming Lectures: March, April, May
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Shock Therapy: The History of Electroconvulsive Treatment in Mental Illness
  • Why seek therapy? By Ngaere Baxter PhD
  • Contest: Days of Wine and Mood Swings
June 2008  -- Number 2
  • Upcoming Lecture: June 3rd, Mood Disorders At The Movies
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Loose Your Car Keys But Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life
  • Ask the Lawyer By Marc A. Strauss, Esq
  • Personalized Psychopharmacology - Can Genetic Testing Help Doctors Decide What to Prescribe? By Lisa Cimakasky, PhD
  • The Winners of Our Wine Lingo Contest by Howard Smith
September 2008  -- Number 3
  • Upcoming Lectures: September, October, November
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D. Psychopharmacologist
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry is Medicating a Nation by Charles Barber
  • Workout Blues - Why we don’t exercise by Howard Smith
November 2008  -- Number 4
  • Upcoming Lectures: December, January, February
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D. Psychopharmacologist
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Therapy 101: A Brief look at Modern Psychotherapy Techniques and How They Help
  • Know Yourself: Preventing Relapse
  • The West Side Groups have a wonderful new home!
  • Archived Lectures Available

 

  2007 TOP
February 2007  -- Number 1
  • Upcoming Lectures: March, April, May
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
     Bipolar II: Enhance Your Highs, Boost your Creativity, and
     Escape the Cycles of Recurrent Depression—The Essential
     Guide to Recognize and Treat the Mood Swings of this
     Increasingly Common Disorder by Ronald Fieve, MD
  • Diagnosing Personality Disorders By Michael Craig Miller, MD
  • The Movie Title Contest Winners
May 2007  -- Number 2
  • Upcoming Lecture: June
  • Ask The Doctors - Ivan Goldberg, Joe Nieder
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
     The Chemistry of Joy: A Three-Step Program for
     Overcoming Depression through Western Science and
     Eastern Wisdom by Henry Emmons, M.D.
  • Spotlight on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    By Deborah Perlick, Ph.D., and Lauren N. Manning
September 2007  -- Number 3
  • Upcoming Lectures: September, October, November
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
     The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-Date
     Answers by Wes Burgess, M.D., Ph.D.
  • Personal Viewpoint: Can’t, Won’t and Willpower
December 2007  -- Number 4
  • Upcoming Lectures: December, January, February
  • Another year of MDSG
  • Ask The Doctor - Ivan K. Goldberg, M.D.
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
     Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed
     Normal Sadness into Depressive Disorder by
     Allan Horwitz and Jerome Wakefield
  • Reader Response, When there’s a will...

 

  2006 TOP
February 2006  -- Number 1
  • Upcoming Lectures 
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Readers Corner
      Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President
      and Fueled His Greatness
  • Picture This — Our Movie Title Contest 
May  2006  -- Number 2
  • Happy 25th Anniversary to MDSG!
  • Upcoming Lectures
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
  • And The Awards For The Funniest Title Go To...
  • Get Your MDSG T-Shirts
August 2006  -- Number 3
  • Upcoming Lectures 
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Readers Corner with Betsy Naylor
      Is It Me Or My Meds?: Living With Antidepressants
  • Psychotherapy - What You Need to Know
November 2006  -- Number 4
  • 25th Anniversary
  • Upcoming Lectures
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Readers Corner by Betsy Naylor
    Taking Out Your Mental Trash: A Consumer’s Guide
    to Cognitive Restructuring Therapy
  • Must-See TV:  Our Latest Contest

 

  2005 TOP

  February 2005  -- Number 1
  • Compulsive Hoarding: When Collecting Isn't Just a Hobby  
  • Spring Lectures: New Info, Top Experts
  • Ask The Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder
  • The Reader's Corner - 10 great books! 
  • Holiday Contest Winners 
  • News flash! Inflation Hits MDSG 
  • Get Your MDSG T-shirts 

May 2005  -- Number 2
  • Peter Kramer to speak June 13th  
  • Fall Lectures 
  • Ask The Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder
  • Book Bits
  • The Reader's Corner Book Review by Betsy Naylor
     Undoing Perpetual Stress by Richard O'Connor
  • Membership Fee Increases 
  August 2005  -- Number 3
  • September Lecture: Self-Destructive Behavior 
  • Fall Lectures 
  • Support Group Advice From The Folks in the Know
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Shrink's...
  • Ask The Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder
  • Book Bits
  • The Reader's Corner Book Review by Betsy Naylor
      Against Depression by Peter Kramer
  • Print This Newsletter as a PDF 
November 2005  -- Number 4
  • Upcoming Lectures
  • 'Tis The Season of Giving
  • Ask The Doctors
  • Book Bits  
  • The Reader's Corner by Betsy Naylor
    A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
  • Knowledge is Power: Mental Health Resources on the Web

 

  2004 TOP

 February 2004  -- Number 1
  • Winter Lecture Line-up: New Speakers and Old Favorites
  • Noticed In The Media by Leslie Shaffer 
  • Medications and Impending Motherhood by Li Lippman 
  • The Reader's Corner Book Review by Betsy Naylor
      Electroshock: Healing Mental Illness 
  • Ask the Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder

  April 2004  -- Number 2
  • Get the Most Out of a Group  by Li Lippman 
  • June Lecture: Stress and Mood Disorders 
  • Ask the Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder 
  • The Reader's Corner Book Review by Betsy Naylor
       The Best Awful by Carrie Fisher 
  • Limerick This by Howard Smith
   August 2004  -- Number 3
  • September Lecture: Mood Disorders and Sleep
  • Letter From The Chair 
  • Ask The Doctors 
  • The Reader's Corner 
  • Announcements 
  • And The Winners Are . . . 
   November 2004  -- Number 4
  • MDSG T-shirts
  • More Lecture Tapes Available
  • Ask The Doctors 
  • The Reader's Corner: Jane Pauley’s Skywriting 
  • Holiday Schedule
  • Get in on Our Holiday Song Writing Contest 

 

   2003 TOP
  August 2003 -- Number 3
  • New Season of Lectures 
  • The Reader's Corner by Betsy Naylor
     Depression Fallout: The Impact of Depression on Couples
      and What You Can Do to Preserve the Bond
  • Howard's Helpful Hints by Howard Smith 
  • Work In Progress by Li Lippman
  • Ask the Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder
    November 2003 -- Number 4
  • Winter Lecture Line-up: Cold Weather, Hot Topics 
  • Letter from the Chair by Betsy Naylor 
  • Knowledge Is Power When It Comes To Your Mental Health by J. McEwen
  • Ask the Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder
  • The Reader's Corner  Book Review by Betsy Naylor
     Life Inside: A Memoir By Mindy Lewis
  February 2003 -- Number 1
  • From the Chair by Betsy Naylor
  • More Web Sites on Mental Health
  • How Much Should Psychotherapists Tell About Themselves?
         by Michael Craig Miller
  • From Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
  • Lecture Tapes Available
  May 2003 -- Number 2
  • In Memoriam:  Jane Cartwright, Carol Mager 
  • Knowing Your Illness to Prevent Relapse by Li Lippman 
  • More Web Sites on Mental Health 
  • The Reader's Corner. Book Review by Betsy Naylor 
    • The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide
  • The Hierarchy of Mental Illness, A Group Member's Viewpoint 
       by Vanessa Ferney
  • Ask the Doctors with Ivan Goldberg and Joe Nieder

 

   2002 TOP

  September 2002 -- Number 3
  • To Disclose or Not to Disclose?  by Li Lippman
  • From the Chair by Tory Masters
  • New Newsletter Mail Format 
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg 
  • Readers Corner (Book Review) by Betsy Naylor 
    • How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me
  • Finding the Drug For Me In Just 48 hours?
  • Here comes the smart pill . . .
  • Darkness Goes Lyric  (Contest Winners)  
  • Forget the Yellow Pages When Finding a Shrink

November 2002 -- Number 4
  • A Bipolar Ad Chips Away at Stigma by Li Lippman
  • From the Chair by Tory Masters
  • Notice of New Newsletter Mail Format 
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
  • Readers Corner (Book Review) by Betsy Naylor
    • Just Checking 
  • Lecture Tapes Available Now
  • Correction
  • Web Sites Galore
  • My Brain

  May 2002 -- Number 2

  • Wish You Were Here by Nell Casey
  • Ask the Doctor   with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Weight gain on Zyprexa and Depakote
    • Tegretol and Seroquel and an oral contraceptive
    • Dangers of taking Paxil while pregnant
  • We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends . .

  February 2002 -- Number 1

  • The Dismally Creative Contest by Howard Smith 
  • From the Chair by Rich Satkin 
  • Just say NO! by Judy Hoffmann 
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review) by Betsy Naylor
    • Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg

 

   2001 TOP

 December 2001 -- Number 4
  • Some Thoughts About the World Trade Center Disaster
  • More Thoughts about September 11th   by Li Lippman
  • From the Chair  by Rich Satkin
  • Have You Been Misdiagnosed?   by Jane Cartwright
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Are there tests available to determine if someone is bipolar?
    • Should a nurse alert a supervisor about a co-worker with a mood disorder?
    • What is the frequency of psychosis in bipolar disorder?
  • We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends . . .

 August 2001 -- Number 3 
  • Tips for Choosing a Good Support Group
  • From the Chair  by Rich Satkin
  • Parents and Siblings Need Help Too  by Li Lippman
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review) by Betsy Naylor
    • The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
       By Andrew Solomon
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
  • Watch for Me . . Someday I’m Going to Walk into a MDSG Group
  • In Memory 

  May 2001 -- Number 2

  • Brilliant, Worldly, Upbeat. Surely, He’s Never Really Depressed  by Jane Cartwright 
  • From the Chair  by Rich Satkin
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review)  by Betsy Naylor
    • Of 2 Minds, The Growing Disorder in American Psychiatry
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Medication for bipolar and OCD
    • Problems taking the antipsychotic Geodon (ziprasidone)
  • New Time For Friday Youth Group
  • Drug News . . . New Drugs  By Judy Hoffmann

  February 2001 -- Number 1

  • Happy 20th Anniversary MDSG!  by Jane Cartwright 
  • From the Chair  by Rich Satkin
  • How a Mother’s Depression Affects Her Child  by Jane Cartwright 
  • Ask the Doctor  with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Does Glucophage help you lose weight and make antidepressants more effective?
    • Is Trileptal a new, improved Tegretol?
    • What is the relationship between depression and chronic pain?
  • West Side Support Group Now Meets Every Week
  • Contest Winners  
  • We Get By with a Little Help from Our Friends . . .

 

   2000 TOP

  November 2000 -- Number 4 
  • When Drugs Dampen Sexual Pleasure   by Jane Cartwright 
  • From the Chair   by Rich Satkin
  • An Interview with Dr. Gary Sachs   by Jane Cartwright 
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • In addition to medications and psychotherapy, how can I speed my recovery from depression?
  • 5K Walk for Depression   by Judy Hoffman  
  • What's New on the Web Site?

  August 2000 -- Number 3
  • A Personal Story. ECT Made All The Difference 
  • From the Chair by Rich Satkin
  • Disabilities Law. An interview with John A. Gresham 
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Typical childhood experiences at the root of depression in adults 
    • How frequently does depression or mania show up in people with AIDS?
    • What is "soft bipolar disorder?” 
    • Mexitil and treatment-resistant rapid-cycling bipolar disorder
  • Poetry: I Know
  • Contest Winners 
  • What's Funny About Being Sick? by Howard Smith (a new contest) 

  May 2000  --  Number 2

  • Youth Group Thrives 
  • From the Chair by Rich Satkin
  • When Depression Turns Deadly By John McManamy
  • In Memory
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review) by Betsy Naylor
    • The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder
  • Girl Interrupted: A Movie/Video Review by Jane Cartwright
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Can SAM-e and St. John's Wort push a bipolar person into mania?
    • What does a Lamictal rash look like?
    • Many people at MDSG take three or more medications which seems excessive. Is it necessary?
  • Contest Winners 
  • Haiku to You, Too by Howard Smith (a new contest) 

  February 2000  --  Number 1

  • Depression: Doctor Opens Up  by Richard O'Connor, Ph.D.
  • From the Chair by Rich Satkin
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)?
    • Will Tylenol increase my lithium blood level?
    • I have both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Will Lamictal help?
    • I am breastfeeding and reluctant to take an antidepressant. Which is the safest for the baby?
  • Nom de Pill Contest   by Howard Smith
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review)   by Betsy Naylor
    • I Don't Want to Talk About It :
      Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression
  • A Guide to Chatting Online About Depression
          by Michael Horowitz

 

   1999 TOP

  November 1999 --  Number 5
  • From Synapse to Cell: New Brain Research  by Jane Cartwright
  • From the Chair   by Rich Satkin
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Do antidepressants have any effect on the likelihood of suicide?
    • A question from someone taking Lamictal and Zoloft and feeling dizzy as a result.
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Review)   by Betsy Naylor
    • NIGHT FALLS FAST: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison
  • Will Fish Oil Help Your Moods?  by Diana Ver Nooy

  August 1999 -- Number 4
  • From the Chair   by Rich Satkin
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • Does alcohol interfere with the efficacy of psychotropic medication?
    • Can antidepressants flip anyone into hypomania?
    • What is the relationship between panic attacks and depression?
  • The Reader's Corner (Book Reviews)   by Betsy Naylor
    • STOP DEPRESSION NOW: SAM-e: The Breakthrough Supplement that Works as well as Prescription Drugs in Half the Time...with no Side Effects
  • Cognitive Therapy for Depression: An Antidote to Distorted Thinking By Elizabeth Saenger, Ph.D.
  • Plan Ahead for Hospital Care by Jane Cartwright

  May 1999  -- Number 3

  • From the Chair   by Rich Satkin
  • "Sammy" (SAM-e) Makes Good   by Betsy Naylor
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ivan Goldberg
    • What is "Substance P"?
    • Is there clinical evidence that Topamax causes weight loss?
    • Is there an MAOI patch in the pipeline?
    • Is there an antidepressant that is also a mood stabilizer?   
  • Contest: Keep a Stiff Upper Lithium Level   by Howard Smith

  March 1999  -- Number 2

  • From the Chair    by Rich Satkin
  • Free Materials on Patient Rights and on Moods
  • The Reader's Corner  (Book Reviews)   by Betsy Naylor
    1. Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You
    2. When Nothing Matters Anymore: a Survival Guide for Depressed Teens
  • A Personal Account by Martha Manning, Ph.D.
  • Depression as a Pathological Stress Reaction by Linda Carpenter, M.D.
  • Don't Fall Into the Gap! by Judy Hoffmann 
  • Recent Drug Headlines
  • Wrong Shrink Contest by Howard Smith 

Note: The newsletter goes back many years prior to 1999. Unfortunately, older issues are not available on-line.

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Page last updated: February 20, 2010