Answering the Overlooked: Bipolar’s Brain Changes, Vertigo, TMS, and More (From Listener Questions)

Inside Bipolar

Ever wonder if dizziness is from your medication or if there's really such a thing as medication-resistant bipolar disorder? In this episode, our hosts tackle questions submitted by listeners, diving into topics rarely discussed on other podcasts.

Questions include: Is the brain of someone with bipolar disorder physically different? What exactly is TMS and does it work for bipolar? Was lithium really tested on guinea pigs first? Tune in for quick, informative answers — and a dose of humor — to questions that don’t usually get the spotlight but definitely deserve attention. Listen now!

Here’s what’s covered, in order:

• Could dizziness or vertigo be a side effect of my medication, or is something else causing it?
• What’s the deal with TMS as a treatment for bipolar disorder?
• Is medication-resistant bipolar disorder real?
• What should I do if I experience side effects from my medication? Should I go to the emergency room?
• Is the brain of someone with bipolar disorder physically different?
• What’s the story behind lithium being tested on guinea pigs?

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Cold Open Transcript:

Gabe: They were testing gout on guinea pigs and they came up with a treatment for bipolar disorder? Yes, that's pretty much exactly what happened. Why is that so hard to believe?

Dr. Nicole: Yeah. You're just envisioning all of these little manic guinea pigs running around, and then they gave them lithium, and all of a sudden they were just, you know, chill, leisurely walking around the pen? Is that? [Laughter]

Gabe: Yeah, yeah. They were just like, ‘sup? I want to chill with you. Before, they were climbing all over each other and climbing up the walls. And I mean, some of them were depressed. I mean, some of the guinea pigs weren't climbing up. They were just, like, laying there, like, I don't want any, like. Yeah, it was just, it was just a bipolar mixture of guinea pigs. Cute, furry, cuddly little guinea pigs.

Dr. Nicole: [Laughter] Oh, my gosh.

Our Host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

To learn more about Gabe, or book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. You can also follow him on Instagram and TikTok at @askabipolar.

Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Washington has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.

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