Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental illness characterized by psychosis in which a person’s ability to recognize reality and emotional responses, thinking processes, judgment, and ability to communicate are so affected that their functioning is seriously impaired. Hallucinations and delusions are common features of psychosis.

Bipolar disorder caused extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When people with BD (formerly called manic depression) become depressed, they may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When their mood shifts to mania they may feel euphoric, full of energy, or irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior, and the ability to think clearly.

But bipolar disorder affects more than the psyche of the patient. People with BD also face elevated physical health risks. According to a study published last year in Psychosomatic Medicine, they are more likely than other people to experience a major adverse cardiac event, for example. Another common side effect of BD is weight gain.

“Nearly 70 percent of people who seek treatment for bipolar disorder are overweight or have obesity,” reported Stephanie Watson on PsychCentral in March. “Weight gain is a side effect of many medications that treat bipolar disorder. Other factors related to having bipolar disorder, like depression and substance use, also can lead to excess eating and weight gain.”

Managing the psychiatric symptoms of bipolar disorder with appropriate medications is very important, of course, but so is maintaining a healthy body weight. A 2017 study indicated that an elevated body mass index (BMI) may impact brain chemistry in ways that could worsen bipolar disorder symptoms.

And it may have a negative effect on body image, i.e. the impression a person has of their physical appearance. BD “symptoms and the possible weight gain related to treatment often affect body image,” Watson wrote. “For example, if you notice a major change in your body size after starting treatment, this might change the way you feel about or perceive your body. Obesity is linked to more body dissatisfaction, worse self-esteem, and greater rates of depression.”

Which in turn does not exactly help to counteract the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Body dissatisfaction is a major driver of eating disorders and many BD patients also have an eating disorder. As Watson explained in her article, “eating disorders can look very different among individuals with bipolar disorder. Mania and depression can fuel various features of eating disorders, such as restrictive diets or overeating. Binge eating disorder and bulimia may be more likely to coexist with bipolar disorder than anorexia nervosa.”

An eating disorder can obviously complicate BD management and should be addressed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. The Colorado Recovery treatment model created by our founder Richard Warner is based on a warmer and more human familial setting, as well as  comprehensive levels of care that result in a path of self-reliance, improved self-esteem, and community engagement for connection and a feeling of contribution.

Since Dr. Warner’s passing in 2015, we have continued to innovate based on these core principles. It is our mission to help adults with serious mental health issues stabilize their illness, minimize symptoms, improve functioning, and enhance each person’s social inclusion, quality of life, and sense of meaning in life.

If you have questions about our recovery model or our services to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and similar mental illnesses, call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the US since 1949. Every year during the month of May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Together, we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the US affected by mental illness. 

During Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI joins the mental health community to reaffirm our commitment to building our understanding of mental illness, increasing access to treatment, and ensuring those who are struggling know they are not alone. This year, NAMI is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with the “More Than Enough” campaign!

It’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background, or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love, and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough.

You’re invited to share on social media why you are more than enough by using the hashtag #MoreThanEnough. Update your Facebook profile with the NAMI #MoreThanEnough frame and encourage others to do the same! Together, we can create more than enough meaningful change in mental health!

With NAMIWalks, you can help knock down walls and topple obstacles. Our rallying call, “Mental Health for All,” is closer than ever before. No one is alone because everyone is encouraged. There is a spirit of inclusion at NAMIWalks that makes the event feel special. So many stories are shared and traditions started. Participants are united by the knowledge that they are making a difference by coming together for mental health.

Millions Are Affected by Mental Illness

22.8 percent of US adults experienced mental illness in 2021 (57.8 million people). This represents one in five adults. More than five percent experienced serious mental illness in 2021 (14.1 million people). That’s one in 20 adults.

Only around 47 percent of adults in the United States with a mental illness receive treatment in a given year, according to NAMI, and even about a third of people with a serious mental illness remain without treatment in any given year.

Empowerment Not Stigma!

Recovery from serious mental illness requires that people with such a condition retain a sense of empowerment—a belief in their ability to take charge of their lives and manage the complex challenges of their illness.

Empowerment is essential if people with a mental illness are to overcome the many prejudices that too many Americans still carry with them: the stereotype that makes them believe a person with a mental illness is incapable, unpredictable, even violent, and worthless. 

The late Colorado Recovery founder Richard Warner dedicated most of his life to fighting the stigmatization of people with mental illness. Colorado Recovery has been utilizing the Warner method to empower adults with mental illness for many years now. Our program approaches mental healthcare based on a path of self-reliance through developed practiced skills. Recognizing the importance of empowerment for recovery, our non-institutionalized philosophy offers comprehensive levels of care supported by an expert medical and clinical team, engaging patients in increasing community participation. 

Our treatment facility provides the services needed to address schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental illnesses. Call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)—also known as “social phobia”—is a longstanding and excessive fear of social situations. According to the Mental Health Foundation, “the average age of onset of SAD is between 10 to 13 years, and SAD is rarely diagnosed after the age of 25.”

“In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance which can disrupt your life,” informs the Mayo Clinic. “Severe stress can affect your relationships, daily routines, work, school, or other activities.”

SAD can have a severe impact on a person’s quality of life. “Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition that causes sufferers to be anxious in social situations where they may be exposed to scrutiny and perceived judgment,” Scott Anderson explained on Psychology Today. “Everyday social interactions can lead to embarrassment, fear, and excessive self-consciousness.”

Now, there is new hope for patients with this condition. Researchers recently looked at a known culprit: the gut-brain axis. “Since the first mouse experiments a decade ago, the gut-brain axis has been found to be involved with anxiety, depression, autism, dementia, and schizophrenia,” wrote Anderson. A new study by Butler, Cryan, et al. from University College Cork (UCC) now adds social anxiety disorder to that list.

“The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors a vast assembly of microorganisms, predominantly bacteria but also fungi, viruses, protozoa, and archaea,” the authors wrote. “It is estimated that the number of bacteria in the human gut is slightly in excess of the total number of human cells, at approximately 380 trillion, and that the collective genome of these bacterial cells vastly exceeds the amount of human DNA present in the body. Given this enormous, modifiable reservoir of genetic potential, it is unsurprising that there is keen interest in the potential role of the gut microbiome in the etiology and treatment of many disease processes.”

This microbiome is interconnected with the host body in intricate ways. It has now been recognized to be deeply involved in bidirectional signaling between the gut and brain, with the term ‘microbiome-gut-brain’ (MGB) axis describing this communication network.

The UCC study demonstrates, “for the first time, that the gut microbiome is compositionally and functionally altered in people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) compared with healthy controls. Moreover, it increases the growing evidence linking social brain function and the microbiome.”

“If microbes play a role, that’s good news,” concluded Anderson in his Psychology Today article because “we can manipulate our gut microbes with dietary changes, and that might provide a valuable lever to lift the anxiety.”

The study discovered two species of bacteria in particular that correlated to anxiety, one positively and one negatively. “Levels of the bacteria Anaeromassilibacillus An250 were higher in the anxiety group. This tracks with a 2022 Harvard study finding that negative emotions were also associated with higher levels of Anaeromassilibacillus An250,” reported Anderson.

“On the positive side, the study noted that levels of the beneficial bacteria Parasutterella excrementihominis were higher in the control group than in the anxiety group. Microbes that are associated with better mood have been termed psychobiotics. The study found other psychobiotic microbes as well, all diminished in patients with social anxiety disorder.”

In conclusion, the authors of the UCC study wrote that “the gut microbiome of patients with SAD differs in composition and function to that of healthy controls, raising the possibility that the MGB axis may represent a biomarker reservoir and potential therapeutic target for this early-onset, chronic disorder.”

Further studies are required but there is new hope that innovative dietary approaches and new medications can in the future help find better treatment modalities for SAD and other mental health conditions.

If you are searching for treatment options for yourself or someone you care about following a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other severe mental health conditions, call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness in which people interpret reality abnormally. “Schizophrenia is a psychosis,” wrote the late Colorado Recovery founder Richard Warner, MD, in his influential book The Environment of Schizophrenia. “It is a severe mental disorder in which the person’s emotions, thinking, judgment, and grasp of reality are so disturbed that his or her functioning is seriously impaired.”

Schizophrenia is not easy to diagnose and its symptoms can be confused with other conditions such as bipolar disorder. “There is no single organic defect or infectious agent which causes schizophrenia,” wrote Dr. Warner, but patients “can be treated effectively in a variety of settings.”

In an article in the Psychiatric Times, psychotherapist Mark Ruffalo, MSW, DPsa, recently looked at the psychodynamic approach to treating schizophrenia.

“At the heart of the psychodynamic approach to schizophrenia is the idea that psychotic symptoms are not random or meaningless phenomena, but rather rich, symbolic expressions of the patient’s inner world,” wrote Ruffalo. “Hallucinations and delusions are concrete representations of abstract ideas, wishes, and conflicts.”

Emerging from the work of Sigmund Freud, the psychodynamic perspective emphasizes unconscious psychological processes and contends that childhood experiences are crucial in shaping adult personality.

“We must remember that the patient’s need for communion with others is great and that a part of the patient—the part that remains healthy despite the psychosis—yearns for human relationship,” Ruffalo wrote. This is also a central aspect of the Warner treatment model which aims to empower adults with mental illness, and those who support them, with an unrelenting optimism for recovery, purposeful involvement in the community, and an enhanced sense of meaning in life.

“Contrary to the beliefs of professionals prior to the 1970s, and to the impression still promoted by the popular media, there is no evidence… that family or parenting problems cause schizophrenia,” Warner clarified in The Environment of Schizophrenia. Ruffalo nevertheless believes that “family dysfunction, attachment problems, and other adverse events in childhood contribute to the development of schizophrenia in some patients. A bio-psycho-social approach considers these environmental forces in the etiology of the disease.” Warner agreed that the reaction to stress can be an important factor in the onset of the condition.

In The Environment of Schizophrenia, Dr. Warner laid out his bio-psycho-social model of schizophrenia. “From the womb to the workplace, the environment shapes schizophrenia. The physical world and human society control how many people will develop the illness and how its course will run. Biological factors are particularly important in establishing the predisposition to the illness; psychological factors, such as the reaction to stress, can trigger the onset; and sociocultural factors, like the domestic environment or stigma, influence its course and outcome.”

Dr. Warner distinguished between “complete [psychiatric] recovery” and “social recovery,” which he defined in functional terms: economic and residential independence with low social disruption. Ruffalo feels that psychotherapy is currently underutilized in the management of schizophrenia.

“In the author’s experience—and consistent with some recent data—the psychodynamic method, which is best considered a complement to pharmacotherapy, can help patients make sense of their odd and seemingly senseless experiences and reconnect them to the outside world. It forms an important part of a bio-psycho-social approach to the most fascinating and complex of human illnesses.”

The Colorado Recovery treatment model created by Dr. Warner is based on a warmer and more human familial setting, comprehensive levels of care that result in a path of self-reliance, and community engagement for connection and a feeling of contribution.

Since Dr. Warner’s passing in 2015, we continue to innovate based on these core principles. It is our mission to help adults with serious mental health issues stabilize their illness, minimize symptoms, improve functioning, and enhance each person’s social inclusion, quality of life, and sense of meaning in life.

If you have questions about our recovery model or our services to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and similar mental illnesses, call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

Schizotypal personality disorder (STPD)—also known as schizotypal disorder—is a mental health condition marked by a consistent pattern of intense discomfort with relationships and social interactions. People with STPD have unusual thoughts, speech, and behaviors, which usually hinder their ability to form and maintain relationships.

While patients frequently present with similar symptoms to schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, STPD is quite distinct. “The biggest distinction in diagnosis, at least, is that schizotypal disorder is one of the personality disorders (along with borderline, obsessive-compulsive, and several others),” wrote Lisa Miles on PsychCentral. “Delusions and hallucinations are the hallmarks of schizoaffective disorder, almost akin to schizophrenia. In schizotypal disorder, however, these two traits are not so extensive as they are with people with schizophrenia.”

Indeed, psychosis is the primary symptom of schizophrenia, as the late Colorado Recovery founder Richard Warner explained. “Schizophrenia is a psychosis—a severe mental disorder in which the person’s emotions, thinking, judgment, and grasp of reality are so disturbed that his or her functioning is seriously impaired,” Dr. Warner wrote in his book The Environment of Schizophrenia. 

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health disorder that is marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions (psychosis), and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.

Several schizotypal disorder symptoms mimic those of other mental illnesses, so it’s not always easy to diagnose it correctly. People with STPD feel pronounced discomfort in forming and maintaining social connections with other people, primarily due to the belief that other people harbor negative thoughts and views about them. 

Peculiar speech mannerisms and socially unexpected modes of dress are also characteristic. Schizotypal people may react oddly in conversations, not respond, or talk to themselves. They frequently interpret situations as being strange or having unusual meanings for them—paranormal and superstitious beliefs are common. 

Schizotypal patients frequently disagree with the suggestion that their thoughts and behaviors are a “disorder” and seek medical attention for depression or anxiety instead. It is estimated that STPD occurs in three to five percent of the general population and is more commonly diagnosed in males. Some people with schizotypal personality disorder later develop schizophrenia.

Signs and Symptoms

According to the Cleveland Clinic, persons with schizotypal personality disorder may:

• Have intense social anxiety and poor social relationships.
• Not have close friends or confidants, except for first-degree relatives.
• Have peculiar behaviors and mannerisms.
• Have odd thoughts and speech, such as using excessively abstract or concrete phrases or using phrases or words in unusual ways.
• Have unusual perceptive experiences and magical beliefs, such as thinking they have special paranormal powers.
• Incorrectly interpret ordinary situations or happenings as having special meaning for them (idea of reference).
• Be paranoid and suspicious of others’ intentions.
• Have difficulty with responding appropriately to social cues, such as maintaining eye contact.
• Have a lack of motivation and underachieve in educational and work settings.

Personality disorders, including schizotypal personality disorder, are among the least understood mental health conditions. Researchers currently think the cause of STPD is mainly biological and genetic because it shares many of the brain changes characteristic of schizophrenia. Treatment for STPD may include psychotherapy and low-dose antipsychotic medications. 

At Colorado Recovery it is our mission to help adults with serious mental health issues stabilize their illness, minimize symptoms, improve functioning, and enhance each person’s social inclusion, quality of life, and sense of meaning in life.

If you have questions about our recovery model or our services to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and similar mental illnesses, call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.