Darkness & Light: A Primer on Bipolar Disorder
A 3 CEU seminar presented by international presenter, writer, psychiatrist and addictions expert, Christopher La Tourette La Riche, MD
The prevalence of Bipolar Disorder (BD) is 4-7% of the US population, but, shockingly, the average person with BD is treated for the wrong diagnosis for 10 years.
Bipolar Disorder (BD) is called the “CEO-disease” due to the high prevalence of successful entrepreneurs and BD’s presence in the creative arts is well-known (see Jameson’s excellent Touched with Fire). From Winston Churchill to Vincent Van Gogh, and Mariah Carey to Kanye West, many people with BD seem to shine a little brighter than the rest of us -- yet why does it remain so hard to diagnose, tricky to treat and shrouded in mystery?
Understanding BD remains central to most areas of mental health care since BD is the mental illness that is:
The #1 co-occurring mental health diagnosis with addiction
The #1 diagnosis of people who have completed suicides
The second most genetic/“heritable” of all mental illness
Join Dr. La Riche on an inspirational and highly interactive tour of the sometimes bewildering world of Bipolar Disorder and how understanding this highly-prevalent illness may actually bring us closer to understanding the keys to vibrant mental health.
By the end of the seminar, participants will be able to:
Identify at least 3 key symptoms in bipolar mania
Explain how the neurobiology of bipolar mania overlaps with addictive disorders
Understand and explain at least 1 area of history-taking that is central to bipolar disorder
$50, includes 3 CEUs AND Lunch
$40 Early Bird pricing before November 10th
Registration and Catered Networking Lunch begin at 11:30am
The workshop will begin promptly at 12pm.
This is an Intermediate Level Course (for those with experience in the field of mental health, counseling, life coaching, pastoral care, trauma therapy, social work or education) or Advanced (for those with extensive experience in this field)
Presenter:
Christopher La Tourette La Riche, M.D.
Dr. Christopher La Tourette La Riche, MD is an award-winning psychotherapist and a board-certified Addiction Psychiatrist. He specializes in treating patients with anxiety, depression, panic disorder, bipolar and addictive disorders and adult ADHD. He believes strongly in treating the whole person--not just a disease, an addiction or a collection of symptoms--and approaches his patients in a humanistic way.
He is now writing a book on recent advances in Addictive Disorders and Cognitive Deficit/Cognitive Health post-addiction for patients and families. He has also published on the nexus of Early Life Trauma (child abuse and neglect, early parental separation and loss), neuro-endocrine changes and later-life depression, anxiety and addictive disorders. His publications include book chapters and journal articles on the topics of addiction, the neurobiology of depression and child abuse.
Dr. La Riche has an extensive background in the Humanities and entered medicine after a career in education and the arts. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University in Comparative Literature and his Master’s degree from Columbia University’s department of Applied Linguistics.
He is a fluent speaker of six languages (English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German and French). He sees patients in all of these languages. He received his MD from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico where he graduated with clinical distinction. He did his internship and residency in psychiatry at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He received his fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry from University of Miami.
He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Addiction Medicine and Therapies