Mayo Clinic: Rep. Jackson being treated for bipolar depression

[kpete]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Mayo Clinic: Rep. Jackson being treated for bipolar depression

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is undergoing treatment for bipolar II depression at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the facility said today.

Mayo Clinic said the diagnosis came after extensive evaluation. “Congressman Jackson is responding well to the treatment and regaining his strength,” it said in the statement.

....................

“Many Americans have bipolar disorder. Bipolar II disorder is a treatable condition that affects parts of the brain controlling emotion, thought and drive and is most likely caused by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors. Congressman Jackson underwent gastric-bypass surgery in 2004. This type of surgery is increasingly common in the U.S. and can change how the body absorbs food, liquids, vitamins, nutrients and medications.

“Congressman Jackson has asked Mayo Clinic to distribute this information on his behalf. He and his family remain grateful for support and prayers offered and received on his behalf.”

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-rep-jackson-being-treated-for-bipolar-depression-clinic-says-20120813,0,4212297.story

[MADem]

1. That's what I figured when I first heard about this situation with him.

And that's likely what Pelosi and Hoyer were told, which is why they backed off so quickly.

I hope he does well and they find a "cocktail" that suits him. It's a very manageable condition when that happens.

I have an in-law who deals with this and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

A few people here thought he was faking...looks like that's not the case.

[Warpy]

11. This one is very treatable.

As long as he stays on his meds he'll be just fine and probably normal for the first time in his life.

I'm always a little amazed at what a few self medicating bipolar people have been able to accomplish, whether or not they got a boost from a family name.

[cbayer]

2. This is the first I have ever heard of a link between gastric bypass and bipolar disorder.

Will have to do some research on that, but I'm not buy it at first blush.

At any rate, I am glad that he has been diagnosed and is receiving appropriate treatment. Very treatable disorder and outcome should be good.

[canuckledragger]

6. It's not the gastric bypass itself that's the possible link

but how your body handles absorbing food itself afterwards

like...when you have low blood sugar & that affects your energy which in turn can affect your mood & so on

I've dealt with depression in the past & was surprised to discover how your diet can affects that.

[cbayer]

7. While that makes sense, Bipolar disorder has generally been considered

a pretty pure disease not due to nutritional factors.

While those can certainly impact mood, I am not convinced that they can be cited as a cause of this particular illness.

[jwirr]

12. My brother is bipolar and has chron's disease.

[canuckledragger]

14. I never meant that post to be a reason for biploar disorder..

just as a possible factor contributing to it by the sound of the article

& based on a wee bit of personal experience with diet & other issues going on at the time.

everyone's different & may have different circumstances that set it off.

[proud patriot]

10. any trauma can trigger it , for those who have it run in their families

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Good luck to him. It's a very difficult disease to live with. :^(

[patrice]

4. Good. & I hope this brings some attention to the need for Mental Health parity in insurance coverage

for all Americans.

[cbayer]

5. Agree. They could start with Medicare.

[patrice]

8. GOOD place to start, because mental health affects all of one's behaviors, including those which

contribute to whether one needs a doctor, or a hospital, or some other kind of professional attention because of physical health issues.

[proud patriot]

9. I should write Jesse sr

As a mother of a bi polar child .. perhaps I could be a shoulder for him...

[kurtzapril4]

13. I don't buy this for a second.

Jesse Jr. is as crooked as a bolt of lightning. He figured prominently in the attempted selling of OBama's senate seat. The gastric bypass angle is BS. I know 3 people who have had gastric bypass. One of them is my sister. They don't have bi-polar disorder as a result. When she had her gastric bypass, she was given tons of nutritional supplements to make up for the stuff her body could no longer utilise. If Jesse was taking his meds, there is no reason for his "bi-polar disorder" to appear.

This stinks of a cover up.

[nobodyspecial]

15. Obama is not Irish

so it's Obama, not OBama.

Nobody is claiming that every single person who has gastric bypass will become bipolar. Side effects are not the same for every drug or procedure. Just because it does not happen to three people does not mean it can't happen to one.

I think they are mentioning it because bipolar is generally recognized and diagnosed earlier in life, so it is unusual to have it surface at his age. He could have been genetically predisposed and the surgery was a trigger. For example, you can be predisposed to diabetes, but only excessive weight gain will trigger it. Nutrients play a huge role in the body's and brain's function. For example, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression.

The Mayo Clinic has an excellent reputation. They would not risk it by putting out such a high-profile falsehood if that was the case.

[MADem]

16. Whatever the relationship between the surgery and the psychiatric condition, the bipolar disorder is

not BS. He has a diagnosis.

He probably is trying to downplay the "genetic" possibility for reasons only he can understand.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how or why. He has an illness and he's getting treated for it, and isn't it nice that he has the healthcare to get the help he needs.