Revealing America

Mental Health. The term has received a lot of attention lately. May is national mental health month, and in this interview we talk about bipolar disorder a condition that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Joe Pantoliano, an actor known for his many unconventional movie and TV roles and Dr. Gary Sachs, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard medical school and director of the bipolar mood disorder program at Massachusetts general hospital join us to discuss this issue. More than eight million Americans are diagnosed with Bipolar Mood Disorder, a chronic mental illness that is often misunderstood. A recent survey revealed that significant gaps exist in the publics understanding and acceptance of Bipolar Disorder. For example, one in five (20%) Americans surveyed said they were unsure whether Bipolar Disorder could be controlled by willpower. Joe Pantolianos most recent project, Canvas, is a film about the effects of mental illness on a family. The film was written and directed by Joseph Greco and stars Joe Pantoliano and Marcia Gay Harden, a couple who struggles to cope emotionally and financially when Hardens character is diagnosed with schizophrenia. More about Bridge to a Brighter Tomorrow Bipolar Summit: Its Time to Bridge to a Brighter TomorrowĶ An important summit aimed at advancing the national conversation about bipolar disorder will be taking place in New York City on May 3, 2007. Distinguished leaders from the health care, entertainment, and advocacy communities will provide fresh perspectives on how the nation is addressing bipolar disorderĶand how, together, we can move America from misperception to understanding and mental wellness. Event ChairmanGary S. Sachs, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Bipolar Mood Disorder Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a mood disorder that causes people to have extreme mood changes ranging from depression to mania. Depressive episodes typically involve overwhelming feelings of sadness and worthlessness, whereas manic episodes often involve excessive energy, euphoria, extreme irritability, and impulsive behavior. There are highly effective treatments for bipolar disorder. Since bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, individuals usually need treatment on an ongoing basis. How long do episodes last? A common misperception is that bipolar mood changes are usually quick and drastic. In reality, episodes can last for days, weeks, months, and rarely years. Moreover, people with bipolar disorder are not always depressive or manic; they can go for long stretches of time in a balanced mood. On average a person with bipolar disorder has four episodes during the first ten years of the illness.1 Who is at risk for bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder affects more than three percent of the adult population in the United States. Risk factors include family history of either bipolar disorder or depression. Although bipolar disorder most often appears in adolescence or early adulthood, it can arise during childhood or later in life. An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness and it is found in all races and ethnic groups. What is the impact of bipolar disorder? Not surprisingly, bipolar disorderespecially when untreatedcan be destructive to ones career, relationships, and family life. Fortunately, many individuals with bipolar disorder have found that treatment enables them to continue leading productive, fulfilling lives. Why is bipolar disorder often misdiagnosed? Some individuals with bipolar disorder do not recognize their manic episodes and dont seek help until they are immersed in depression symptoms. Some others may experience depression symptoms as their very first episode, and they wont have a manic episode until some time in the future. Women tend to experience depression as their first episode, whereas men tend to have a manic first episode. Read more about the common problem of misdiagnosis. How is bipolar disorder treated? The good news is bipolar disorder can be treated. There are many different medicines shown to be effective in people with bipolar disorder. In most cases, psychotherapy (talk therapy) is also used. Most people with bipolar disorder can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood and related symptoms with proper treatment. Read more about treatment options. More about Joe Pantoliano: This prolific, stage-trained character player transcended a youth of urban poverty, crime and poor academic skills to establish a successful entertainment career, often playing denizens and products of the kind of environment he escaped. Slender, bright-eyed and balding, Pantoliano has become known for playing low-level crooks, hustlers and other shady types in film comedies; lackeys and sidekicks in dramatic features; and a wider range of ethnic types on TV. Something of a lighter, taller Joe Pesci, he has excelled at projecting an air of somewhat likable sleaze, low cunning and street smarts. Pantoliano grew up on welfare in a public housing project in Hoboken, New Jersey. He has described his parents as “bohemian”–his father was a hearse driver with mob ties and his mother was a bookie–who separated when he was a 12-year-old. Reading at a third grade level at age 17, Pantoliano decided that acting was a way out of a life that seemed to be leading to criminal behavior. Because of his comprehension skills, he had to memorize his scenes just to audition but it paid off as his literacy and confidence increased. Pantoliano moved to Manhattan where he waited tables, took acting lessons and built up stage credits. Pantoliano moved to L.A. in 1976 where he found work in TV sitcoms. He gained attention with his performance in the TV miniseries version of “From Here to Eternity” (NBC, 1979) as Angelo Maggio, the role played by fellow Hoboken native Frank Sinatra in the 1953 film. Pantoliano first registered in features as the comic yet threatening Guido ‘The Killer Pimp’ in “Risky Business” (1983). He went on to regular work in film and TV in strong supporting roles: the ruthless anti-Communist attorney Roy Cohn in the miniseries “Robert Kennedy and His Times” (CBS, 1987); a bumbling criminal outwitted by kids in both “The Goonies” (1985) and “Baby’s Day Out” (1994); John Malkovich’s long-suffering sidekick in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” (1987); and the slippery bail bondsman in “Midnight Run” (1988). Playing a more laudable character than usual, Pantoliano took part in a critical and commercial hit as Cosmo, one of Tommy Lee Jones’s marshals, in “The Fugitive” (1993). Pantoliano has also done several TV guest shots (“Amazing Stories”, “L.A. Law”), stints as a recurring character on hit series (“NYPD Blue”) and a regular on flops (“The Fanelli Boys”). He returned to TV in the fall of 1996 playing a shady supporting character on the short-lived CBS crime drama series “EZ Streets”. Also in 1996, he played a frightening money launderer for the mob in the feature “Bound” opposite Jennifer Tilly as his mistress. After reprising his role of Deputy Marshal Renfro in the sequel “U.S. Marshals” (1998), Pantoliano had his biggest box-office hit as the traitorous renegade Cypher in the blockbuster “The Matrix” (1999). The busy actor went on to play a seedy character that played off his on-screen persona in the stylish thriller “Memento” (2000) and joined the cast of the popular HBO series “The Sopranos” in 2001, playing the hotheaded, loudmouthed mob lieutenant Ralph Cifaretto, who becomes a major thorn in the side of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Pantoliano’s adroit portrayal made Ralph a love-to-hate-him character and at last had audiences connecting that well-known face to a now recognizable name. After his “Sopranos” tenure came to a memorable end in 2002, ‘Joey Pants’ next essayed Ben Urich, the dogged reporter on the trail of the secret identity of the super hero “D
aredevil” (2003), before reprising his previous role as police captain Howard, comic foil to Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the sequel “Bad Boys 2.” In that same year, after winning a dramatic supporting actor Emmy for his much-admired work on “The Sopranos,” Pantoliano held down a starring role as a FBI agent in the CBS drama series “The Handler.” More about Gary S. Sachs, MD: Associate Professor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Director, Bipolar Mood Disorder Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Dr Sachs earned his medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He interned in family practice and psychiatry at University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore, was a resident in psychiatry and Chief Resident, Acute Psychiatry Service, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr Sachs is the Principal Investigator of the NIMH Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar disorder. He serves on the scientific advisory board of the National Depression and Manic Depression Association and is Co-editor-in-chief of Clinical Approaches to Bipolar Disorder and on numerous editorial boards. Dr Sachs has authored over 150 articles, abstracts, books, reviews, and book chapters. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=32317