2.09 Professor Allan Young - answers your questions on Bipolar, Lithium, recovery and the top 3 things to stay well and why

Professor Allan Young MB, ChB, MPhil, PhD, FRCP (Edin.), FRCPC, FRCPsych answers your questions on bipolar: How do we define recovery when living with Bipolar? How do we recover our overall functioning after episodes of being unwell? What are the studies and research around Lithium and cognitive function? What can we do to prepare for our meeting with our psychiatrist to get the most out of our appointments? What are the top 3 things someone with Bipolar can do to help stay well and why? There is a wariness to taking Lithium, can you share your thoughts, findings and evidence on Lithium treatment for those that live with bipolar? What does starting Lithium look like and how often do I need to be seen? How does Lithium interact with other drugs and alcohol etc? Professor Allan Young joined King’s in 2013 and holds the Chair of Mood Disorders and is Director of the Centre for Affective Disorders in the Department of Psychological Medicine in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London (where he is also interim Vice-Dean for Academic Psychiatry), United Kingdom (UK). Prof Young is the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Cluster and Theme lead in the Translational Therapeutics Cluster. Prof Young is the clinical academic lead in the Psychological Medicine and Integrated Care Clinical Academic Group in the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust where he is also a Consultant Psychiatrist and the head of the National Affective Disorders Tertiary Clinic. Professor Young’s research interests focus on the cause and treatments for severe psychiatric illnesses, particularly mood disorders. Professor Allan Young, my guest  for this episode answers your questions on all things Bipolar. [email protected] Please find support and resources on our website www.bipolaruk.org Insta: @bipolar_uk Twitter: bipolaruk Facebook: bipolaruk Hosted by Emma Belle: Insta: @emmakbelle Facebook: bellekemma www.emmakbelle.com